I spend a lot of time thinking about what my next post might be. Especially when I’m mowing or weeding or doing some other mindless task – after all there’s no-one to talk to; no-one real anyhow. But sometimes the decision is made for me.
Like the other day. I was potting up some plants in the greenhouse (sempervivums, since you ask), bent down over my stuff-to-go-to-the-compost-bin-bucket and saw this:
A handsome, largish moth – though it was only when I got home that I identified it as an
angle shades; which is, you’ll agree, a fine name. An angle shades moth (Phlogophora meticulosa). I suppose I’d carried it into the heated greenhouse (hidden amongst my fascinating semp collection) and the warmth woke it up.
pelargoniums (keener). But I couldn’t tell whether it actually drank any nectar.
The larvae of the moth eat a range of herbaceous plants so I suppose I should’ve been wary of helping it. But how could I not;
it looked me so earnestly in the eye.
So I gave it a little sugar-water and the following day, when it was finally a little warmer, popped it out on the grass. Their caterpillars feed mostly on nettle and dock – of which we have plenty. As long as they stick to those we’ll get along just fine.
oooOOOooo
Have you had an encounter recently? With a creature that was a little unusual? No, I don’t mean that kind of encounter; an encounter with a non-human creature? Have you seen and photographed
a mammal?
Or a bird?
or perhaps an insect? Or whatever? Something in your garden (though not necessarily – we don’t really have elephants or black vultures at the Priory); something that you haven’t seen before or only rarely? Because those jolly nice people at Select Furnishings (and me) are holding a competition to win one of these:
It’s an outdoor fire pit (in case you wondered), sells on their website for £139.00 and will keep you warm long after the barbecue has gone out.
If you’d like to win a fire pit, here’s what you need to do:
If you’re a blogger, just publish a post detailing your ‘encounter’ (with at least one photo). You’ll need to put in a link to this Anxious Gardener post (in order that I know that you’ve entered) and somewhere in the article put in a link to Select Furnishings. And that’s it.
If you’re not a blogger, don’t despair and wipe away those tears; you too can enter. Just e-mail your post to [email protected] including at least one photo and I’ll publish it here on the AG.*
Sorry but the competition is open to UK residents only. I’m away for a few days next week so the closing date will be midnight 3rd May 2013. Select Furnishings will choose the winner and I shall announce the result in due course.
Good luck!
* I may exercise some editorial control – but only after consulting with you.
