Dragons and dens

Snap dragon closed

Snapdragon open

With a light squeeze on either side of the base of the flower, AJ made the snapdragon flower open. Did you know that the botanical name for snapdragon – Antirrhinum – is meant to translate from the Greek for “like a nose”? I guess it makes more sense if it refers to an animal with a snout. The children tried, but it does not work with their noses!

If dragons were not enough excitement for one day, then there are also dens springing up all over the garden.

The runner bean den is starting to grow in height and weaving the walls between the poles. I thought I would need to guide it across the gaps, but apparently it was listening when I explained this to the children at the planting stage. There are even beautiful salmon coloured flowers beginning to decorate the walls.

TF was thrilled to find a perfect sized den for him under this apple tree. I planted this tree to provide little apples that the children can eat straight from the tree. The apples are not ready yet.

TF took great delight taking me around every branch, pointing out the little apples. Lots of little apples. They are just at his height. He understands that he needs to wait, and I know he will. I have a feeling that he will take a keen interest in this tree. Keeping me up to date with its progress.

There have been a lot of these popping up around the garden today. AJ informs me that we can’t read fairy writing, so they use flowers to tell us what their houses are called. This one is Foxglove Cave. This fairy is obviously keen on sailing as there is a green yacht outside.

Here is another one. I didn’t notice it until it was pointed out. My fairy expert tells me that it is, indeed, cleverly disguised as a stone circle, which we have a lot of in this region, so no-one would give it a second look. This den is part of a settlement of three similar dwellings. I am reliably informed that this is a secretive clan of cave dwelling fairies. We have Troglodyte fairies in the garden! No one was home, or else they were in hiding.

Who can blame them when you have thundering giants roaming the area.

Footnote: Just spotted that not only humans making dens. The mole has sent up a mole hill right in the middle of our willow fairy den and filling it up! May need to rename it as willow mole den.