We may, apparently, be having a painted lady summer this year. As yet, there have been arrivals in some numbers near the south and east coasts. Here in the west midlands, sightings have been of ones and twos.
This painted lady was going from flower to flower on one of the species’ favourite plants, a valerian. It was concentrating so hard on what it was doing, I was able to get close enough to take these pictures on a mobile phone.
A tuliptree on a quiet residential side road flowering, brought on by the spell of hot weather in May. I don’t remember the tree having ever flowered previously.
A leafcutter bee as it travelled form flower to flower on a cistus (rock rose) bush.
These columbines (aquilegia) are more likely to be cultivars which are now self-seeding in this currently uncultivated garden, but they are clearly holding their own.
Not so much a wildflower as a cultivar gone feral, these spurges are nevertheless holding their own, spreading in competition with the interlopers in this front garden.
Yet another enemy of the lawn perfectionists, giant plantains raising their heads well over even this unmown grass.