Three of us are gathered, staring intently at the small insect clinging to a leaf. We know it’s a ladybird but not the usual red. We reach for google for the second time in 10 minutes and identify it as the 22-spot ladybird. We are busy twisting and turning to count the spots as the ladybird suddenly heads off along the edge of the leaf before flying off. It was a bit of serendipity to spot this one just after we had been googling ladybird larvae to identify a very small insect that had landed on one of our hands as we were smelling the wonderful scent of sweet peas. I have been doing a bit more research into the larvae and it could be the Harlequin ladybird and if that is the case, well I now know that Harmonia axyridis became established in the UK in 2004. It originated from Japan and has been introduced as a biological control agent around the world to control aphids. It wasn’t deliberately introduced to Britain. Apparently this ladybird feeds on many other insects including other ladybirds - I am feeling nervous for the 22-spotted ladybird which had found its home in the Museum of Homelessness garden where I am volunteering.

I have been pondering this incident this week because I think it happened because I was with two wonderfully curious individuals who are new to gardening, so they somehow look more closely and spot things and question things that perhaps, sometimes as busy gardeners; cutting back, weeding, moving, mulching - we miss. It’s exciting to be with someone who is smelling a sweet pea for the first time and after the moment of delight, looks at the way the tendrils wrap around each other and observes how ‘they support each other’. It’s fun to be part of the excitement as some squash plants, happy in their newly built planters, spread and seem to grow before your very eyes. The sower of the seeds was away this week but asked for photographs to check on their progress.

It’s a wonderful environment in which to learn. To admit you don’t know what that is but let’s try to find out, to share the things you love about planting some seeds, propagating some cuttings and when something looks a little less than healthy, to quote your father’s maxim in such situations: “it’s got two chances!” It also makes me reflect on what makes a community garden. It isn’t building a garden and then saying to the community - here’s a garden for you to enjoy. It’s about a space where you invite people in to just be, to talk, to share, to eat together and then along the way to plant the seeds, build the pond, harvest the nettles if that’s their thing. It reminds me of the advice from Lee - the skinny jean gardener: ‘If you want to encourage someone to garden, then let them decide what they want to plant’. Similarly Philippa’s (Just Dahlias) mother- in-law says: ‘You only care for the plants you really love’.

On that note I am excited to report that the first of my dahlia seedlings, grown from the seeds that Philippa so kindly shared, are heading into their BIG pots, where hopefully they will thrive and reveal their flowers later in the Summer. Snail and slug watch will have to step up a pace! Philippa had her first dahlia bloom in her dahlia field this week having been somewhat worried after all the torrential rain we’ve had - if you haven’t heard her on the dahlia bonus episode do take a listen. Her passion for these wonderful flowers is such a joy. You can see her first bloom of the season on her Instagram account @justdahlias.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sally

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