Michaelmas

I found this michaelmas daisy growing in a crack in the concrete outside disused glasshouse number one. No idea how it got there. These flowers from the aster family bloom around Michaelmas Day, which is today. Michaelmas is the feast of St Michael the archangel. In Irish folklore if Michaelmas Day be bright and clear there will be two 'Winters' in the year. It has been a lovely sunny day so maybe we're in for a hard winter.

A novel member of the aster family similar to michaelmas daisies with lots of small white flowers became available towards the end of our cut flower growing days. We thought about cultivating Aster Monte Cassino but didn't get round to it. My uncle was at the battle of Mont Cassino in WWII.

I photographed the male great spotted woodpecker on the southerly bank of the lake this morning. I captured the very distant young fox north of the lake this afternoon.