28 July

Rose Cottage Lane

The Sussex countryside is beginning to look a little dry after three consecutive dry months.

A whole hedgerow of horsetail (lego plants) below Sparks Farm

One of the best patches of wild flowers in the village is this area of betony and agrimony beside Brantridge Lane

21 july

A common toad, disturbed on the veg patch.

Thistle galls are very common. In this field almost every thistle had a gall. But none had more than one!
They are caused by a fly laying its eggs and each gall has half a dozen larvae inside.

Common Mallow

19 July

Ringlets seem to be the most common butterfly at the moment.
The males are so dark that they appear almost soot black; this must be a female.

With so many brown and white butterflies around at the moment it makes a change to see a blue.

14 July

A rare sight nowadays, like slow-worms hedgehogs are not often seen around the garden

13 Jul

There are 400 different varieties of blackberry; some bramble flowers are pink, others white.
Is there any difference in the taste of the berries?

Self-heal; grows tall in the hedgerows but also grows as a short lawn weed.

Wipe lard on the leaves and apply to cuts and bruises.