Balloon Flower

More report writing, interspersed with garden strolls. I'm afraid that this will be the pattern of my days for the next week, until I finally submit my current set of reports!

I'm grateful that I have the garden to divert me. Though it's decidedly overgrown, there is a superabundance of insect life this year, including a good number of gatekeeper butterflies. We've had a couple of males visiting for many years, but this is the first year that both sexes have been present - hopefully they'll find somewhere to breed. 

Another newcomer to the garden was a Large Tiger Hoverfly, which is instantly recognisable by its lemon-yellow colouration. This is a widespread and often common species that seems to be prone to large influxes from the Continent. There is no clear habitat preference and it often turns up well away from potential breeding sites (it has aquatic rat-tailed larvae).


Despite these insect delights, today I've chosen to feature a Balloon Flower. This low-growing member of the bellflower family has intensely purplish-blue flowers, which look like balloons before they open fully. I bought it years ago and since then it has re-appeared every year on our gravel bed producing a surprising splash of colour late in the season.