Random Ramblings
Random Ramblings: Personal observations on a wide variety of subjects. Photographs of creatures and things that are taken on seeing the unusual as well as everyday things.
It is wonderful that despite being delicate, how resilient some plants are. Even though we are having persistent heavy showers the beautiful, fluffy, soft dandelion clocks remain so perfectly formed and hold onto their seeds until the showers end and they are able to dry out their pappus. The pappus is made up of fine hairs which are whisked up by the wind rather like a parachute carrying its precious cargo an achene, the seed.
Dandelion clock showing the pappus and achenes - Taraxacum officinale
Although it is June, we are having heavy downpours of rain. Everything is utterly sodden and dripping wet. In between the heavy rain showers there are some unusual sightings. Here is one of them it is a Red lily beetle or Lily beetle .. it is known by both names. The adult beetle burrows down into the soil in late Autumn and will spend the Winter anywhere underground for protection. The beetles usually wait until a bright sunny April day to push up out of the earth and then they begin to look for lily leaves to lay their eggs. They continue laying eggs throughout the Summer. The eggs are laid in small numbers on the underside of the lily leaves and once they have hatched the plant is ravaged.
This beetle was happily clinging to a Purple Loosestrife leaf, which is nowhere near to my lilies .. but I am wondering if the beetle found one of my lily leaves or whether it flew off into someone else’s garden!
Red Lily Beetle or Lily Beetle - Lilioceris lilii
A few months ago, I happened upon an artist called Lizzie Marshall. You may well know her as Lizme, for that is the name that she uses to sign her paintings with.
I was captivated with her distinctive style and her use of colour which immediately draw you into her pictures. She was born in South Yorkshire, which is as different to the rest of Yorkshire as Wales is to Scotland. It is the area of Robin Hood and the longbow strained from the yew trees (Taxus baccata). The people of this area are forthright with a depth of character and a sweet truth which makes them earnest, loyal and hard working. There is a purity of soul and an appreciation of natural things, which I think is present in Lizzie Marshall’s paintings.
Link for Lizme’s Website
Link for Lizzie Marshall’s day-to-day Blog
Lizzie Marshall, a Yorkshire artist
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