How do harlequin ladybirds mate on a bamboo cane

Well my photo may be a clue. I am aware that the harlequin is forcing out our own native ladybird but if they eat lots of aphids it`s difficult to argue against them.

A plot update first Monday in July.

I have a blackfly infestation on my french beans on close inspection I saw two harlequin ladybirds mating I wondered how they were hanging vertically onto a smooth bamboo cane until I enlarged the photo and saw little hook like claws on the end of their legs.

Tomorrow I will spray the beans with a organic insecticide and the ladybirds will have to taake their chances unless of course they can give birth to enough offspring overnight to change my mind.

The sunflowers are out and looking terrific, the sweetcorn is as high as my eye and still going upwards I had to tie it in a little today to keep it away from the path and the asparagus is happy now that I am not cutting off it`s head each time it makes a appearance. Oh and the runner beans are almost ready to pick yum yum.

The fuschia and buddleia growing over from the park next door are very colouful.

A cornucopia of wild flowers

More on my previous post "Someone deserves a pat on the back". I took some more measured pictures today of the various flowers I will leave you to look at the 12 photos and name them. The poppies are the dominant flower they are also the tallest on the mound

Someone deserves a pat on the back

Just near where we live in Eastbourne there are two very busy roads, a copse of bushes and trees with a five acre field in the middle of the triangle.

The council have had unauthorised occupation of green open spaces in the past and probably felt that this five acre field was vulnerable to being occupied by motorised vehicles again without permission.

It was in the early part of this year that we saw JCB diggers making earth mounds about a metre high along the whole length of the two long sides of the field. 

The answer to why they were left bare for many weeks became apparent about a month ago when a wonderful display of wild flowers appeared on the mounds, there had clearly been a vast amount of wild flower seeds in the earth at the time of the mound construction. The roots of the plants will hopefully stabilise the earth bank.

I think you will agree that what they have created is better than concrete blocks, wooden stakes or any other unsightly obstruction.

I put this photo in for a bit of "spot the difference" fun from the photo above, there is 1 large obvious one

The cormorant and the black headed gulls

The cormorant is a familiar sight on Eastbourne beaches especially at Holywell where the fishing is excellent especially around the reef.  I watched the bird drying it`s wings by vigorously flapping them and then extending them out, wing condition is very important for this bird as it spends a lot of it`s time underwater for long periods of time while fishing.
The black headed gulls didn`t seem to be concerned by all this activity until a marauder arrived intent on driving off the cormorant who he probably felt was on his territory, but he failed to do, so after a bit of commotion the cormorant flew off along with the gulls and I went back to the chalet to finish my book.

Where have the butterflies gone

Not so long ago the buddleia bush on the plot would have been visited by many different types of butterflies, sadly I have seen over the last few weeks only the Comma and the Cabbage White how has it been on your plot? Flighty has kindly given me this useful link

The pot marigolds are adding a real splash of colour and the verbena bonariensis  on a nieghbours plots standing about 2 metres high swaying in the breeze is a delight. I make no excuse for adding more poppy pictures to the blog the subtle variation in colours is wonderful.

companion planting? marigold in the leeks

Comma

verbena bonariensis standing tall

verbena bonariensis

No veg on this small part of the plot

Runner bean Enorma

I am trialling three types of runner bean this year the first to set flowers is Emorma shown in the picture. It is such a treat to have flowers that low on the wigwam support, my other plot at Wellcome was so shaded with trees the plants struggled for light and advanced upwards very quickly, the beans were mostly limited towards the top of the supports.
On the subject of beans I can state that all my beans have wound there way up the canes anti-clockwise in response to a comment by Sue Garrett of Green Lane Allotments Here I will also add that my bath water exits the plug hole anti-clockwise. Answers on a postcard please

The soil is very dry at the moment and regular watering is essential as rainfall so far this summer has been scarce here in Eastbourne which seems to have a little micro-climate being shielded by the south downs, the weather forecast for the region is often quite different for us.

Our plot has been left a little overgrown in places to encourage wild flowers that may assist companion planting and the many different colour poppies are adding lovely colour in places, the pot marigolds I have sown later than normal will be adding to the display.

West Rise marsh and nature reserve

A local nature reserve, I visited today and the link I posted it to is  Here my other blog