The June Horse Chestnut Photo

 A month on from my last photo of the Horse Chestnut tree and the flowers have become conkers, very small still of course.

Sadly there are early signs of the disease which now affects the leaves each year - brown splodges starting to appear. In another month they will be even more widespread. The odd thing about this disease which is relatively new here (last 30 years maybe) is that it doesn't have any effect on the actual tree.....thankfully. Having lost Elm trees and Ash trees to disease we don't want to lose Horse Chestnut trees as well.

Guignardia Leaf Blotch (Guignardia aesculi): A fungus-driven disease.

• Symptoms: Irregular dull brown or reddish blotches, often surrounded by a conspicuous yellow band, typically concentrated at the leaf tips and edges.
• Impact: Mostly an aesthetic issue, though severe attacks cause the leaves to shrivel entirely. Raking up and destroying fallen leaves in autumn helps limit the spread for the following spring

The fungus was introduced accidentally into the UK from North America in the last century and has gradually spread around the country. 

 

Here's a reminder of how the tree looked a month ago

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Dunnock

 Years ago when we saw one of these in the garden it would have been called a Hedge Sparrow but it's properly named 'Dunnock'. (Prunella modularis).The only British member of this family.

They are common and widespread except for the very North of Scotland. Seen in woodland, hedges and gardens. They build a nest close to the ground somewhere really well hidden in thick hedges, evergreens or bramble thickets, so don't normally use nest-boxes.

Quite shy little birds I don't often see them here but that might be because they are usually at ground level, hopping about under the feeders rather than up on the feeders or in the shrubs that I would see from the window more easily.

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I Was Duped .....................

 I picked this craft box of card making bits at a boot sale a few weeks ago and when the lady selling said she wanted £10 for it I quickly put it down again. 

Then last weekend I saw it again and asked the price and got it for £5. I thought £5 for the makings of 24 cards wasn't too bad and they looked quite unusual to make. The lady said it was new - never been opened and it was certainly sealed and looked new.

You can guess what I'm going to say..........BUT when I got  home and found a way into the box, I discovered it HAD been opened and the only things inside were three lots of different sized card blanks and envelopes - six of each and some coloured paper and card. There should have been a whole lot more - I'm so cross with myself.

I wasn't even meant to be buying anymore card making bits anyway!

Ho Hum!

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