Coming to an end

With one more day left of Summer (meteorologically speaking), those few of us who prefer the shorter, colder days of autumn and winter, can start to come out of aestivation (the opposite of hibernation). In our garden too, the signs of autumn are everywhere, nowhere more so than our nasturtiums which have been decimated by the caterpillars of Large White butterflies (Pieris brassicae).

These rather attractive larvae have given me something of a dilemma. Our nasturtiums have been very colourful throughout the summer and their flowers have attracted all sorts of bees, hoverflies and butterflies. The Large White butterfly is also an attractive insect and one which I do not want to harm in any way, but it is nonetheless a little upsetting to see your pots and baskets being eaten away before your very eyes.

Oh well, never mind. It is getting to the end of summer now as I said and the nasturtiums wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway, so it's probably for the best that these little leaf-munchers have their fill while they can.

Soon, they will pupate - so I will have to keep an eye out for where their chrysalis' are - and spend the winter in that state before emerging as adults next year, to start the whole process over again. Maybe we'll grow something else next year!