The Toad in the Garden

I was taking a stroll around the garden as the light was fading and watching the bats soaring and swooping.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something move, disappearing into the border.

I shouted for someone to bring a torch and when I looked it was a rather large toad. It kept very still and if I had not seen that movement, I cannot blame it as if it had not moved I would have stepped on it, I certainly would not have seen it. They blend in so well to the surrounding soil.

The wait for the Californian Poppies to flower has been very worthwhile. More have now started to flower and the colours are beautiful.

Apart from the poppies the undoubted stars of the garden at the moment are the Dahlias and the Crocosmia, I remember them as Montbretia when I started gardening. Lucifer tend to be the variety that get a lot of mention but the large flowered orange varieties that I have are absolutely stunning at the moment.

This week’s diary tells more about The Toad and the Hawthorne