We may know that some of are most spectacular butterflies like red admiral (admiral), painted lady (tistelsommerfugl), comma (hvit C), small tortoiseshell (neslesommerfugl) and peacock (dagpåfugløye) may lay their eggs on nettles (Urtica), but did you know that just here in Norway there are 51 species of moths that do the same and two of the most beautiful were in the garden this morning: 1. The burnished brass / mindre båndmetallfly (Diachrysia stenochrysis) 2. The small magpie / nesleengmott (Anania hortulata) So, please keep a patch of nettles in the garden all summer (you can still eat the young shoots)…there are also several birds such as bullfinches (dompap) and finches such as brambling (bjørkefink) that eat the seed in winter!
I was very saddened yesterday to learn that my friend Helge Finnøy has passed away after a very long illness :cry:
Helge was a gentle, modest, intelligent man and we shared an interest in particular in plants and insects and he reintroduced me to the music of Ray Davies (Kinks) and we were both at his memorable performance at Trondheim Torvet (town square) on October 11th 2014. I’m not one for sending flowers (at least not at this time of year), so I’ve put this little gallery together of my colourful memories of Helge! I have fond memories of visiting Helge (and Randi) and his garden at Torp (incidentally right next to Granly, where we rented a flat when we first moved to Norway i 1981). Takk for alt, Helge! Kondolere Randi Stubban og Sunniva Stubban Finnøy <3
Helge was passionate about the things that interested him and that included butterflies. He told excitedly of seeing two peacock butterflies (dagpåfugløye) in his garden at Torp (a few km east of my own garden) in 2004. Two years later I had them in my own garden (picture). It turns out that Helge’s observation was the first ever of this species this far north. I checked our species reporting system artsobservasjoner.no and his observation was missing, so I’ve just added it on his behalf!
Helge was also passionate about trees and shrubs and was chuffed when he managed to grow plants that shouldn’t be possible here…in that way he inspired me to try despite what people said :) Buddleja (sommerfuglblomst) was one of them and he grew several colour forms to attract butterflies, including a particularly fine form, Royal Red. This picture is of a Brimstone (sitronsommerfugl) which finally turned up in my garden.. Helge told me this would happen!
This creature turned up in another garden Torp and the owner brought it over to me hoping I could ID it…. I asked Helge and he could tell me it was the larva of the pussmoth (stor gaffelstjert)…this was in the days before it was easy to do an on-line identification!
Rhus typhina (Stag’s horn sumach / hjortesumak) is one of the plants Helge gave me and 15 years on it’s still thriving, despite this being one of the plants that shouldn’t be hardy enough for Malvik
Helge recommended this album that had just came out when we saw Ray Davies play in Trondheim in 2014 and it still is a favourite which I incidentally played just a few days ago for the first time in a long time… The set list: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ray-davies/2004/torvet-trondheim-norway-73da9ab5.html (now playing). Prior to this I’d seen the Kinks play on the Schoolboys in Disgrace tour in 1975/1976…when I was at uni in Exete
Buddleja in my garden from a cutting from Helge
…and this is another Helge helped me with, moorland clouded yellow (myrgulvinge), the first time this species was recorded in Malvik kommune in 2008 (there have been 3 more observations in the last 3 years).
Perennial vegetables, Edimentals (plants that are edible and ornamental) and other goings on in The Edible Garden
