A Spot of Gardening

A bright day for the most part although cloud covered the sky for part of it. Warm enough to get out and start attending to garden work.
The front garden had been looking somewhat neglected so I set about removing the dead Lavender plant and digging out the Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens which had taken over the island bed. Buttercup is indicative of moist heavy soil so it's no surprise the Lavender died because it prefers rather well drained conditions. The invasive Buttercup is considered a serious weed by most gardeners but I have enjoyed its mass of yellow flowers in early summer, particularly as it flowers together with a spreading purple flowered Geranium macrorrhizum (Cranesbill). This year the bed will be planted with some fresh insect friendly plants.
In the foliage and soil a few creatures were active, most common was the apparently ubiquitous Woodlouse. More interesting was a shiny species of Ground Beetle, it made it's escape before I had chance to record it. Most colourful was a 22 spot Ladybird. I collected the beetle and made these images, one via the QX3 Microscope the other was created on a flatbed scanner.