Jan Gray’s Project 365-2022

[jangray]

21st June - Woodland Walk
Had the funeral this morning so the dogs had to be left in the van which they weren’t too pleased about! However, this afternoon was lovely and behind the campsite was a lovely quiet woodland so a good walk round that cheered them up

 

[jangray]

22nd June - Another Kentish Walk
Last day in Kent after sorting the home and all the legal things out, we went for a drive and went for walk around the countryside. A good antidote after the last couple of days.

 

[jangray]

23rd June - Oxeye Daisy
One of my favourite wild flowers, especially when it is like in the photo in a large group along the hedgerow.

 

[ImageArt]

9th June - Dog Rose (Canina Rosa)
I love these old dog roses that seem to scramble through the hedgerows. They have very beautiful but delicate flowers that, if pollinated, transform into those lovely rose hips in the autumn.


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Dog roses remind me so much of my childhood. Don’t know why we had so many that it sticks in my mind.

 

[ImageArt]

Ah, so enjoying all your country images, Jan. Very taken with your Northumberland trip. Not an area I have been to. Another place I need to add to my list. Just don’t enjoy the long drive times but maybe I need to do lots of stops on the way.

 

[jangray]

Ah, so enjoying all your country images, Jan. Very taken with your Northumberland trip. Not an area I have been to. Another place I need to add to my list. Just don’t enjoy the long drive times but maybe I need to do lots of stops on the way.

That’s where the motorhome comes into its own. Can find sites along the way to have a stop over. Northumberland is a beautiful county and is the least populated, so can travel miles without seeing many people

 

[jangray]

24th June - Dappled Sun ICM
Liked the effect the ICM gave to the dappled sun through the woods today.

 

[jangray]

25th June - Hot Blackbird
Quite a warm day today and this blackbrid was struggling with the heat. Caught him laying flat out on the grass panting with his bill open. Put some more water out and he had a drink and flew off.

 

[ImageArt]

That’s where the motorhome comes into its own. Can find sites along the way to have a stop over. Northumberland is a beautiful county and is the least populated, so can travel miles without seeing many people

Just love that - no people! I still haven’t given up the idea of doing a bit of camping.

 

[jangray]

26th June - Marbled Brown Moth
Spotted this on the Garden furniture this morning. Hidden under one of the cushions A Marbled Brown Moth. Lovely patterning on its’ wings.

 

[jangray]

27th June - Scabious
I have the usual light blue scabious but these ones were new this year. A pale lilac colour petals and purple stamens.

 

[jangray]

28th June - Mournful Widow Scabious
Another of our scabious flowers - this one is called ‘Mournful Widow’ or ’Pincushion Flower’ which I prefer. It is a lovely deep maroon colour and is quite tall.

 

[jangray]

29th June Antirrhinum

I love these plants. They are known as annuals but these I planted over 5 years ago and they come up each year. ​

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[jangray]

30th June - Large Bullwort
This is one of our wildflowers I’ve grown this year. It is part of the umbellifor family like Cow Parsley and produces lovely seed heads in the autumn.

 

[jangray]

July 1st - ALIUM Close-Up
Aliums are lovely textural plants that are loved by pollinators, but I actually prefer them when the flowers have finished and you are left with really unusual seed head. I took this on the iphone, but didn’t realise that these segments were covered in tiny bugs that were burrowing into I the segments. You can see one of them in the central segment. I had noticed that there had been ladybirds flying round them, they are obviously taking them.

 

[jangray]

2nd July - Annual Mallow - Lavatera
A fairly common plant but love the brilliant white of this one as they are mainly pink. The translucency of the petals gives it a silken effect.

 

[jangray]

3rd July - Gorse Buds
Took several of this gorse bush on our walk today, and, although this isn’t the most sharp, likes the effect with he sun coming in from the left framing the buds with the green behind.

 

[jangray]

4th July - Honeysuckle
When I was looking at some information about the Honeysuckle, I thought it was UK native, but turns out originally started its’ life in the US so Happy Independence Day Honeysuckle!

 

[jangray]

5th July - Izzy’s Birthday

Today Izzy is now 7 years old. Both Dave and I can’t believe how much our lives have changed since collecting her from the breeder when she was 10 weeks old. And then doubly changed when we got Bertie 2 years later. Now when we arrange things, it is generally around the dogs. Talk about run our lives!

 

[jangray]

6th July - Common Yarrow
Many of the photos I take this year tend to be of flora `I see on the walks we do, and this is another one - Common Yarrow. I often look up details about the plants and this one is quite fascinating. It has several names including ‘Thousand leaf,’ ‘Devil’s Nettle,’ and ‘Soldier’s Woundwort,’ as it was one of the plants soldiers use on their wounds in battle to staunch the bleeding. It also contain salicylic acid which can be used like aspirin. A good bit of trivia I think!
Again, tried a different angle to take this to give it a more romantic effect.

 

[zenjenny]

5th July - Izzy’s Birthday

Today Izzy is now 7 years old. Both Dave and I can’t believe how much our lives have changed since collecting her from the breeder when she was 10 weeks old. And then doubly changed when we got Bertie 2 years later. Now when we arrange things, it is generally around the dogs. Talk about run our lives!
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Happy birthday Izzy!
Nothing like a pair of loving lovable dogs to enrich your life

 

[jangray]

7th July - Common Yarrow - Again
How weird was this. A different walk today along the edge of a meadow and spotted this. Thought it was a Yarrow and it is - just another colour!

 

[jangray]

8th July - Chicory
Another one of our native wildflowers that has lots of uses. A beautiful blue flower that is loved by pollinators but has many herbal qualities such as being used for loss of appetite, upset stomachs, liver and gallbladder disorders. It is also one of the plants used in many drugs for chemotherapy. As well as many years ago being used as a beverage during the last century when coffee was not available. It was still available as a coffee drink (‘Camp Coffee’ - not a very ‘woke’ name now!). I remember drinking it as my gran used to buy it because she got so used to drinking it during the 2nd WW thought that was wheat coffee should taste like!

 

[jangray]

9th July - Cornflower
Love the blue of these flowers and especially when seen in a meadow towering over the other plants and wafting in the breeze. Like a lot of these plants it has many different names depending upon which no art of the UK it use seen. In the south it is often known as ‘Bachelor’s buttons,’ in the west ‘Corn Blinks,’ or ‘Witch’s Thimble,’ and in Wales ‘Blavers’. On the plantlife website it has an interesting article talking about the plant. They have found it is very much like the poppy where it can be dormant for many years then appear if the ground is turned. This was seen during the 60s and 70s when there was a big expanse of road building that took place and the Cornflower made a re-appearance around the areas that were excavated.

 

[jangray]

10th July - Ringlet Butterfly
A short break from my expeditions into photographing wildflowers this beautiful little butterfly was spotted. Called the Ringlet for the little circles on the underside of the wings. but you have 2 for the price of 1 today - it wasn’t until I was editing the image that I noticed a beetle below the butterfly. This is a ‘Thick Legged Flower Beetle,’ according to the Buglife app.