New Zealand's Backyard Beasts | Ned Barraud Mastering the art of flower gardening A perfect shrub for floral

A perfect shrub for floral work as the arching branches of flowers add a touch of elegance to bouquets and a simple vase of flowers

A lovely meditation on the diversity of eggs

A layer of mulch to help keep up moisture levels is appreciated

Syringa x laciniata also known as the feathered Persian Lilac is a graceful

Some cakes boast that they are exceedingly good

New Zealand's Backyard Beasts | Ned Barraud Mastering the art of flower gardening A perfect shrub for floralIn the garden, creeping along branches, hiding under stones or flitting from flower to flower, a whole universe of creatures is waiting to be discovered. Butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps, spiders what have you found in your backyard? Did you know that chorus cicadas live underground for most of their life? That bumblebees have smelly feet? See our book about that here That some species of stick insect are all female? Or that earwigs don't actually