August 2025

What a month of contrasts.  The UK weather brought downpours that caused flooding and power cuts but also burning suns wildfires and above average hours of sunshine. The trees were  bowed down, heavy with fruit, we had daily supplies of warm, red tomatoes, bags of salad and giant leaves on the Basil plants - such generosity and abundance of food - and then the parting of the Swallows.  A moment of immense sadness, those small, brave,intrepid souls crossing continents, many of whom will perish on the way. A yearly reminder to us that all things will pass and Autumn will soon make its presence felt.

Early in the month we were promised another heatwave. Like all the previous ones, it never arrived on The Lizard.  We enjoyed what is called 'unsettled weather' by the MET Office. Lots of hot sunny days followed by downpours and thunderstorms. A perfect Summer for me. I spent 4 nights out in the field sleeping under the stars around the time of the Sturgeon Full Moon.  A clear open sky with a bright moon casting its light all night and I slept better out in the full moonlight than I ever manage in the house. No wind was present but a slight chill made its presence felt, indicating a move away from the balmy, warm nights of June and July.  Not a sound did I hear all night but the early morning brought some whispered conversations from the Owls.

The meadow lost its colour and faded to a bleached, washed out ivory colour.  Plenty of skeletal versions of plants started to appear  It is early in the season for this to happen. The Thistles turned to silver seed balls, which were regularly blown around the field. Dozens of small wispy spider webs, known as sheets, covered the top part of the hill. They are easy to spot at this time of the year as the dew hangs on them in the early morning sun. They are the work of the Grass spiders or Funnel Weavers, and in days of old were referred to as 'fairy circles' or 'fairy handkerchiefs'and were supposed to be signs of a warm day coming. The female spiders lie in wait under these sheets, insects wander along to drink from the dew drops and in doing so, offer themselves up for breakfast to the spider. It's a win for us as they help get rid of insects that are considered pests by food gardeners.

It's been a mixed bag of fortune with our trees. In the Spring we noticed one of the largest Elms had died - it is a good deal higher than the house and very close, it is due to be felled soon. This month we saw that one of our Ash trees had also died.  It is the smaller of 3 enormous, majestic Ash trees that border our kitchen garden. I worry that the other two will follow suit. However, all the fruit trees have produced well; Plums, Damsons, Figs, and a wide range of Apples.  The Silverberries continue to plump up and ripen and the Chestnut tree displayed large quantities of bright green prickly nuts, but the Blackberries have been disappointing.

I was delighted to find a new and very substantial colony of Common Fleabane growing near the river. I like this plant with its deep sunny yellow flower and its big round face.  Wherever it appears, the insects follow and sup on its pollen and nectar.  I delved into my books to find out about this Fleabane and was amazed to discover that in the last century it was a much maligned plant  In 'Wild Flowers as They Grow', (published in 1913), it is described as 'This rather ugly plant with its distinctly ugly name...loves the roadside, because here they are comparatively safe, and, ragged and dusty, like the common tramps that they are..' Adding more insults later about the hideous smell of the plant. A bit harsh methinks. Written by John Burroughs in the early 1900's, an American Naturalist who generally adored and celebrated nature ,

'I have loved the feel of the grass under my feet, and the sound of the running streams by my side.  The hum of the wind in the tree-tops has always been good music to me and the face of the fields has often comforted me more than the faces of man'.

I don't know what the Fleabane did to this man but it clearly didn't comfort him.  Well John I completely disagree with you and I have found a fellow supporter, Jeremy Bartlett writing in 2022 in his blog, 'Let It Grow',

'Two glorious sights of late summer involve masses of yellow flowers.  One is the Common Ragwort and the other is Common Fleabane.  I love them both and so do the masses of insects that feast on their flowers'.

Right on Jeremy, I'm with you on this one.