The Bumblebee Flies Anyway Read online

  Hoverfly Volucella bombylans

  Hoverfly Volucella inanis

  White fly Trialeurodes vaporariorum

  White-footed hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus

  Pond life

  Common blue damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum

  Common darter dragonfly Sympetrum striolatum

  Diving beetle Agabus bipustulatus

  Large red damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula

  Pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis

  Rose leaf miner Stigmella anomalella

  Spiders and harvestmen

  Garden spider Araneus diadematus

  Giant house spider Eratigena atrica

  Harvestmen Opiliones

  Woodlouse spider Dysdera crocata

  Mammals

  Fox Vulpes vulpes

  Grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis

  Other critters

  Black ant Lasius niger

  Black bean aphid Aphis fabae

  Common centipede Lithobius forficatus

  Common pill woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare

  Common rough woodlouse Porcellio scaber

  Common striped woodlouse Philoscia muscorum

  Common woodlouse Oniscus asellus

  Earthworms Lumbricina

  Froghopper Issus coleoptratus

  Leaf miner Agromyzidae

  Mosquito Culicidae

  Non-biting midge Chironomidae

  Rose aphid Macrosiphum rosae

  Rose sawfly Arge pagana/Arge ochropus

  Rove beetles Staphylinidae

  Willowherb aphid Aphis epilobii

  Author acknowledgements

  Thank you…

  To my agent, Jane Turnbull and my editor, Julie Bailey, both of whom took a chance on my half-baked idea of writing a book about a garden I hadn’t started. And to my copy-editor, Mari Roberts, who showed me how to write a book, and for her kindness and patience when I wanted to make so many last-minute changes after all the work she had done. To illustrator extraordinaire Jessie Ford, for my wonderful cover, and to Rachel Nicholson, Kealey Rigden, Hannah Paget and everyone at Bloomsbury.

  To Helen Ginn, who not only gave me her greenhouse and lots of plants, a bumblebee nest and hours of cups of tea and chats but who also read my manuscript and offered unbiased, sensible advice, all while finishing her own book and looking after baby twins. You’re amazing, really.

  To Adrian Thomas for showing me where the nightingales are. To Michael Blencowe for sending me seeds. To Ben Darvill for always being on hand with bumblebee queries, to Twitter for being endlessly clever and entertaining.

  To Andrew and Louise Donald, thank you for looking after the garden and for not putting a tennis court over it after all.

  To Jo Wright and Pete Connolly for providing information about the garden at 86 when Mum wasn’t able to.

  To the doctors and nurses at Heartlands, Queen Elizabeth and Solihull hospitals for caring for Mum and saving her life. To the cleaners and porters who made her recovery more comfortable, to the therapists who helped her adjust back to the real world.

  To my family for just about holding things together, and for allowing me to tell this story. To Trudi. To the red-tailed bumblebee that came into my life all those years ago, and to Jonny for throwing that smelly old duvet into the yard.

  If you want to learn more…

  If you want to learn more about, or create habitats for, wildlife in your garden, these are some of my favourite books, which you might like too. Some are out of print so you’ll need to hunt them down in charity shops or online, but they’re worth it. I’ve also included my first book, The Wildlife Gardener, a practical guide to creating habitats for wildlife in your garden, and below the books I’ve listed websites for just some of the many organisations working hard to help wildlife.

  The Wildlife Gardener by Kate Bradbury (White Owl Books, 2017)

  Our Garden Birds by Matt Sewell (Ebury, 2012)

  Organic Gardening by Charles Dowding (Green Books, 2013)

  Gardening for Birdwatchers by Mike Toms and Ian and Barley Wilson (British trust for Ornithology, 2008)

  Hedgehogs by Pat Morris (Whittet Books, 2014)

  Frogs and Toads by Trevor Beebee (Whittet Books, 1997)

  The Secret Life of Garden Birds by Dominic Couzens (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2004)

  The Secret Life of Flies by Erica McAlister (The Natural History Museum, 2017)

  Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland by Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner (Ocelli, 2009)

  Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland by Steven Falk and Richard Lewington (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015)

  Butterflies of Britain and Ireland by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014)

  A Natural History of Ladybird Beetles by M.E.N. Majerus, H.E. Roy and P.M.J. Brown. (Cambridge University Press, 2016)

  Beetles (Collins New Naturalist Library) by Richard Jones (HarperCollins, 2018)

  Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland by Steve Brooks and Steve Cham (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014)

  Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK

  arguk.org

  Bat Conservation Trust

  bats.org.uk

  British Dragonfly Society

  british-dragonflies.org.uk

  British Hedgehog Preservation Society

  britishhedgehogs.org.uk

  British Trust for Ornithology

  bto.org

  Buglife

  buglife.org.uk

  Bumblebee Conservation Trust

  bumblebeeconservation.org

  Butterfly Conservation

  butterfly-conservation.org

  Flora locale

  floralocale.org

  Froglife

  froglife.org

  Hawk and Owl Trust

  hawkandowl.org

  Moths Count

  mothscount.org

  Red Squirrel Survival Trust

  rsst.org.uk

  The RSPB

  rspb.org.uk

  Swift Conservation

  swift-conservation.org

  The Mammal Society

  mammal.org.uk

  The RHS

  rhs.org.uk

  The Wildlife Trusts

  wildlifetrusts.org

  UK Ladybird Survey

  ladybird-survey.org

  Wild About Gardens

  wildaboutgardens.org.uk

  WWF UK

  wwf.org.uk

  Index

  agapanthus here

  alkanet, green here, here

  alliums here, here, here

  amphibians here, here, here

  anemones, Japanese here, here, here, here

  Anthophora durcata here

  ants here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  aphids here, here, here, here, here

  apple trees here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  artichokes here, here

  ash trees here, here

  aubergines here, here, here

  avens here, here

  bats here, here

  beech trees here

  bees here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  bee hotels here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  blue mason bee here, here, here, here, here

  brown-banded carder bee here

  ground-nesting bees here

  hairy-footed flower bee here

  honeybee here, here

  leafcutter bee here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  moss carder bee here

  red mason bee here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  solitary bees here

  toothed flower bee here

  wool carder bee here, here

  beetles here

  whirligig beetles here

  bellflower, Serbian here

  bindweed here, here, here, here,here

  birch trees here, here, h
ere

  bird feeders here, here, here

  bird’s foot trefoil here, here, here

  birds here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  bistort, common here, here, here

  blackbirds here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  blackcaps here

  blackflies here

  Blencowe, Michael here, here

  Bombus hortorum here

  muscorum here

  pascuorum here, here

  bonfires here

  borage here, here, here

  box here, here, here, here

  bracken here, here

  brambles here, here, here

  buckthorn here

  buddleias here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  bugle here

  Bumblebee Conservation Trust here

  bumblebees here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  garden bumblebee here

  great yellow bumblebee here

  red-tailed bumblebee here, here

  removing nests here

  rescuing here

  white-tailed bumblebee here

  butterflies here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  brimstone here

  comma here

  holly blue here, here, here

  large white here, here

  long-tailed blue here

  meadow brown here

  orange-tip here

  painted lady here

  peacock here, here

  red admiral here, here, here

  skipper here

  small tortoiseshell here, here, here, here

  small white here, here

  speckled wood here

  white-letter hairstreak here

  Butterfly Conservation here

  buzzards here, here

  caterpillars here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  elephant hawkmoth here, here

  woolly bear here

  centipedes here

  chaffinches here, here, here, here, here

  cherry trees here, here, here, here

  chiffchaffs here, here, here, here, here

  chives here

  clematis here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  clover, red here, here, here, here, here, here

  white here, here, here, here

  comfrey here, here

  communal gardens here

  compost here, here, here, here

  coots here

  cormorants here

  cornflowers here, here, here

  cosmos here, here

  cotoneaster here, here

  Cousteau, Jacques here

  cow parsley here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  craneflies here

  cranesbills here, here, here, here

  crocosmia here, here

  crocus here, here, here

  cuckoos here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  daffodils here, here

  daisies here, here, here, here, here

  damselflies here

  dandelions here, here, here, here

  Darvill, Ben here

  deadnettle, white here, here, here

  decking here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  doves, collared here, here, here, here

  turtle here

  dragonflies here, here, here, here, here, here

  common darter here, here, here

  dunnocks here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  echinacea here

  Echium pinnata here

  elephant ears here, here

  elm trees here, here, here

  Eryngium here

  evening primrose here

  fennel here, here, here

  firecrests here

  flies here, here, here

  centurion flies here, here

  forget-me-nots here, here

  water forget-me-not here

  foxes here, here, here, here, here, here

  foxgloves here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  frogbit here

  froghoppers here

  frogs here, here, here, here, here, here

  Geranium phaeum here

  geraniums here, here, here

  goldcrests here, here

  goldfinches here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  gooseberries here, here, here, here, here

  Gosse, Henry The Romance of Natural History here

  granny’s bonnet here

  grapevines here, here

  grebes, great crested here, here, here

  greenfinches here

  greenhouses here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  guelder rose here, here

  gulls, black-headed here

  herring here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  little here

  habitat loss here, here, here, here

  haws here, here, here

  hedgehogs here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  hedges here

  hellebores here, here, here

  herb robert here, here

  holly here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  honesty here

  honeysuckle here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  honeywort here, here, here, here

  hoverflies here, here, here

  hydrangea here, here, here, here

  insect populations here

  irises here

  ivy here, here, here, here, here, here

  jackdaws here

  jasmine here

  kale here, here, here, here, here

  knapweed here, here

  Knautia macedonica here

  lady’s mantle here, here

  ladybirds here, here

  lamb’s ears here, here, here, here, here

  lawns here, here, here, here

  leafhoppers here, here

  leafminers here, here, here, here, here

  leatherjackets here, here

  lemon thyme here

  lily of the valley here, here, here, here

  linaria here, here

  love-in-a-mist here, here, here, here, here

  lungwort here

  lychnis here, here

  manure here

  martins, house here

  moss here, here, here

  moths here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  buff ermine here

  Hebrew character here

  plume here

  nasturtiums here, here

  native plants here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  nest boxes here, here, here

  nettles here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  newts here

  nightingales here, here

  nuthatches here, here, here

  oak trees here, here, here, here

  owls, tawny here

  oystercatchers here, here

  peas here

  everlasting pea here, here

  sweet pea here, here

  pennyroyal here

  peregrines here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  pesticides here, here, here, here

  phlomis here, here

  pickerel weed here

  pigeons here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  ponds here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  pond snails here, here

  poppies, field here

  oriental here, here, here

  Welsh here

  primroses here, here

  pulsatilla here, here

  raspberries here, here

  redwings here

  rhododendrons here, here, here, here, here, here

  robins here, here, here, here, here,
here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  rocket, sweet here

  roses here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  climbing roses here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  runner beans here, here, here, here, here, here

  Sedum here, here

  self-heal here

  sheds here, here

  skylarks here, here

  Sladen, F.W.L. The Humble-bee here, here, here

  sloes here, here, here

  slow worms here, here

  slugs here, here, here, here

  smoke bush here, here, here, here, here, here

  snails here, here, here, here

  pond snails here, here

  soil here, here

  sparrows, house here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  spiders here, here, here, here, here

  spindle here, here

  squash here, here, here

  squirrels here, here, here

  starlings here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  sticklebacks here, here

  sunflowers here, here

  swallows here, here, here, here

  swan, black here, here, here

  swifts here

  sycamores here, here, here, here, here

  tadpoles here, here, here

  teasels here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  terrapins here

  thistles here

  globe here, here

  ornamental here

  thrushes, mistle here

  song here, here, here

  tits here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  blue here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  coal here, here, here

  great here, here, here, here, here, here

  toadflax here, here, here, here

  toads here, here

  tomatoes here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  trellis here, here, here, here, here

  turnstones here

  valerian here, here, here

  vegetable patches here, here, here

  verbascum here

  Verbena bonariensis here, here, here

  vetch here

  violets here

  wallflowers here, here, here

  warblers, Cetti’s here, here

  reed here, here

  wasps here, here, here, here, here, here, here

  waterboatmen here