Garden ups, garden downs

While I was sat drinking a cuppa yesterday I suddenly noticed something down at the bottom of the laurel over by our cold frame. I realised it was a nest straight away and my husband had found a piece of a nest over there only the night before. A quick inspection revealed that it was empty and I was left to wonder if the brood inside had fledged (which was unlikely) or whether they had been predated (more likely).

This bush has been the centre of much activity in recent weeks and we knew it was being used by a pair of chaffinches. I think I read somewhere, but don't quote me on it, that they have become the most common garden bird. They are abundant that's for sure, although now, perhaps not so abundant here. It's making me concerned for another chaffinch nest that we found the other day in the crown of a weeping sedge that I was encouraging my husband to take the spade to. As the female chaffinch flew out of it and surprised us into looking down into the plant, we saw three or four dark little featherless bodies, hearts pumping like crazy. We beat a hasty retreat and now take long detours around this part of the garden as we don't want to disturb the nest any more than we should do. Neither do we want to draw attention to it - I know those magpies are stalking around and I trust them no further than I can throw them....

Elsewhere there is more life, plant life that is. Lots of aquilegias around this year . I love this pretty little semi-aquilegia that we bought recently but also adore every chance seedling and permutation of the common aquilegia, also known as columbine or granny's bonnet. The next few weeks will see me constantly turning their heads up to see what colours and patterns there are this year. I've no doubt I'll be boring you with those photos in due course. I'm giving you advance warning....

No garden post from here would be complete without some sort of insect in it, preferably a bee of course. When I was looking at the bird's nest I started to look, really look at the flowers on the laurel, all too often something I take for granted. I don't know if it was the loud drone of this huge bumble bee that made me do it but I am in awe of these beautiful flowers. They look like lots of little sea creatures clustered around the stem. I always thought I was good at looking at plants properly but this was a revelation for me.

After the bumble bee on the laurel I found lots of honey bees on the comfrey and the peony lutea that is just coming into flower in our front garden. Under our window there we have this lovely blue plant. Look hard and there is a bumble bee there - honestly! It's a stunning blue but a rampant thug. I forget it's full name but it is a buglissoides - yes, quite.

Finally on the garden front and maybe out of context, but can I recommend, if you've never read it, to read this wonderful book about Derek Jarman's garden in Dungeness. I re-read it every year and hear the words and see the photos afresh every time. The photos were taken by Howard Sooley who writes about Derek Jarman and the garden here : http://bit.ly/koUSK Unbelieveably, Dungeness is officially the UK's only desert but perhaps that explains why the chosen plants thrived like they did. Jarman also kept bees here. He called them 'the bees of infinity, the golden swarm' . It is a gem and so worth reading if you love all types of gardening. Getting off my soapbox now.