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A slight miscellany from our garden, greenhouse and round about.

First a few photos from the last few days and nights as the long spell of fine weather rather draws to a close.

The sunny days with clear skies has given us beautiful skies.

Tonight I looked out late in the evening and noticed a big red star shining in the east . . . or rather south east.

This was no second coming or star shining through a summer dust haze, it was the planet Mars rising over Great Gable.

A quick look around and we could see the planet Jupiter low down in the west

just above the slopes of Gavel's Black Crag, the yellow lights are the pub by the way !

Consulting the Google star map there should be two more, Pluto and Saturn,

but they were hidden by the cloud and the bright moon.

A bright, fast moving star directly above us caught my eye . . . here photographed with a five second exposure.

It must have been the Space Station, as it was low enough to be different from any of the stars and too high and bright to be an aircraft.

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Half an hour later, as we were heading to bed we could see all those four planets in the sky I mentioned earlier,

but sorry the camera was packed away and sleep was calling before I realised the opportunity !

No matter, tomorrow I would be out to see the Lunar Eclipse . .  so we could see them then.

As luck has it of course, there was a blanket cloud cover the following evening and we saw absolutely nothing of the planets or of the blood red moon !

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The camera was picking up an image just from the from the brightness of the outside light.

No flash was needed so no distractions to scare away the visitor.

I knew it wasn't a toy when it started moving  !

Not only one but two . . . the second one emerges from close to the hedge.

I was just able to catch a clear photo as he / she moved across to the table.

After a while they both moved off down the garden towards the paddock.

Who knows, by opening up a ramp and gate into the bottom of our main garden, we may have encouraged them in.

Next day we bought some hedgehog specific food, which looked like bird food but with dried mealworms and more nut kernels.

Reading since, it would appear that successful hedgehog food is: •A saucer of cat/dog meat – chicken in jelly is a favourite but not meat in gravy. •Cat biscuits •Hedgehog biscuits found in garden centres and pet shops. •A bowl of water is really important. •Please no bread or milk. Information courtesy of Prickles Hedgehog Rescue Many thanks to Catherine Whatmough for the link . . . RmH

They were spotted again two nights later enjoying the food we put out.

We have continued to put out food each night, but I don't know whether they've been again

as what food is not eaten is usually devoured by the birds at first light . . . mealworms included.

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One morning I was in the greenhouse and noticed a visitor, a Common Frog

" Very variable in colour, typically yellowish brown, brown but may be olive green coloured,

and some individuals have a reddish or yellow appearance" . . . Reptile and Amphibians website

I've seen him in the greenhouse before, and he was sighted last year too.

he must like the damp environment of the tomato season and this year the new watering system !

Last year I checked that he didn't eat these . . . he didn't as he prefers snails and slugs . . . so he's a welcome visitor !

[ The picture is of four different varieties of tomatoes that I'm growing . . . Black Cherry, yellow Sun Baby, Gardener's Delight and Alicante.]

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