TINY TUESDAY - HOSTA FLOWERS

Mr. HCB is very proud of his Hostas, many of them in pots to dissuade the slugs from chewing the leaves.  They have been fine until a couple of days ago, when we noticed that a lot of the leaves have been providing a good evening meal for the slugs.  

The flowers are quite pretty, with almost translucent petals and there are lots more buds to open, but as well as these, I have left in the slug-chewed leaves.  However, despite an exhaustive search of all the pots filled with Hostas, I couldn’t see any of the slugs, although if you grow Hostas, you may not need to be reminded what the leaves look like when chewed!  I guess it is nature though and as unhealthy as the leaves look, it does mean that more of God’s creatures are being fed!

I turned again to Mr. Google and asked the question : “What good to slugs do?” As ever, Mr. G was quick to tell me : “Slugs are beneficial decomposers in the ecosystem, playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling and providing food for other animals. While they can be pests in gardens by eating plants, the majority of slug species are detritivores, meaning they consume decaying organic matter like dead leaves, fungi, and animal droppings. This process helps recycle nutrients back into the soil, contributing to a healthy environment.”

Now you and I know - so the next time Mr. HCB grumbles about his slug-chewed leaves, I will refer him to this Blip! 

It is much cooler today and we had a couple of good downpours last night, although a hosepipe ban is due to be put in place next Tuesday for our part of the country - we are just hoping that for our forthcoming Church weekend, starting on Friday, the weather will be kind to us.  M xx