Pied Shield Bug

Pied Shield Bug (Tritomegas bicolor)

While poking around the garden in search of new arrivals the other morning, I came across this handsome little creature trundling along one of the iris leaves near the entrance gate. It's a Pied Shield Bug (Tritomegas bicolor), one of the more striking members of its family. Smaller than most of its relatives, it's sometimes mistaken for a ladybird. Like many other shield bugs, it's a herbivore; it sticks its strawlike mouthparts into Black Horehound (Ballota nigra) and various dead-nettle species and sucks out the juices. It's found (often on the ground) in hedgerows and gardens, and along the edges of woodland – areas where its host plants occur. Common throughout much of southern England and Wales, it is rarer northwards, and missing entirely from Scotland and Ireland. Elsewhere in the world, it's found across Europe and North Africa, east to central Asia. Unlike many insect mothers, the female Pied Shield Bug is an attentive parent. She builds a shallow scrape nest in the soil, lays her eggs in it, and then stands guard over them for the three weeks it takes them to hatch, rotating the eggs occasionally with her head. Once the young have hatched, she leads them to an appropriate food plant. Though adults may be seen year-round, April to August is said to be the best time to look for them. Given that we have both Black Horehound and Red Dead-Nettle in abundance here in the garden, that means we should be seeing them for months.

Speedwell

Ivy-leaved Speedwell  (Veronica hederifolia)

Dotted liberally throughout the lawn at the moment are the small, hairy leaves and tiny purplish-blue flowers of Ivy-leaved Speedwell (Veronica hederifolia). It's a persistent little annual, typically making its first appearance sometime in March, and flowering right through to the end of the summer. A low, sprawling plant, it often forms low mats and seldom reaches heights of more than a few inches. It particularly likes well-drained soil and full sun, so it's finding many more favourable sites in the garden, now that we've lost a few of our large trees. Native to Eurasia, it's common right across Britain on cultivated and disturbed ground (including pathways and roadsides). As a common weed of agricultural fields, it has been widely introduced elsewhere around the world. The flowers are tiny – a mere 2-4 mm (considerably less than 1/4-inch) wide – so they attract only the smallest pollinators. The fruits, when they develop later in the year, are little four-chambered pods. They're not much to look at in the "showy" department perhaps, but rather handsome up close. And yet another native species on the list.

Grape Hyacinth

Armenian Grape-hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum cultivar)

Once, long ago, someone planted Armenian Grape-hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) in the garden here. It has long since "slipped its bonds", and has seeded itself all over the property. The short spikes of little, bell-shaped, purple flowers are muscling up through the quickly growing grass, straining through cracks in the flagstoned area near the house, and dotting the edges of flowerbeds everywhere. With their prolific – and early – flowers, they're a favourite of early pollinators like the little Dark-edged Bee-flies (one snapped visiting the flowers above) and the noisy Hairy-footed Flower Bees. As the name suggests, it originated in the eastern Mediterranean region, from Greece and Turkey to the Caucasus (including Armenia). It was first introduced to English gardens towards the end of the 19th century, and has proved very popular with gardeners since. It's hardy and perennial, with a pleasant grape-like scent to the flowers, and spikes that can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall. The bulbs bloom in mid-spring and flower for weeks. Though the foliage dies back once flowering is done, the leaves grow again by mid-autumn, and provide a touch of green all through milder winters. It grows best in full sun (not unexpected for a Mediterranean plant), but flowers longest in shade, and prefers well-drained soils. Needless to say, it's quite happy with the sandy soils we have here. Given its popularity with the local invertebrates, long may it continue to thrive!

Chickweed

Common Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Spring has most definitely sprung in our corner of England, with hundreds of Common Primrose and Sweet Violets blooming in the lawn, Daffodils nodding on the bank along the edge of the property and Common Whitlowgrass waving gaily on the drive. And twinkling among the burgeoning grass clumps and weedy flowerbeds are dozens and dozens of the little white stars of Common Chickweed (Stellaria media). Native to Eurasia, this low, spreading plant has conquered the world, and is now found on every continent except Antarctica. Here in the UK, it's one of the commonest weeds in cultivated or otherwise disturbed areas. Though its flowers appear to have ten petals, they actually have only five – just five very deeply split ones. You can just make out the trio of styles (part of the flower's ovary) in the centre of the blossom; this is an important ID feature. Another key feature is a neat line of hairs that run up one side of the plant's stem. At every leaf node, the hairs change sides. (The picture below shows one of these lines of hairs.) Its leaves are oval and opposite, and its weak stems can be up to 40cm (nearly 16 inches) long. In warmer parts of its range, it's a perennial, but here it's an annual. As its name suggests, Common Chickweed was once used as feed for chicken and caged birds. In our garden, the Common Woodpigeons have been feasting on them. Humans can have a nibble too; the leaves can be eaten raw or stir-fried. 

Note the distinctively neat line of hairs