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Thursday 11 March 2010
Spotted a Robin this morning at the bird table, attacking the peanuts. First Robin I’ve seen for a long time.
Wednesday 10 March 2010
Another dull cloudy day. I’m surprised how often I see the Blackbird feeding at the bird table. Not actually on the flat table top, but perched precariously on one of the wire food holders. Blackbirds usually feed off the lawn. Coal Tits have been at the peanuts again today, quickly grabbing one and flying up to the Big Fir. I’ve been aware for a while that deep under the Box tree in the woodland area is a shallow depression in the leaf debris on the ground, which looks very much like a place a wild creature – a Fox – has been regularly resting. I haven’t spotted a Fox in the garden for some time.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
Cloudy again, milder but still cold. This morning on my walk round the garden I spotted the tabby cat lurking in the woodland area. Lurking with intent, so I shooed him away. A couple of the Florence strawberry plants have survived. I need to remake the strawberry bed.
Monday 8 March 2010
Cloudier, a bit milder, but still dry. This morning I witnessed a most prodigious leap by our Squirrel. He was on the bird table, which is about even feet off the ground. I noticed he was very still and attentive. Then I saw why – the black and white cat was on the lawn, at the bottom of the pole, looking up longingly at what she thought might be her next meal. Nutkins would have been perfectly safe just waiting till she gave up. But he was evidently nervous. Then suddenly the Squirrel made an enormous leap, landing safely on the coal barn roof. Easily ten feet – equivalent to about a fifty foot jump for a human I would say. He simply took off and flew through the air. Cat was left bemused, and walked away, while Squirrel quickly disappeared into the next garden. I’ve move another bird box from the patio where it has had no takers to the Russian Vine. There are now three Des Res’s in the Russian Vine. The Cowslips have survived the frosts well. I’ve counted at least fifteen plants,
Friday 5 March 2010
A lovely crisp sunny early spring day. I moved a few single Snowdrops this morning from various odd spots in the garden to group them together with the small lawn clumps. Now have six small clumps in the lawn, giving a grand total of nineteen altogether. Should give a nice display in 2011. I think all the Rosemary cutting have survived the frosts. Surprising really, but good news. They will soon be producing those lovely misty blue flowers. The Bluebells are through, about two inches high. Chives are just showing. I’ve placed a second nesting box in the Russian Vine at the top fence. It was in the garage. It would be nice to have nests in either of these boxes.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
It will be an interesting horticultural experiment to find what happens to the very late planted Snowdrop bulbs. A very cold and cloudier day. Starlings, Wood Pigeons, Blackbirds, Blue Tits, and Dunnocks at the bird table. I’ve decided to cut the Grape Vines down to a stump. Hopefully they will produce shoots this year, and then possibly grapes next year. As it stands, they are taking up far too much garden space. The Buddleia may get the same treatment.
Tuesday 2 March 2010
A bit of gardening, after suffering from a cold for a week. Second day of lovely dry sunny blue skies weather. A welcome start to March. The first yellow crocus is out, and many of the pale mauve variety, which I always think are throwbacks to a wild sort. The snowdrops are still in full splendour. Looking around the garage, I found the forty odd snowdrop bulbs I lifted last autumn, then didn’t get round to replanting. Surprised they were in good condition, all with healthy shoots, but hopelessly late of course. Nevertheless, I’ve carefully planed them, and it ought to be possible to save them. Whether they will bloom this spring remains to be seen. Lifted the black upturned box from the Tradescantia. Delighted to find it looking in good shape with green foliage. Looks like I’ve avoided the frost damage which almost wiped it out last year. I’ve put the box cover back on, since the nights are still frosty. Similarly removed the black plastic bin from the rhubarb and gave the emerging pink and white stems a few hours of sun and fresh air. I’ve bought a few first early potatoes, Rocket, and put them out to chit in the middle bedroom. The first time I’ve tried Rocket. We shall see.
Friday 26 February 2010
A dull day after rain overnight, but the occasional glimpse of sun – giving a hint of April showers perhaps. After getting used to seeing Starlings feeding on the Peanut Feast – a fatty slab of peanut pieces and seeds – this morning two Blackbirds, one male and one female, spent a lot of time feeding there. It’s rare to see Blackbirds feeding other than on the ground or in bushes. There’s no doubt this Feast is a winner. Plus it’s enclosed in a wire cage which stops the Squirrels running off with it. I might get another one.
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Brief sunshine and a milder day, after several days and nights of snow and hard frost. The snowdrops are still coming into bloom, and all the clusters look brilliant. Starlings at the bird table this morning, and the Blue Tits. The days are lengthening now.
Thursday 18 February 2010
A cold damp cloudy day. Just by chance, I spotted a new bird visitor to our garden – a Goldfinch. I saw it perched on the fence, just long enough to identify beyond doubt, with black and red around the head. Starlings at the bird table again. I did a bit more pruning on the front; this time the Firethorn, which was obscuring the view of the variegated Holly from the house.
Wednesday 17 February 2010
A pleasant change in the weather. Today is bright and sunny but still cold. That spring sunshine, pale but promising spring. Starlings, Blue Tits and a Robin feeding at the bird table. A new fat composite block with seed and nuts is proving popular. I did a substantial bit of gardening this afternoon. Tackled pruning the Berberis Juliana, which was leaning over the snowdrop border after the heavy snow earlier this year seemed to change the shape of the bush. Then I tidied up the snowdrop clusters. The Soapwort had encroached and had got tangled with them. Yesterday I created two more small snowdrop clusters under the Big Fir. They will hopefully give a nice renewed display next year, but look good even now. Including the two lawn groups, I now have a total of seventeen snowdrop clusters. I like them. Squirrels very active in the sun today. They retrieved and ransacked a string bag of peanuts I had put for the birds on a thin branch of the Dawn rose bush. Very little is safe from them. Checked the wormery. The worms are very active despite the cold. I added more kitchen waste to both middle and top trays.
Monday 15 February 2010
Dull cloudy cold day. Several Dunnocks around the garden. They seem to have replaced the once numerous House Sparrows. Dunnocks used to be called Hedge Sparrows; they are a bird I’m still a bit surprised to find in the garden, but they are very welcome. More Snowdrops have appeared in the lawn. I planted more than I recall. They are dotted around rather than the clumps that are more impressive. Blue Tits feeding at the bird table this morning.
Tuesday 9 February 2010
A brighter day, but still cloudy and cold. This morning I saw a squirrel in the front garden, for the first time I can recall. Daffodils are now pushing through. More snowdrops appearing in the lawn. I’m tempted to transplant a few snowdrops from one of the clumps to the lawn near the Big Fir while they are in bloom.
Monday 8 February 2010
A dark cold day with snow flurries on an east wind. A cheerless garden. The only signs of hope are the clusters of snowdrops. The Big Fir creaks and groans as it strains in the wind. A solitary Blackbird disconsolate in the lower branches, feeling too miserable to bother flying away as I approach. Yet spring can’t be far away.
Friday 5 February 2010
The snowdrops are coming into bloom late this year. The little cluster I planted in the lawn is looking nice. I really must expand this planting, including under the Big Fir. No sign this morning of remnants of a Fox supper. I think the incident I heard last night was several gardens away. Little holes all over where the Squirrels have been burying and retrieving food. The Peony shoots are through, but no sign yet of the Lovage.
Thursday 4 February 2010
Early this morning the bird table and the hanging peanuts were ambushed by Robins and Blue Tits. Also another unidentified bird which I think was a Siskin. After dark today there was a spell of unearthly squawking and squealing. I wonder if the foxes have claimed a victim.
Wednesday 3 February 2010
A damp dark day but not so cold. A brief walk round the garden. I had a look at the wind-damaged fence section. It has been completely destroyed. Once the larch-lap structure goes, the entire section collapses. Another section is damaged but not beyond repair. I tidied up the loose planks. As soon as the weather gets a bit more amenable I’ll get this job tackled.
Tuesday 2 February 2010
Milder, breezy and rain. The squirrels are active. This morning there were three squirrels in the garden. The days are very slowly lengthening, but there is little incentive to work in the garden.
Monday 1 February 2010
A glorious winter’s day. Hard frost, blue skies, bright sunshine. Hoar frost on the grass, the soil is bone hard. The water butt is frozen so hard I couldn’t break the thick ice. Yet it’s warm enough in the direct sun to get the terracotta garden thermometer up to about 3 degrees Celsius, when the temperature must be a couple of degrees below freezing. Lots of Blue Tits flitting around the Big Fir.
Friday 29 January 2010
A dark bleak early morning today after overnight rain. The garden is not very inviting. Walking round the garden I considered the need to sort out the buddleia. It has grown horizontally, getting entangled with a redcurrant bush. A retaining stake has broken and the branches are obstructing a side pathway. Not sure whether to cut it right back to the ground, or maybe take cuttings and then remove it entirely.
Thursday 28 January 2010
Just plain cold today, but with occasional sunny spells. I did my first bit of gardening in 2010 this morning. Just lightly forking over the soil where the Angelica used to grow. There are lots of little Angelica plants there now, self-seeded. I will save one or two, and transplant them to a more suitable place, at the top garden. The lawn snowdrops are gradually appearing. I ought to have put many more in. I’ll do that this year. I thought I planted a couple of snowdrops under the Big Fir, but there’s no sign yet. The variegated Holly in the front garden still has masses of red berries. Looks very attractive. The birds – mainly Blackbirds – have stripped the berries from the adjacent Firethorn, but left the Holly untouched. This morning five male Blackbirds were on the lawn under the birdtable. One was particularly aggressive, chasing the others off. Yesterday late afternoon two squirrels were around the peanuts on the bird table.
Wednesday 27 January 2010
Bitterly cold again. I emptied the kitchen waste bin into the compost bin at the top of the garden this morning. And the kitchen caddy to the top tray of the wormery. Despite the cold, the worms seem remarkably active. The production of liquid feed continues. I fed a diluted solution to the large gooseberry bush, one of the redcurrants and the rhubarb.
Tuesday 26 January 2010
Bitterly cold in the garden this morning. I was surprised to see a Blackbird perched in the lower branches of the Big Fir tree, motionless, and unconcerned at my presence. As though he was too cold to bother. I walked around the tree, he still didn’t fly off with the Blackbird’s characteristic clatter alarm call. A Squirrel appeared, scampering along the fence and up into the tree. The Blackbird wasn’t going to get excited about squirrels either. I really ought to be out starting pruning and tidying up jobs, but it’s difficult getting motivated these bleak cold days.
Monday 25 January 2010 Burn’s Night
Cold, dull and dry after overnight rain. I’ve noticed the last few days, despite the cloud, that the days are just starting to lengthen – almost imperceptibly. The first sign on the journey to midsummer. Many snowdrops are in the white ‘globule’ stage of flowering, but none yet fully open. They seem a bit late this year, and in slow motion, but a very welcome appearance.
Friday 22 January 2010
Another dark day, rainy, but milder. I watched our Squirrel turning his nose up at bread on the lawn put out for the birds. His sole interest is in peanuts and the coconut mixture on the bird table. The Wood pigeons have no such qualms, and can quickly hoover up the bread. The Squirrel has developed a routine of climbing up to the bird table, which is about seven feet high, eating a nut or two, then swiftly down the post and a scamper along the length of the garden path, into the woodland area, and back again to the bird table. There’s loads of pruning and general tidying work to be done, when the weather is more amenable. I had another close look at the two grape vines this morning. Not sure what to do. They occupy a lot of space, produce grapes which rarely ripen, and are quite invasive of space. I’m tempted to prune them both right back, but concerned this drastic action might kill them off.
Thursday 21 January 2010
Cold, but not quite so cold as yesterday. Pleased to see the snowdrops coming through in the lawn and in front of the Box tree, where I have been ‘naturalising’ them. I ought to extend this feature again this year. I saw a Blue Tit at the top of the garden this morning.
Wednesday 20 January 2010
Suddenly bitterly cold, again, with dark heavy skies. The garden is not a very welcoming place these days. I restocked the bird table with peanuts and bread, which the Squirrel has been attacking all day. A Magpie was on the lawn looking for food this morning. They are handsome striking birds.
Tuesday 19 January 2010
Much milder, a damp cloudy dull sort of day. Several snowdrops are in the white globular stage. I noticed that the rhubarb crowns are showing the first signs of new growth. I’ll need to cover them soon – the forced rhubarb last year was delicious, and we still have some pink sticks in the freezer. The severe frosts don’t seem to have done much damage to plants. The ‘mind you own business’ bank has been blackened, but it’ll recover. Bird song and activity is getting stronger. Just the very first hint of the days beginning to draw out.
Monday 18 January 2010
The snow has gone, apart from one or two tiny pockets. Strange how the garden landscape changes, swiftly returning to the familiar scene. No snowdrops in flower yet, but many of the clumps are pushing through and the first bloom won’t be long. Our Squirrel is active, raiding the bird table peanuts with a regular almost automatic behaviour pattern.
Friday 15 January 2010
A thaw has set in, the snow is still around but receding. A fine drizzle this morning. Yesterday I put a half coconut filled with food mixture on the bird table, and a new wire cage to hold bread, cakes, biscuits and other food scraps. Plenty of Blue Tits after the peanuts, but outdone by our Squirrel. Really very tame. He’s smallish, a young creature I think. I cleared the snow off the garden table. Slipped on a brick at the top of the garden, only just saved myself going down.
Thursday 14 January 2010
A very cold night, but this morning there are signs of a slow thaw in the garden. Snow still quite deep – four inches or so – over much of the garden. I replenished the bird table with a large supply of peanuts yesterday. I’ve seen Blue Tits raiding the table and flying off into the Big Fir with peanuts. No Robins seen recently, and no evidence of Fox tracks this morning.
Wednesday 13 January 2010
More snow this morning. A very fine powdery variety. Still very cold, minus 5 Celsius on the garden thermometer. I added more kitchen waste to the wormery. A brief walk round the white garden. I checked the Russian Vine for any previously unseen birds’ nests, now the leaves have fallen. Just the Blackbird nest I know about. I will be surprised if there aren’t any nest building activities here soon, when Spring arrives. The Vine is now quite thickly intertwined, an ideal nesting site, which is probably tricky even for the squirrels to invade.
Tuesday 12 January 2010
A slow thaw is underway, very slow. Which is the best sort of thaw. One snowdrop has pushed through the snow, not yet in flower. Evidence this morning under the Big Fir of a nocturnal foxy meal. A few long black bird’s feathers. Look like Magpie’s or Crow’s. A foot think ice block is floating in the water butt. I noticed a split terracotta flower pot, newly cracked. I had forgotten to close the sump tap of the wormery, so there is a half bowl of liquid. Not frozen, curiously. It shows that the worms are still active, and indeed still alive. The terracotta thermometer at minus five degrees C. A few brown coloured areas of snow – possibly fox urine, I should imagine. The delights of the winter garden.
Monday 11 January 2010
The garden remains in the icy grip of winter, with snow some six inches deep still in places. A brief walk round the garden today. Fox tracks are evident, though not as many as I expected. Blue Tits feeding at the bird table, and a Squirrel.
Friday 8 January 2010
Another heavy snowfall on Wednesday, plus extremely low temperatures, has made the garden inhospitable and I haven’t been to look apart from out the study window. The familiar Fox tracks continue. This morning I saw a flock of Blue Tits. The wind today has been blowing clouds of powdery snow from the tall trees. Truly a wintry scene, and set to stay for some time according to the forecasts.
Monday 4 January 2010
Another bitterly cold blue day. There was that frost smell in the crisp air – is it ozone? Hoar frost on the grass, the bare earth crunchy underfoot. A real pleasure to take a brief walk round the January garden.
Friday 1 January 2010
An exhilarating walk round the garden on a bitterly cold but sunny blue New Year’s Day. Snowdrops are pushing up in the lawn and the borders. I spotted that the Peony shoots are also through. The Lady’s Smock looks fresh and green anticipating the Spring. More Fox evidence at the top fence, where the soil has been very recently disturbed, at the spot where Reynard gets underneath the fence. I wonder if he has a den nearby. There’s plenty of secure hiding places here.
Wednesday 30 December 2009
Dark, rainy and very cold all day. No snow. Last night about eleven I heard our Fox again, on the prowl, his eerie calls getting louder then fainter as he wandered about the neighbourhood.
Monday 28 December 2009
The snow has now gone. It was still around on Christmas Day, so counts as a White Christmas surely, even without the single snowflake falling, which seems a silly definition. I haven’t seen out Fox again, but certainly heard him late on Boxing Day. At midnight, an eerie intermittent animal call in the garden, moving around, then fading into the distance. Cold and bright today. I spotted the first snowdrop, pushing through the grass on the lawn. The garden has a wintry desolation look. Is more snow on the way?
Wednesday 23 December 2009
This morning, at 0650 am, in the darkness I saw our Fox in the garden. He was hunting for food beneath the bird table, and at the nearby upturned bin lid. He obviously hadn’t spotted me at the kitchen window. He then trotted around the garden in the snow, disappearing into the woodland area. I walked round the garden later, and followed his tracks in the snow up to the top fence and under the gap in the south corner. Later in the day I made a short video of the gardens and nearby trees in the snow. It was especially good to see a Song Thrush at the bird table. The Dunnock was back, and I saw an unidentified bird in the small fir, looking like a small crow. A Jackdaw? The snow is still here today, although a slow thaw seems to be setting in.. This has been a prolonged cold spell.
Monday 21 December 2009 Shortest day
The snow is still here, and more has been falling today. This is a prolonged cold spell. The birds are at risk, and I have been putting more food out for them, including bread and cakes fried in oil. I’m sure I spotted a Dunnock, or Hedge Sparrow as we used to call them. It was feeding at the upturned bin lid on the lawn where I have been putting out various foods. The garden is white over. The snow may even stay till Christmas Day. We will then have the dreamed-of White Christmas.
Friday 18 December 2009
The snow arrived overnight, six inches and more. From the study window the unmistakeable footprints of our Fox, right up to the side door. I traced them up to the top of the garden, but it wasn’t clear how he entered; probably jumped up the fence. I’m sure he’s a regular visitor, but the fresh snow provides proof. Then the bird table became like Piccadilly Circus, after months of general neglect. Robins, magpies, blackbirds, blue tits, coal tits, greenfinches and squirrels all after the extra nuts, broken biscuits and bread I put out. The red berries on the Holly really shine out against the pure white background. I suppose the snow will vanish long before Christmas Day.
Thursday 17 December 2009
Pleasant winter sun in the bitter cold this morning, after a light dusting of snow. More snow forecast for tomorrow. The Ivy continues its climb up the trunk of the Big Fir tree, and up the larch-lap fence.
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Still bitterly cold, and a brief snow flurry this morning which soon turned to rain. The garden thermometer was at minus 7 celsius mid-morning. I surprised a squirrel near the top fence. I found myself talking to him: ‘Aren’t you supposed to be hibernating?’ The creature stared at me for a second or so, then ran the whole length of the side fence towards the Big Fir.
Tuesday 15 December 2009
Bitterly cold - cold enough for snow. The terracotta thermometer at the top of the garden is reading minus 2 celsius. A huge crop of red berries on the variegated Holly in the front garden. Surprisingly, it’s next to a Firethorn which has been completely stripped of berries by Blackbirds mainly.
Monday 14 December 2009
Cloudy and cold with drizzle by the evening. Snow might be on the way. Another white button mushroom is pushing through, close to the last one, which is still there. I’m amazed to see mushrooms in cold December. Under the Big Fir are two excavations that have appeared overnight. One has exposed a large root. Must be a fox at work. The holes are far too big for squirrels. The wormery is doing fine.
Friday 11 December 2009
Cloudy, cold and a bit foggy, after a sunny day yesterday. I saw a squirrel running along the fence top this afternoon.
Wednesday 9 December 2009
A dull but dry and slightly milder December morning. The garden is just damp – soggy – after all the rain. A quiet walk, nothing particular. Sometimes the garden is like that.
Tuesday 8 December 2009
I found another cluster of fungi directly under the Big Fir tree this morning. Not the white mushroom variety; these had the greyish slightly translucent cap I have seen before. It seems clear that by leaving the area under the Big Fir undisturbed, with its accumulation of pine needles, I have created a sort of mini-habitat. I imagine it is quite acid soil. I also find that because of the various bird species that frequent the tree, there are various unexpected plants growing in the mini-habitat beneath.
Monday 7 December 2009
Rain continues, every day. This morning a squirrel scrambled across my window. Once upon a time squirrels were supposed to hibernate during the winter, we were told. Not any more apparently. The mushroom near the Big Fir is about the same size, a small button. I’m surprised it has lasted so long.
Friday 4 December 2009
Lovely early morning walk in the sunny frosty garden. The terracotta thermometer shows -3 degrees C. I paused under the Big Fir; a small brown bird alighted on a branch close by. Like a robin in manner and appearance, apart from the red breast. It stayed around, friendly. Possibly an immature robin. I was pleased to see that the Russian Vine on the top fence is now so thick it hides the corrugated iron eyesore even without leaves.
Thursday 3 December 2009
Showery, cold and dull. Walking round the garden, I try to get a few ideas for developing the wildlife garden concept. I need to get rid of the old Berberris in the woodland area. This might allow an interesting change. A new woodland path? The Big Fir was creaking again this morning. I think it may be branches rubbing against each other high up. The new white mushroom is still there, protected from the squirrels by chicken wire. It hasn’t grown much, which is hardly surprising these very cold days and nights.
Wednesday 2 December 2009
The frost yesterday has done for the Dahlias. The leaves and stems are blackened, the flowers gone. That they survived into December is itself remarkable. The Lady’s Smock plants seem to be thriving, and I look forward to a springtime display. There are six clumps. I have kept them watered and in slightly boggy conditions. They are essentially a plant of damp meadows. Cold in the garden today, but the frost has gone. Still showery, April in December.
Tuesday 1 December 2009
A seasonal start to December. Hard frost overnight, and a delightful morning walk round the garden, dry and bright, with that frosty air smell. I brought the tender patio plants indoors yesterday, and covered the Tradescantia with newspapers and an upturned crate. Squirrels out on the fences. Pondering changes I could make to the garden in the new year. The cross path has become overgrown and impenetrable, so this needs sorting. Not sure the best way to prune the Blackberries.
Monday 30 November 2009
November ends wet and cold, though there is a bit of blue sky this morning, with a cold NE wind. I discovered another white cap mushroom pushing through, near the Big Fir tree. I’ve covered it with wire mesh to keep the squirrels off, in an effort to allow it to grow and release spores for more mushrooms next year. It would be good to be able to gather and eat them as a garden crop. A really odd rather weird sound from high up in the Big Fir. An intermittent low creaking, groaning, drumming sound. I first thought it was a Pigeon making strange noises. Then it seemed like the creaking of ship’s timbers. Is the Big Fir shifting due to all the rain? Doesn’t look to be leaning. I hope not.
Friday 27 November 2009
Dry, bright, cold. I checked the wormery this morning. Plenty of worm activity. It is a really brilliant way to use kitchen waste, and produce liquid feed and compost. I added more waste to each tray. I’m tempted to get a second unit. Noticed that a couple of the Cowslips are in flower, in a feeble way admittedly. Need to replace the fence panel wrecked by the storms.
Thursday 26 November 2009
Another bright November morning, and colder. The Russian Vine along the top fence has lost nearly all its leaves. The birdbox is now visible. I wonder if it will attract any residents in the spring? It is really a prime location, difficult I think for even the squirrels to access. But will any birds realise that?
Wednesday 25 November 2009
A welcome return this morning to more typical November weather – sunny, cold, dry. No frosts. Hopefully the windy rainy spell is coming to an end. The second crop of mushrooms on the lawn has now faded and will soon be just a dusty trace. I shall watch closely next year for another crop, which I really should harvest. The Dahlias are clinging on. I must get the delicate plants into shelter soon.
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Recent weather has been about rain, rain, high winds, but no frosts yet. A bit unseasonal. The strong winds in the past week have wrecked one of the fence panels on the north border, and damaged another. I shall have to replace both with new panels. The garden has a wintry look. Leaves blown everywhere. Remarkably the Dahlias have not yet been blackened by frost, in fact both bronze and mauve varieties remain in flower.
Monday 9 November 2009
A very cold morning, with fog and close to a frost overnight. The terracotta garden thermometer showed 2 degrees C. I checked the mushrooms. The first one has now disappeared. It simply collapsed and decayed into a patch of brown dust – presumably the spores. I’ve covered them with some worm compost, to encourage more mushrooms next year. The others are still showing white caps. They look a bit out of place on a cold November morning.
Friday 6 November 2009
My autumn walks around the garden are enjoyable. I’ve always liked November, so the November ‘atmosphere’ in the garden is a bonus. There are now another two mushrooms close to the new one I discovered near the picnic bench. They are the same variety, white caps, not quite button mushrooms, but opening into a flat cap. We’ve found mushrooms around here in previous years. I’ve also remembered that a few years back I discarded a packet of mushroom spawn in this area. I’d forgotten. Maybe the present flush is related. Leaves are falling everywhere. Still no first frost. I must make sure I get the delicate plants indoors or protected.
Tuesday 3 November 2009
After stormy days the mauve Dahlia bloom had a broken stem this morning. So I cut the stem and brought the single bloom indoors. It’s huge, not quite the size of the yellow variety, but some six inches diameter, and a beautiful mauve shade. I found another white mushroom pushing through the lawn near the picnic table. Like the first, I’ve protected it with chicken wire, and surrounded both mushrooms with worm compost, hoping to encourage spores to carry over to next year. The squirrels are still active, scampering over the lawn this afternoon.
Friday 30 October 2009
As Hallowe’en approaches signs of a weather change to more typically October; windy and changeable with rain on the way. The new mushroom is taller – a thick stem is visible, and the protective wire netting has kept foragers off and the cap is still complete and remains white. It looks to me like an ordinary field mushroom. I’m hoping it will scatter spores for a crop next year. There also many small toadstools around on the lawns. Another mauve Dahlia flower almost in bloom. I noticed this morning that two of the Cowslips are in flower, Unusual timing. The garden is now very much autumnal, with falling and fallen leaves everywhere.
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Remarkably, the Dahlias are still in bloom. The bronze and yellow have now just been joined by a very late flowering of the mauve variety. This was grown from a tiny tuber that struggled even to get started into growth. Luckily there have been no frosts yet, and today has been remarkably mild for the end of October. Otherwise all the dahlias would have been cut down into a blackened tangle, and no mauve would ever have been seen. The Michaelmas Daisies are over. This morning I spotted a fresh white mushroom, under the Big Fir tree, by the fence. I think it is an edible variety, but I’ve protected it with wire netting and watered it, in the hope of spores for next year. I took advantage today of the dry warm spell to maintain the Wormery. I’ve harvested the lower tray of compost, and placed the empty tray on top. It is usually necessary to remove the remaining worms by hand individually, but it isn’t a difficult job. The Wormery is really flourishing. It produces regular copious quantities of liquid feed, and the other two trays are writhing with worms. I washed out the sump and rescued a few worms that had fallen in. Leaves are falling and many trees are half-bare of leaves. Squirrels active. A lovely autumn day in the garden.
Tuesday 29 September 2009
The Michaelmas Daisies are in flower. These plants thrive best in the shade, and they are growing in a quite secluded spot shaded by Honeysuckle, Blackberry brambles and Buddleia. There’s not sign of mildew this year. Tell-tale broken snail shells on the path are welcome evidence of Thrush activity. The garden is now in autumn mode; it’s the last taste of summer. The bronze Dahlias are truly magnificent, so many blooms.
Thursday 17 September 2009
Still a magnificent autumnal bronze display by the Dahlias in the south border. There has been increased bird activity in the garden lately, especially Robins and Great Tits. There are a few bunches of Grapes on the Vines, just small green fruits with no chance of ripening. The last week or so has been dry and cool. There is a parched look about the garden. The first Michaelmas Daisy in bloom.
Monday 14 September 2009
Yesterday I found a dead bird on the lawn. It was a Starling. There was an obvious bite incision on its neck Not really the sort of mark left by a cat, and I’m wondering if it was a Magpie attack. I’ve now harvested the last of the pears and apples. An excellent crop this year. The days are noticeably cooler now as autumn proceeds, with just the occasional warm sunshine.
Friday 11 September 2009
Yesterday early in the morning I spotted the two young Blackbirds feeding on the lawn. Also, at the same time what was unmistakeably a Thrush joined them. A slightly smaller bird than a Blackbird, and with Thrush-like plumage that is clearly different to the immature Blackbird. Autumn moves on apace. There are a few bunches of grapes, green and growing, but with no hope of ripening before the colder shorter days of October. The yellow and bronze Dahlias are in full prolific bloom. This morning I found a few conkers on the side path, with Squirrel bite marks.
Tuesday 1 September 2009
While I was busy picking the last of the Blackberries this morning I heard loud rustling in the dead leaves on the ground. It was an odd-looking bird, partly black, partly brown, a bit mottled here and there, and tamer than usual, unconcerned at my presence. Like a Thrush gone wrong. Then I spotted another near the pile of logs and twigs in the woodland area. I was pleased to see the birds appreciating the value of my wood piles as a source of insects and food. These odd birds must be the two young Blackbirds I saw a week or so ago when they were being fed by a mature Blackbird. The Squirrels are very active in the Big Fir today. Are they thinking of storing food for the winter?
Monday 31 August 2009
Dull and overcast in the morning on the last day of August. Sun promised later, but looks a bit unlikely. I noticed half a conker shell at the foot of the Big Fir. Looks like the squirrels are feasting on the conkers from a neighbouring tree. No sign of the tiny frogs. I suppose they are rather bigger now, and are probably seeking more secluded places in the garden than basking in the Aubrietia. Magpies chattering away this morning.
Friday 28 August 2009
More rain and wind. A third Dahlia is now in bloom – it’s also a yellow cactus sort – I think it is a tuber broken off from the main plant when I reset them in the spring. Two more plants to flower still – they must be the two new tubers I bought this year. The Michaelmas Daisies are not in flower yet. Still some Redcurrants on the bushes. It’s surprising how long they stay fresh. The birds have had some, but there are still plenty left.
Thursday 27 August 2009
August is ending wet and windy. A disappointing summer, again. The nights are drawing in, it’s dark by around 8.30 pm. Hoping for an Indian Summer. The number of days when it has been pleasant to sit out in the garden has been few. More Blackberries ripening, and I’m still waiting to pick the Apples. An excellent Pear crop, large and sweet fruits.
Wednesday 26 August 2009
A blustery wet spell, not really pleasant for late August, but quite mild. The Hosta So Sweet is still in bloom. The flowers on long spikes are a lilac colour, similar but larger and more decorative than those of Hosta August Moon, which finished flowering several weeks ago. It’s been a good year for my Hostas, I’ve kept the slugs and snails away. Hosta Big Daddy has been a bit slow to put on growth, but it is in deeper drier shade, as is Hosta Halcyon. I’ve used most of the yellow Dahlias for cut flowers, and now waiting for another flush of blooms.
Tuesday 25 August 2009
The site of the Angelica plant which I removed this summer at the end of its two-year life is covered in self-set small Angelica seedlings. Most of them I’ve removed as weeds, but I will keep a few to replace the old plant. I’ve also kept several of the large dried seed heads in the garage, either to feed to the birds or as seed. I really need a new site for the next Angelica. They are gigantic plants, dramatic and fantastic, but I didn’t really realise the space needed when I planted it next to the New Dawn rose. This may be responsible for the poor results this year from New Dawn.
Monday 24 August 2009
This morning I noticed the first signs of flowering in the Ice Plants. I’ve forgotten the correct name. Just a pale mauve colouring starting to appear. The Michaelmas Daisies look healthy this year after several years of grey mould attacks, but no evidence yet of imminent blooms. A sort of quietus in the garden, between high summer and autumn. Immature Blackbirds around, which is a good sign of a successful breeding season for them. They are often quite tame and unconcerned about humans.
Friday 21 August 2009
It’s quite surprising what you see fleetingly in the garden. This morning a Magpie flew over the garden, closely pursued by two Pigeons. The three birds flew high into a neighbouring Horse Chestnut tree and nothing more was see or heard. Commonly it’s the Magpie in pursuit. Another big harvest of Blackberries. They are really sweet and delicious. This year’s crop is the best I’ve had. I’ve been lighting small fires each evening after dark in the new clay chimenea. The purpose is to ‘cure’ the clay.
Thursday 20 August 2009
I’ve trimmed the Berberis Juliana on the front garden border. This large bush grows rapidly, and soon overhangs the pavement with its very long spines. Bought a clay chimenea to enhance our outdoor sitting areas on what I fondly hope will be pleasant autumnal evenings soon. It’s a touch of Mexico.
Wednesday 19 August 2009
A hot sunny day. Not many of these this summer. I stood quietly at the top of the garden. A Blackbird was perched on the pyramid where the Honeysuckle grows. I thought he was after the bright red berries of the Honeysuckle. No. The Blackberry brambles intertwine with Honeysuckle. He grasped a whole blackberry in his wide open bill, pulled it from the bush and flew off to the Big Fir. I just stood and smiled. The Blackbird and the Blackberry.
Tuesday 18 August 2009
Getting warmer and close today. I think we can expect a thunderstorm soon. The Michaelmas Daisies aren’t in flower yet, nor should they be in August, though the buds are formed. I’ve neglected the solar lights in the garden this year. Several have been mainly in the shade and are not lighting. I’ve transferred them today to the south border in an attempt to recharge the batteries. The herbs in the front garden borders are in flower and looking attractive – a bit straggly and wild, but that’s part of the idea. Hyssop, Marshmallow, Bergamot, Soapwort, Southernwood, Comfrey.
Monday 17 August 2009
I found a disused wasps’ nest in the loft yesterday. It’s truly amazing how these creatures are able to construct such intricate and geometrical forms. The garden is looking decidedly high summer. A bit overgrown, well past the growth flushes of Spring and Summer, and seemingly preparing for Winter shutdown. We brought a single yellow Dahlia bloom into the house yesterday – just one bloom in a vase. They are an amazing saucer-size this year and look stunning.
Friday 14 August 2009
I spotted one of our little frogs this morning when I was uncovering the top garden seat and setting up the little side table. It’s the first day this August when it’s been dry and warm enough to sit out with a cup of tea. Just by the side of the garage I noticed there a curious new hole dug in the lawn – conical, and unusually neat, excavated to a depth of about four inches. I wonder which creature? Yesterday we enjoyed a bowl of freshly picked Blackberries from the garden, with cream. They’re delicious. It’s an excellent crop this year, after the failure last summer.
Thursday 13 August 2009
I need to dead-head the yellow Dahlia. The flower heads are enormous, and tend to hang down. The recent showery weather and general dampness seems to have caused a bit of rot underneath the flowers. The second flush of Compassion rose is under way. The new growth has been straight up, from the top of the arch. It’s difficult to train these shoots back without risk of breaking the soft stems. Perhaps a job for the late autumn or winter even. My little friendly frogs have been absent now for a few days. I hope they haven’t all fallen to a predator.
Wednesday 12 August 2009
Two of the Cowslips are in flower. The second flowering this year. I tasted the Blackberries this morning. They are large, sweet, delicious. Success, after last year’s crop failure. Redcurrants are still on the bushes, and have not gone over. I just need more freezer space to harvest them. The little Dahlia plant that struggled from a small wizen tuber is doing quite well. No flowers yet, and only about eight inches high if that, but growing well. At least this tuber should be good for next year.
Tuesday 11 August 2009
Found one of my nesting boxes on the floor in the woodland area. It had been fixed to the trunk of a Fir tree. It was securely fixed, I thought. I was surprised to find a nest inside. Regular checks when it was in situ on the trunk never revealed any signs of nesting. The hole size is for Blue Tits. How it got on the ground is a mystery. I suspect Squirrels. I’ve put the box back on the tree, wedged between trunk and branch.
Monday 10 August 2009
This morning I noticed the first fall of apples from the old Apple tree, which I believe is a James Grieve. Two apples on the soil under the tree. Both eaten into, about a fifth of the total apples gone. The damage doesn’t look like birds pecking. I wonder. The second Dahlia is now in full bloom, with lovely bronze - coloured flowers reminiscent of the older Chrysanthemum varieties. They are almost as large as the six to seven inch diameter flowers of the yellow Dahlia. Both are large cactus types. The Blackberry crop is superb this year. They need picking very soon.
Friday 7 August 2009
Torrential rain yesterday evening and into the night. August is heading for a third washout in three years. Fine however if you are laying a new lawn. Walking around the garden this morning I came across a largish white egg close to the Big Fir. A Pigeon’s egg I think. There was a small neat round hole in the shell, and it had been emptied of its contents. I wonder who the culprit was. I suspect another bird, using its beak. Possibly a Magpie.
Thursday 6 August 2009
Warm, humid with heavy downpours now and then. The garden looks greener than usual for high summer. The lawns need cutting. There are a few tiny fungi appearing in the lawns, which is hardly surprising given the conditions.
Wednesday 5 August 2009
A warmer day, though quite dull and rain promised. There is certainly an autumnal feel to the garden. No more mushrooms or other fungi yet. The Buddleia is almost over. The top garden looks rather overgrown and untidy. To some extent perhaps I try to cram too much into the available space.
Tuesday 4 August 2009
A dull rainy August morning. August seems destined to go the same way as July, and as the Augusts of the past two years. It’s a pity. A nice crop of apples on the Old Apple Tree. Not bad really for a tree that is around eighty years old. And a decent crop of pears on the small, new Pear tree. It is supposed to have three varieties on the single stock root, but I think one of the varieties has taken over. Looks like the best pear crop ever. Rhubarb is ready for pulling again, after the fine forced crop earlier in the Spring. The second Dahlia is in bloom – just one flower so far. A nice autumnal red / brown.
Monday 3 August 2009
It’s always gratifying when someone takes an interest in your garden. At the weekend there was a knock on the door. A complete stranger asked if he could have a few leaves from ‘the yellow plant in your garden’. I immediately realised he was referring to the Rue, now in flower. It’s not a showy plant and the flowers are just like buttons, but it does have lovely blue-green lace-like foliage, and a strong scent which you may or may not like I explained it was used a long time ago as a ‘strewing herb’ in public buildings, to ward off unpleasant smells and the plague. My new friend said he came originally from Zimbabwe, and his wife from South Africa. They explained that in Africa the leaves of this plant are used for both an ointment, and to take internally. I cut a bunch of stems for them, and also offered a small seedling to plant. Rue does self-set freely. It’s not the first interest I’ve had in Rue. Friends from Mexico have also enquired about it.
Friday 31 July 2009
A disappointing July weatherwise; showery, coolish, no periods of warm dry sun. The August forecast doesn’t seem much better. Looks like we will slip into Autumn without much more of a summer. The Grape Vines have put on a lot of growth, after a late start, but there is little evidence of fruit setting and no chance of it ripening. Still waiting for the second Dahlia to flower. I’ve noticed that something is attacking the Hosta’s leaves. Till now, they had been pest-free. A few holes appearing, and chewed-off leaf edges. But they have been brilliant this year. The ‘So Sweet’ Hosta has still not flowered, but the long flower stems and buds are there, waiting for a bit of warm sun, no doubt.
Thursday 30 July 2009
The showery cool weather continues. Today there is even just a hint of autumn in the air, a slight chill almost. The Blackberry crop this year is succeeding, unlike the disaster last year when a sort of fungus took over and the berries seemed to wither. I haven’t picked any yet, but it won’t be long. A lovely display with the Bergamot – deep purple thistle-like flowers. I use the leaves to make my own Earl Grey tea. The Chives have all grown back from the severe cutting a few weeks ago, and are nearly ready to produce the second flush of flowers.
Wednesday 29 July 2009
I have neglected the Wormery, just adding kitchen waste occasionally, and doing little else. I noticed there was no liquid feed draining off when I turned on the sump tap, so a thorough examination was called for. The result has been good. The worms have quietly got on with their work. No apparent problems. All three trays have a healthy population of active worms. The sump contained plenty of liquid feed; the problem was a blocked outlet to the drain tap. I’ve used all the liquid feed, diluted with water 10:1 and applied it to as many plants in front and back gardens as possible. I think it is excellent, and at least partly responsible for the heavy crops of Gooseberries, Redcurrants and Pears this year. I washed out the sump, and fluffed up the compost in the two lower trays to aerate them. I need to remove and use some of the compost soon, and try to empty the bottom tray. One problem I have with my worms is that they seem reluctant to move up to the higher trays. I may need to separate and move them manually. But overall, the Wormery is a great success and a valuable addition to organic gardening.
Tuesday 28 July 2009
The yellow Dahlia flowers are indeed truly enormous. Over six inches diameter. There are now two in full bloom, with others on the way. The other Dahlia’s are not yet open. I watched the little froglets scattering as I approached their favourite haunt – the Aubrietia – this morning. One little fellow did a huge leap - and landed on his back. He quickly turned over, did another prodigious leap, and again landed on his back. I suppose frogs have to practice and learn their leaps. No Bats seen last night, though it was a cooler evening, and I didn’t stay in the garden till it was dark enough for them, maybe.
Monday 27 July 2009
Sitting quietly in the garden and watching carefully often brings surprises. On Saturday evening I did that, taking advantage of the evening sun. Now, I haven’t seen Bats flying over the garden for ages. Maybe five years or so. But as dusk descended, suddenly a Bat appeared with that unmistakable zig-zag flight. I waited and watched. The Bat returned for several fly-pasts. I shall look out again at dusk over the next few weeks. The Ena Harkness rose is in bloom again on the Arch – it isn’t thriving, but at least two lovely scented deep red blooms. Compassion rose on the other side of the Arch is going very well, and throwing out new growth with the promise of a second flush of roses soon.
Friday 24 July 2009
There is still just a single Dahlia bloom – but what a bloom! Six inches diameter, with brilliant yellow cactus spikes. The Borage is going over. These plants have again got the rust disease, but have managed to struggle on and put on a good display. I hope they set seed for next year, as I’m sure they will. Shasta Daisies and Feverfew in bloom still. I harvested another load of Gooseberries yesterday – 4 lb weight. They are at peak ripeness now, just about to go over. The Redcurrants hardly seem to get overripe – they just get plumper and juicier. Still many more to pick and freeze.
Thursday 23 July 2009
I dislike cutting down trees, but it really had to be done. It’s a self-set Elder, growing in the narrow gap between the garage and fence. It’s been cut back before, then quickly regrows with added vigour. I particularly like the Elder because of those lovely rich dark red berries, good for the birds, and for making wine. At the moment I’m cutting it down to fence level. I will need to take the own lot out if I’m serious about getting rid of it. Actually, a cutting planted in a better spot might be a good idea.
Wednesday 22 July 2009
This July dull rainy season continues. The growth of the Russian Vine along the top fence is phenomenal. I know it’s a vigorous plant, a ‘mile a minute’, but the speed of the spread is amazing. Of course, it’s what I need to cover the corrugated iron fencing, but I do need to keep it in check with trimming, otherwise it will soon take hold on all neighbouring gardens. I hand-train the new stems, weaving them into what I hope will be a tough impenetrable thicket which will encourage nesting birds. The birdbox I placed in this thicket a few weeks back has already disappeared. I doubt whether any birds will ever find it now. The crowds of tiny frogs are still jumping around. They like to hide in the Aubretia.
Tuesday 21 July 2009
A morning garden walk in summer rain. Not unpleasant. The first Dahlia bloom is out. Large yellow cactus. The struggling Dahlia plant is surviving, and doing quite well although just five inches high. The terminal growth was nipped off by some creature, but several new sideshoots are growing strongly. I don’t know why I bother about it really. There’s a pleasant scent at the top garden. Either the Buddleia or the Honeysuckle. Yesterday late morning there was a sudden thud on my study window. A bird had flown into the glass. It landed on the barn roof, and was obviously expired after a couple of beak movements. I went down and checked. It was a young Thrush, I think, which is a pity. Its neck was broken. I buried it under the old Apple tree.
Monday 20 July 2009 40th Anniversary of first Lunar Landing
A mushroom appeared yesterday under the Big Fir. I watered it since it seemed to be growing in parched ground. This morning when I looked, it had been uprooted, probably by a Blackbird or maybe our new Thrush. I replanted it, after examining the underside gills, which looked just like those of an ordinary field mushroom. There have also been a few little fungi around the lawns lately. There’s a new bird on the block. Still singing in the woodland area as I write. A piercing, loud, trilling song. I don’t recognise the song, and haven’t seen the bird yet.
Friday 17 July 2009
Thunderstorm and occasional showers. The Pears are growing well and look like a decent crop this year. Buddleia in full bloom with that heady, heavy scent which is slightly decadent, I don’t know why. I’m pleased to see the Michaelmas Daisies looking healthy after the mildew attacks of recent years. Alas I think they are not my pale lilac shade old-fashioned variety. The tiny frogs are everywhere in the top garden. Can’t be the two I rescued from the rainwater tub. Possibly from the pond in the next garden. I’ve seen adult frogs in the garden recently.
Thursday 16 July 2009
The Russian Vine has now covered the entire top fence, and is in flower. It really is an amazing plant, and has done a superb job of screening this eyesore. I do need to keep it in check now; it’s quite invasive and no respecter of garden boundaries. The Grape Vines have also put on a surge of growth, but there is little evidence of fruit setting yet.
Wednesday 15 July 2009 St Swithin’s Day
Two bags of Gooseberries are now in the freezer. It really is a bumper crop. There are many more to be picked. I also harvested the Strawberries and Blackcurrants today. Small crops, but so much finer flavour than shop-bought fruit. It didn’t rain here today, St Swithin’s Day, so we can anticipate a dry spell ahead.
Tuesday 14 July 2009
The Gooseberries are now quite ripe and are starting to fall. Need harvesting soon. The weather mid-July has returned to a showery, changeable, moderate sort, which is probably quite good for the garden. The transplanted Rosemary cutting, replacing the vacated Angelica position, seems a bit sluggish and unresponsive. I’ll give it a week or so, but one of the potted Rosemary cuttings might be more vigorous. I don’t know why.
Monday 13 July 2009
I’ve heard of frogs falling from the sky with rain, but yesterday I think I witnessed this. After on overnight shower, a tub I use to collect rainwater from the roof was partly full. Swimming in the water in the tub were two tiny frogs. One of them was hardly more than a tadpole with legs. The only was I can see they got into the tub was with the water from the roof. So there you are. I carefully emptied the tub at the top garden and they both jumped away. No doubt glad to have their feet on solid ground.
Friday 10 July 2009
I was watching a male blackbird in the garden today. It’s one of the pair that has been nest-building recently I think. He is quite tame, and never seems much alarmed that I am around. His main aim in life is to eat our redcurrants. His little ritual is to perch awhile on a nearby fence. Today it was the pyramid. When he judges it safe, he flies to a redcurrant bush and helps himself for about ten seconds. Then flies off, returning in a few minutes for more fruit.
Thursday 9 July 2009
I spotted another smashed snail shell on a stepping stone this morning. Our Thrush is still around. The Shasta Daisies look good. The Blackberry crop is heavy – but last year there was practically no fruit, all the berries seemed to ‘wither on the vine’ for some unknown reason. A bumper Blackberry crop this year would be nice.
Wednesday 8 July 2009
The lawns are still growing rapidly despite the cooler weather. They will need another cut soon. The Grape Vines have put on a big growth spurt. Probably due to those hot days. The only pruning I have done recently was to remove dead wood. The gardens have now started to acquire that familiar ‘high summer’ look and have lost the freshness of spring.
Tuesday 7 July 2009
The Marshmallow in the front garden has grown to around six feet, now with lovely white satiny flowers. I’m surprised that a plant preferring damp conditions has done so well given the recent heat. I suppose it has actually been quite humid. The Redcurrants are ripe and I must harvest them soon. They keep well in the freezer, as do Gooseberries and Rhubarb. Yes, they tend to loose their firmness, but that’s no problem for most culinary uses. Buddleia in bloom.
Monday 6 July 2009
A bit fresher and cooler. All the Dahlias are coming on well, including the tiny plant. The flower buds are visible and they may be flowering soon. It should bring a splash of colour to the south border. The predominant hue now is blue: Lavender and Borage. At the top garden the Shasta Daisies are in bloom. I’m still amazed at one of the smaller Gooseberry bushes. It has been totally stripped of leaves by those voracious little caterpillars, leaving the green fruits hanging starkly on the bare branches. A second flush of the purple Cardinal Rouge Clematis flowers.
Friday 3 July 2009
A light shower this morning and the heatwave is expected to end soon. I tasted the first strawberries today. There aren’t many, but an excellent flavour. I’m wondering how the early potatoes are doing – Charlotte. They should be ready soon. The front wall garden has done well in the hot weather. Thrift is in flower. Rue in the front drive looks brilliant with those yellow flowers set against the green-blue foliage. All the ferns are fine. I cut a percentage of the Chives right down to the ground a few days ago, and already they are growing back. A wonderful plant.
Thursday 2 July 2009
Another very hot dry day. I’ve watered the Dahlias copiously. The Lavender bushes are in bloom. So is the Hosta ‘August Moon’. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen it in flower. Lovely pale mauve hanging bells. On close inspection the Hosta ‘So Sweet’ is also throwing up a flower stem. It will be interesting to compare the blooms. It’s wonderful what you see in the garden if you sit quietly and still for a while. I’ve never noticed bees drinking before. I suppose it may be just this hot weather. All day there has been a stream of bees settling on the edge of the bird bath, and carefully taking a sip. I don’t mean just one or two. At least a couple of bees every minute, all day. And my pair of Blackbirds is building another nest, in the Big Fir I think.
Wednesday 1 July 2009
The terracotta garden thermometer hit 34 degrees Celsius today, which must be into the 90’s Fahrenheit. I have mowed the rear lawns and the garden looks much tidier. This evening, when it’s a bit cooler, I’ll cut the front lawn. The Dahlias are growing well. They visibly wilt by midday in this heat, so I’m watering copiously. The tiny Dahlia is surviving and growing, but is still very fragile and it must be touch and go. I’m not sure why I get so concerned about one tiny little plant. A really brilliant bumper crop of Gooseberries and Redcurrants. We are already eating both fruits in a fresh fruit salad with cream, and they are delicious.
Tuesday 30 June 2009
Another very hot day – ‘Phew wocha skorcha !!!!’ as a Sun headline would put it. Must be around 90 degrees F. I’ve transplanted a Rosemary cutting to the gap left by the late Angelica. There may be also enough space for a Euphorbia as an extension to the little rocky area at this end of the south border. I need to sort and replant the Snowdrop bulbs here using the plastic edging ‘corale’ I’ve been using. The potted Hydrangea is now in flower. Its leaves are now green and the plant looks quite healthy.
Monday 29 June 2009
A very hot day – almost 30 degrees C on the terracotta thermometer. I took the axe to the gigantic Angelica. The shears actually. I’ve saved four of the massive seed heads so I can have a replacement grown from seed for next year. But there are seeds everywhere, it must be a prolific self-setter. Need to decide how to fill the gap. Probably one of the Rosemary cuttings. Little black / green caterpillars have stripped a Gooseberry of every leaf, and made a good start on Redcurrants. It’s difficult to spray safely because of the fruit. The Gooseberry and Redcurrant crops are very heavy again this year.
Friday 26 June 2009
The Pear tree has a promising crop, but the Apple trees look decidedly unfruitful. A good heavy shower this afternoon which the garden needed. Feverfew plants are now in bloom with their daisy-like flowers. Unfortunately one of the Foxglove spikes has snapped off.
Thursday 25 June 2009
The Gooseberries are eatable, and so are the Redcurrants and Blackcurrants. I found another bit of evidence of our Thrush today – more smashed snail shells on a stepping stone. The lawns have been neglected and are badly in need of mowing. I’ve also left the wormery to fend for itself.
Wednesday 24 June 2009
A warm dry sunny day. I’ve decided to get rid of the declining Angelica as soon as the seed heads have ripened. It’s a biennial and I shall try to propagate by setting seed this year. It’s an impressive plant, but a bit too gigantic for the south border. Pleased to see that the weakest of the Rosemary cuttings has produced a tiny flower. If this cutting thrives, it will give a total of six Rosemary plants to replace the old bushes, the last of which I axed this year.
Tuesday 23 June 2009
The Borage is in flower. The blue flowerets are redolent of summer days. There are many more self-set Borage plants that have sprung up since I reduced the original number to ten. They need tidying. This is an amazingly prolific self setter – rather like Aquilegia, but more than welcome in the garden all the same. Pleased to see my little cuttings from the perennial Sweet William are actually growing. I neglect cuttings as a good way of propagation. I must try rose cuttings.
Monday 22 June 2009
I spotted a second Daisy plant on the rear lawn this morning. Odd to record this event, but for some reason daisies have vanished from the lawns. I suspect due to weedkiller application long ago when I was less green. So a welcome return. We have now passed the longest day of the year. It’s now back towards the depths of winter. But there’s a summer and autumn to enjoy before then. I’m thinking of axing the gigantic Angelica. It has gone to seed, with enormous seed heads, and the whole plant has turned a ghastly yellow. But I want to keep the seeds for the birds – and can I set some for next year I wonder?
Friday 19 June 2009
Clematis Cardinal Rouge is in bloom – impressive dark mauve flowers. The Dahlias are all growing well. A new tuber which seemed to have failed looks as though it has produced a small green shoot at last. The self-set gladiola-like plants have flowered, surprisingly, and look very much like Irises, with white and purple flowers. I will need to consult the books.
Thursday 18 June 2009
The New Dawn roses are now in bloom. Not very prolific this year, but as delightful as ever. I wonder if the Angelica which is growing alongside New Dawn has simply taken all the nutrients from the soil? The Angelica itself has turned an unhealthy yellow although the huge seed heads are a valuable bird food. I have read somewhere that Angelica is essentially a short lived plant, perhaps just two years. All the other roses are now in bloom, including Queen Elizabeth and Peace. Plus another whose name escapes me.
Wednesday 17 June 2009
After the very welcome return of the Song Thrush yesterday, I should add that a Robin has been around the garden for the past few days, after a long absence. These returns have led me to think about Hedgehogs. None seen or heard for - years. I wonder if it is possible to introduce a pair?
Tuesday 16 June 2009
This morning I spotted what I thought looked like a Song Thrush on the garden fence. I could hardly believe my eyes. I haven’t seen a Thrush in the garden for ages. They used to be such a common visitor. The bird flew down onto the ground, hidden by the big Gooseberry bush. I waited in silence for it to fly off so I could get another look. Then, I heard …. tap …. tap … tap. It was a Song Thrush! Smashing the shell of a snail on the stepping stones. I waited but didn’t see it fly away. When I looked behind the bush, there on the stepping stone were the shattered remains of a snail shell.
Monday 15 June 2009
I pruned all the deadwood from the Grape Vines yesterday. More of it than I expected, but plenty of new growth including grape clusters forming. The first Redcurrants have turned reddish-pink; there are ripe Blackcurrants and the Gooseberries are green and plump. The Foxgloves in the woodland area are in bloom. One is a whitish-pink; the other purple – both with the usual spots. A walk round the garden this evening after a shower revealed many, many snails everywhere. They are amazing creatures. At least when they aren’t allowed to feed on the Hostas and Dahlias.
Friday 12 June 2009
There are two specimens of a self-set plant in the garden which looks like a lily but has not flowered in the time since they appeared. I noticed today that they have both developed flower stems and buds. If they flower it may be possible to identify the plants with certainty. On further inspection, there are substantial parts of the Grape Vines that have cleared died. The branches snap off easily. I need to do some pruning. Nevertheless, there are plenty of new fresh strong spurs.
Thursday 11 June 2009
At the side of the garage is a self-set Elderberry shrub, which has been around for many years. I’ve cut it back every now and then, but if anything it comes back more vigorously than ever. This year it’s carrying a magnificent show of creamy white flowers. By the autumn they will form a welcome supply of black elderberries which the birds love. However, it is really in the wrong place, and I have cut out about a quarter of the branches today. Reluctantly, because it is a native species which is very wildlife-friendly. The question is whether to cut it down again completely.
Wednesday 10 June 2009
The Angelica is about eight or nine feet tall and has now set about a dozen large seed heads. I should probably remove them to encourage fresh leaf growth, but I think I’ll leave them and see if they attract birds. There is a very active flock of Blue Tits around the garden. They must be newly fledged. I would imagine the ripened Angelica seed heads would be welcome.
Tuesday 9 June 2009
Cool and cloudy again. I’m not sure what has happened to the Grape Vines. They are both growing, and have new shoots and leaves, but there are lots of dead branches. They really are dead. I shall have to get the pruning secateurs out. It may be a consequence of the very hard frosts in the winter. The Aquilegias are gradually going over after a fine display this year. Shasta Daisy buds will soon be opening.
Monday 8 June 2009
Cool and cloudy. The Hostas are doing really well. Excellent foliage. I noticed this morning that August Moon has produced a flower stem. No bloom yet. The Foxgloves are in flower having survived the onslaught of being eaten alive, probably by caterpillars so far unseen.
Friday 5 June 2009
A dark cloudy cool drizzly day. The smaller Gooseberry bushes have been attacked and stripped of many leaves. They have a good crop, but the gooseberries hang rather starkly. I’ve seen this problem in other years, and I’m sure it’s due to caterpillars. The trouble is they are very hard to find and remove. The large Gooseberry bush has a similar but smaller infestation. I suspect they are the same caterpillars that have chewed away at the Foxglove leaves. I’m surprised the Foxgloves have survived the attack, and just started to flower.
Thursday 4 June 2009
The hard work of the Blackbirds seems to have been in vain. No sign of them today. The half-finished nest in the Russian Vine has apparently been abandoned. A shame. I know birds do sometimes start several nests before deciding. What was the problem? Smoke from a neighbouring bonfire? Noise from a garden shed? Squirrels? Today I put in place a final section of trellis to extend the reach of the Russian Vine to the top north corner of the garden. And - perhaps triggered by the Blackbirds - I hit on the idea of fixing one of our nesting boxes in the foliage of the Vine. Why didn’t I think of this before?
Wednesday 3 June 2009
I noticed a Blackbird in the Russian Vine this morning. It must be the first time I’ve spotted a bird there, in what I’ve often thought would make an ideal nesting site. I sat on the side bench quietly observing the Vine this afternoon. Yes, a female Blackbird was making frequent regular visits to the spot, beak full of straws, leaves and bits of mud. A male Blackbird was perche4d nearby, occasionally in song. Sometimes he followed her on the missions, and once ventured into the Vine himself. While they were away, I confirmed there was indeed a proto-nest taking shape. It’s an amazing thing really. How patient and diligent these lovely creatures are.
Tuesday 2 June 2009
The ten Borage plants are growing well in the hot weather. My strategy of removing any leaves with the tell-tale brown blotches seems to have worked. The plants all look healthy and green. I’m wondering if the major factor is the weather. Perhaps the last two wet summers allowed the bug to flourish. It mat return, but now the plants look good. I’ve moved the Yuccas outdoors onto the patio to benefit from these sunny days.
Monday 1 June 2009
Another hot dry day after a hot dry weekend. The Compassion roses are now coming into bloom on the arch at the top garden. The Russian Vine provides a green backcloth to this display. There are three lovely crimson Ena Harkness blooms. They have a delicious perfume, but unfortunately due to the size and weight of the blooms they seem to hang their heads. New Dawn looks in an awful state. No roses, and a dry, yellowish sparse foliage. I wonder what happened?
Friday 29 May 2009
Warm and dry. The new Gooseberry bushes have started to fruit this year, for the first time. Just a light crop as I would expect. The big bush is cropping well. The fruit are already large and practically full size. But need to ripen before picking. Pleased to see the Marshmallow in the front garden border is looking fine. The Soapwort is rampant and I will need to give it some attention soon.
Thursday 28 May 2009
Much warmer and looks like the start of another dry hot few days at least. Surprised to see that the Charlotte potatoes have made fast progress – the stems are between 6 and 12 inches high. Parts of the Grape Vines look a bit inactive, while others have plenty of leaf. Not sure what’s happening.
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Another Dahlia has pushed up the first green shoot. There has been a bit more bird life in the garden recently. I saw Blue Tits at the feeder again. The Swifts overhead have – temporarily – disappeared. A Magpie was on the rear lawn this morning, quite an unusual sight. They are always chattering and squabbling noisily in the trees, never on the ground. Compassion rose buds will soon be opening. Ena Harkness has one large bud almost open, but is not looking very healthy – it suffers terribly from brown spot on the leaves.
Tuesday 26 May 2009
Welcome rain overnight. The garden needed it. I fed and cut the lawns at the weekend, and they are now looking better. Two Dahlias now have green shoots. The revived Busy Lizzie is growing well.
Friday 22 May 2009
More Peonies are in bloom. The Gooseberries look another excellent crop, as last year. In fact, it will be possible to harvest them next month I think. Last year I delayed harvesting a bit too late, and the fruit were slightly over-ripe, though still excellent for the table. They freeze well. Likewise the Redcurrant crop is quite advanced and looks heavy again.
Thursday 21 May 2009
The Lily of the Valley is starting to fade, and Lady’s Smock is almost over. No roses in bloom yet, but Compassion has put on lots of growth and is looking promising. New Dawn looks quite sickly. Sparse leaves and yellowish. Good to see the Rosemary cuttings in the pots actually in bloom – that lovely hazy blue.
Wednesday 20 May 2009
Calmer warmer day. The Borage plantlets are settling in, but I noticed a few leaves today with a brown powdery blotch reminiscent of the fungal attack last year which spoilt the display. I pinched the suspect leaves off and disposed of them in the Brown garden collection bin. I hope this doesn’t develop. I trimmed the Russian Vine along the top fence, where it had been growing over into the neighbouring garden, on top of a sort of shed. The single Peony in bloom is a lovely deep crimson red.
Monday 18 May 2009
The first Peony is in bloom. Despite neglect since they flowered last year, these plants are looking remarkably healthy. Sometimes neglect helps. It’s amazing that I even have to record that the first Daisy in the lawn is in flower. They are non-existent, just this single specimen, which is a great shame. I believe it’s the sad result of some chemical weedkiller many many years ago. The windy showery weather continues. Not much like May.
Friday 15 May 2009
The rain arrived overnight. Today has been dull with showers. The lawns already look better. The newly transplanted Borage plants seem to have survived the shock and look in good shape.
Thursday 14 May 2009
Still waiting patiently for the heavy rain that has been forecast. The lawns and gardens need it. No sign of rain by early evening. I’m pleased to see the Michaelmas Daisies growing well and looking far healthier in their new site by the Apple trees. They are, I believe, the maroon variety, not my favourite the pale mauve, which I think succumbed to a mildew problem last autumn. The Gooseberries are already quite advanced, about the size of a marble.
Wednesday 13 May 2009
At last the gusty wind has abated. I carried out lawn repairs today on the rear lawn. Several edges had lost grass due to overhanging foliage last year. I’ve reseeded them. The lawns need a few showers to freshen them up. The Bluebells are starting to fade.
Tuesday 12 May 2009
More work today on the south border. I’ve transplanted a second cluster of Borage. That’s a total of ten plantlets. I doubt whether they will all survive. This border looks much tidied now, though there is till a bit more work to do. Applied liquid feed to all the lawns. They look a bit dry and down-at-heel after this dry spell. But showers are forecast tomorrow. The Strawberries are in flower. I need to net them and devise a way of keeping the fruits off the soil.
Monday 11 May 2009
Still a stiff cool breeze, but dry and sunny. I managed to plant the two new Dahlias this afternoon, and check and replant the existing Dahlias. The south border looks much tidier already. I’ve created one small group of Borage, and planned the location for a second group. This means transplanting the self-set Borage plantlets, which have grown rapidly. Several birds in the garden whose songs and calls are unfamiliar. Spotted a couple of Gulls, probably carried inland on the strong easterlies we have had for over one week.
Friday 8 May 2009
Back to sunshine and showers with that cool gusty breeze still. Today I can record that the Aquilegias - Grandma’s Bonnets - are now in full bloom. As is generally the case, it seems to happen almost overnight. The fascinating thing about Aquilegias, apart from the amazing capacity to self-set, is the variety of shades of colour of the flowers. I have one plant, near the compost bins, which has flowers of pure white. There are various shades of pink up to a deep purple. The flower stems are tall, and being buffeted a bit by the wind.
Thursday 7 May 2009
The first sighting this year of Swifts over the garden has not been repeated today, so far. It’s always Swifts rather than Swallows we see. I’m pleased to see the Clematis Cardinal Rouge looking healthy and growing well. Last year it was suffering from wilting. The Bluebells are in full bloom. Only a small patch, and a couple of plants under the Big Fir, but a welcome sight.
Wednesday 6 May 2009
Still a blustery breeze, and a duller cooler day. However, today I spotted our Swifts darting and gliding on high. At least I thought I did. I had doubts. But doubts were dispelled in the early evening with another brief glimpse of a Swift – unmistakeable. Lady’s Smock is still in its prime.
Tuesday 5 May 2009
Warmer after a rather cool few days over the holiday weekend. This morning I spotted white fluffy feathers around the path. The usual telltale sign that something’s amiss. Indeed. By the fence under the Box tree in the woodland area, a scene of carnage. It looked like the remains of a chicken. Closer inspection revealed a decapitated pigeon, feathers ripped off and bite marks all over, but not torn apart. I suspected a Fox, then decided the villain was probably a cat. How would a Fox catch a pigeon? I buried the corpse and as many feathers as I could gather. The Lily of the Valley is now in bloom. Probably the best display we’ve had. And the Vines are at the bud-burst stage.
Friday 1 May 2009
May Day is sunny and dry with a blustery breeze. Disappointed to spot that the recent new leaf growth on the Busy Lizzie had been eaten away overnight. I wonder if the culprit was a snail or slug, or perhaps a Hedgehog? Hopefully it will recover. The Gooseberry crop looks promising. The green berries are developing rapidly. As are the Redcurrants. It’s a wonder that nature presses on in such a timely and orderly way. Nature never forgets to do this or that. Everything develops as it should.
Thursday 30 April 2009
A surprise this Spring is the survival and vigour of the perennial Sweet William. I always considered Sweet William’s annual flowers. The single plant is growing adjacent to the large Gooseberry bush, and is already in flower and perfume, attractive orange & red blooms. As an experiment, I’ve taken a few cuttings, to see if they succeed. I hope so. It would be a very useful plant to have along a border. This afternoon I found the broken shell of a bird’s egg under the Big Fir. I recognised it immediately as a Blackbird’s. How it got there is a mystery. Just fallen from a nest? Or, more likely, the result of Magpie or Squirrel predation?
Wednesday 29 April 2009
Today I tidied a small section of the south border. This border ought to be the showpiece of the garden, but it isn’t. Too often it looks untidy and an uncoordinated jumble. I transplanted one of the Borage seedlings, and separated several plantlets from the Ice Plant, to form a new group. Cut the two Comfrey plants down to the ground and composted them. Comfrey is a very vigorous plant, It thrives on being chopped right down, and will soon be growing high again.
Tuesday 28 April 2009
The Angelica is now about seven feet tall. And looking ever more outsize. The Candied Angelical was a success. A pleasant tasting chewy traditional homemade sweet. Grandma’s Bonnets are still not quite in bloom, but another warm sunny spell will probably do the trick. A few Tulips are still in flower. The white specimens in the front garden are particularly attractive. The self set Borage plantlets are growing. I ought to thin them out and transplant soon.
Monday 27 April 2009
Dull, rain and much colder. The Bluebells are just in bloom, including several under the Big Fir. All four Hostas have grown strongly. One of the Rosemary cuttings in a plant pot is actually in flower. That’s encouraging. Two Magpies arguing furiously at the top of the tree.
Thursday 23 April 2009
I discovered this morning the likely culprits shredding the leaves of the Foxgloves. Caterpillars. A Brownish – buff variety. Carefully examining the leaves also revealed a number of tiny snails which may be partly to blame. The damage is quite serious, with some entire leaves gone apart from the veins. I hope the plants recover well enough to produce flowers. The Apples trees are now in blossom. The Pear tree has been in blossom for a while. Another dry warm day with a bit more cloud than yesterday.
Wednesday 22 April 2009
There are dozens of self-set Aquilegias in the garden, in a variety of hues. The popular name for them is ‘Grandma’s Bonnet’, which is rather nice, if a bit ageist. They are a welcome plant, and generally I’m happy to accommodate them wherever they grow. This morning I noticed the first Aquilegia flowers just beginning to open, just a hint of colour. I put the third and final coat of varnish on the seat this morning. Heard again today a bird song that I don’t recognise. A short trilling song, like a shortened version of a Skylark.
Tuesday 21 April 2009
The first flowers are out on the Lady’s Smock. A delicate pink. This plant is sometimes called Cuckoo Flower, but I prefer the first name. Another lovely blue warm day. The Hostas are growing vigorously with no sign of snail / slug damage. But the two Foxgloves have been ravaged by an unknown pest. The top shoots have just about survived unscathed. I have sprayed both plants with an insecticide. I don’t want to lose these plants, so I shall discover the source of the problem.
Monday 20 April 2009
A glorious warm blue Spring day after a cloudy start. I decided to take advantage of the fine weather to varnish the top garden bench. The first coat is now dry. Before the painting I levelled the paving slabs supporting the bench. There are now clear signs the Busy Lizzie is starting to throw up shoots – it seems to have just managed to survive the winter frosts. The Russian Vine is quickly becoming clothed in leaves again. The lawns have grown long in the recent wet and warm weather. Need mowing soon.
Wednesday 15 April 2009
Harvested about half of the forced Rhubarb sticks, prepared them and put them in the freezer. An excellent crop. I will need to pull the remainder, just leaving a few sticks to avoid weakening the plant excessively. A pleasant sunny warm day. I took three cuttings from the Perennial Sweet William, which is already in bloom. A lovely scent. Whether the cuttings will take remains to be seen. There are lots of Bumble Bees around busy pollinating. More liquid feed from the Wormery on the large Gooseberry bush. The fruit is already starting to set. It’s clearly an early variety.
Tuesday 14 April 2009
The ferns have survived the hard winter, but they are all looking worse for wear. The Hart’s Tongue in the Shady Border looks particularly sorry for itself. Maybe too dry. A bit more work today on the border under the Big Fir. This is a problem; shady, dry. Not really sure what to do with it. Wildflower shade-preferring annuals? The forced Rhubarb needs pulling and harvesting. It’s starting to lift the large black polythene bin.
Monday 13 April 2009 Easter Monday
Easter this year has been dull and cloudy. A bit of sun broke through this afternoon. I took the opportunity to tidy the Shady Border, Pleased to see all four Hostas have emerged again after the winter: Halcyon, Big Daddy, So Sweet and August Moon. The only way I’ve found to protect them from the work of slugs and snails is slug pellets. They seem to like this location, though I have to make a special effort with watering in this shady but dry area. I repaired the old wooden bench, and cleared rubbish from the adjacent fence. The Aquilegias are looking good for an excellent display this year. I’ve not known a plant that self-sets so prolifically.
Friday 10 April 2009 Good Friday
The Easter holiday has started wet and dull. No incentive to do much in the garden today. All the Spring flowers are in full bloom, including a few early Bluebells.
Thursday 9 April 2009
A few light showers, which are welcome. The earth is fairly parched. The Angelica has put on a huge growth spurt. It looks like a Triffid, with a thick central stem rising about four feet and growing. I’m delighted with the Cowslips this Spring. A lovely display. The best plants have prolific flowers, a welcome dash of bright yellow.
Wednesday 8 April 2009
I’m pleased to see that the Aubretia I planted last year near the rose arch is showing new growth. It’s the ‘Hamburger Stadtpark’ variety. I dug it up today, removed a few weeds that were entangled, tidied the area and replanted. The Russian Vine is now in growth, with lots of new shoots. With the Blackberry Canes now gone from the northern side of the Top Fence, the Russian Vine will hopefully colonise the entire width of the fence. It did a great job last year hiding the unsightly corrugated iron fence. The first of the Bluebells are out, and a lovely yellow Tulip in the Top Garden.
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Spent some time today tidying the Peony border. The Peonies are growing quite well, but the bed had become overgrown with weeds. This is a north border, which gets very little sun, if any, but seems to suit the Peonies. Looks much better. They are not in flower, in fact I would think have several weeks to go. The Lilies of the Valley are doing well. I have kept them well-watered.
Monday 6 April 2009
No rain for a while, so the garden is quite dry. A pleasure in Spring is the annual reappearance of old favourite perennials. The Tansy clump is now throwing up the familiar light green shoots, with the distinctive smell when rubbed. They usually arrive for Easter – Tansy Apple is an old recipe. Spring also produces self-set seedlings. I found a patch of tiny plants which I think are Borage, which self-sets freely. I hope they are Borage. It’s such a delightful plant, with the blue hanging flowers.
Thursday 2 April 2009
Bright and dry, but colder. I heard an unfamiliar bird song this afternoon. The bird was perched high up a neighbouring Fir tree, but could not be seen. It was a loud, tuneful, warbling sort of song. Quite distinct from the Blackbird, but possessing the Blackbird’s full-throated intensity, if less varied. There seemed to be a responding similar call. I shall listen and watch and try to identify this bird. Generally, so far this Spring, apart from the Magpies, Crows, Blackbirds and Pigeons there has been a disappointing level of bird life in the garden.
Wednesday 1 April 2009
Sunny spells and still dry. I divided more Chives plants today, and used more of the Chives along the various paths. If I had to give the garden a name, it might be called ‘The Chives’. I use these versatile plants extensively. They are practically indestructible, they can be eaten and used in various recipes, they have lovely flower heads, which can also be eaten. I suspect they also help to ward-off pests. I’m surprised they aren’t grown much more widely.
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Cloudy but mild all day. Cut the front lawn – second cut this year. At height 22mm. Then I trimmed and tidied the lawn edges. Looks neat and in good shape. The aluminium edging I put in a couple of years back has been very effective. Unlike plastic, it hasn’t deteriorated and broken up. With Daffodils and Tulips in full bloom, Cowslips, Hyacinths, Arabis and Euphorbia, the garden looks good in its Spring glory.
Monday 30 March 2009
Bright and sunny morning, then cloudy afternoon. I used the last of the compost from the Big Barrel. Around the Strawberries, Blackcurrants and the large Gooseberry. So the Barrel is now empty. Helpful, because the other two bins are overflowing. I had a quick look under the black bin over the forced Rhubarb. An amazing sight! Bright, almost fluorescent, leaves, and bright pink / white stems. Soon be ready for pulling.
Friday 27 March 2009
Cold, less windy, dry. I applied lawn feed – liquid – to both front and rear lawns today. This is not the wormery liquid feed. It’s also simply feed, and I don not use weedkiller routinely on the lawns. All lawns are looking in good shape. I have used my bin compost on the fruit bushes, including the old Apple Tree, and on several other plants as well, Honeysuckle. This compost is better than I thought when I first started to empty the bin; it has a rich concentrated well-rotted consistency.
Thursday 26 March 2009
The front stone wall is looking brilliant. The white flowers of Arabis are in bloom, and the Euphorbia is iridescent. The first tulips – crimson – are coming into bloom. Another day of sunshine, winds and sharp short showers.
Wednesday 25 March 2009
Very strong winds, almost a gale. Too windy to attempt any gardening. Just a quick walk around. The wind was roaring in the Horse Chestnuts. The Hydrangea cutting is growing well. Seems to have survived the hard winter.
Tuesday 24 March 2009
Sunny periods but very cold. It’s probably good that this Spring is not leaping ahead too fast – with the risks of late frosts damaging new growth. The Cowslips look lovely. Most are in bloom. There are twentyone plants. The Bluebells are not yet out, but it won’t be long. Fox tracks evident on the newly dug soil.
Monday 23 March 2009
March winds and April showers today. Temporarily I’ve put the bench cover back on, to keep the rain off, until I can get a coat of varnish on the wood. I tidied more of the top garden over the weekend, including the Lovage bed. Plenty of vigorous bronze shoots appearing. I dug up another crop of Jerusalem Artichokes. Cut some stems of Angelica and started the candying process by immersing them in boiling water.
Friday 20 March 2009
Continued to take advantage of this dry sunny weather. I mowed the rear lawn, and tidied a couple of corners of the top garden. It’s nice to see old favourite perennials reappearing. Bronze shoots of Lovage are through. The Honeysuckle on the pyramid is growing strongly. I’ve found a root of Horseradish, which is a useful culinary plant. The Aquilegia plants are looking good. They self-set freely, but are such a delightful plant, especially in shady areas, with a variety of colours.
Thursday 19 March 2009
In my opinion, Chives is one of the most useful plants in the garden. They are excellent in salads, soups and other cooking. Fresh green stems, and delightful purple flowers, which can also be eaten. They form a wonderful edging plant for paths and borders. They are indestructible, almost, and are easy to grow. Grown adjacent to other plants they can help to repel diseases. They are very easily subdivided and transplanted. I’ve been doing exactly that today, dividing clumps of Chives and creating edging that I’ve no doubt will look attractive in the summer days.
Wednesday 18 March 2009
A lovely day. I put liquid feed on the front lawn today, the first feed this year. It was bought liquid, not my wormery variety, though I shall use the latter on the lawn. A bit more tidying of the top garden, which is looking in reasonable shape for mid-March.
Tuesday 17 March 2009
Sunny but turning cloudy by afternoon. A few jobs around the garden. I dug over and tidied the garden around the old apple tree. I dug up an animal skull. Must be the fox I buried here about three years ago. A good load of compost from the barrel bin around all the fruit bushes. I brought the solar lights from the garage, cleaned them, and placed them along the south border to charge up in the sun. Then the sun went in.
Monday 16 March 2009
A glorious Spring day, sunny and warm. Probably the warmest day this year so far. I transplanted the Strawberries this morning. There are just six plants. I used compost from the barrel compost bin, hopefully to give them a good start. The variety is Florence, a late-fruiting sort. Getting at the compost in the barrel was difficult. It’s basically a large plastic water butt with a few mods and marketed as a compost bin. Poor design. I had to tip it onto its side, there’s no other way of getting the compost out. The compost is usable, but a bit disappointing. Perhaps I’ve left it in the bin too long.
Friday 13 March 2009
A dull cloudy day, after March winds yesterday. A useful bit of digging today. I cleared the ground in the top garden, roughly between the five Gooseberry bushes. I plan to transplant the Strawberries here, then put some of the Charlotte potatoes in the vacated strawberry bed. Harvested a few really nice Jerusalem Artichokes today. Washed and dried them, bagged up for the fridge.
Thursday 12 March 2009
I’ve bought a few seed potatoes. They are Charlotte, earlies, and a delicious new potato. My usual problem with potatoes is that despite getting the seed in good time, chitting them – I’m then too busy to actually plant them. The wizened tubers end up in the compost bin. This year will be different. I’ve only bought about a dozen tubers, enough for a taste. My plan is to trial two cultivation methods; in the ground, and under black plastic sheets.
Wednesday 11 March 2009
I tidied the main garden path today. It had become overgrown close to the little meadow area of lawn, which I allow to grow wild. I also tidied the garden near the meadow, and decided to transplant two Cowslips to this location along the edge of the meadow. There is a small rusting cast iron ‘welcome’ sign in the garden here. I think it’s quite tasteful. The only other similar artefact in the garden is a small gnome – no colour, just weathered concrete, and discretely placed by one of the compost bins.
Tuesday 10 March 2009
Showery and dull, but not quite so blustery. Fairly typical for mid-March. I ran off some liquid feed from the wormery, and fed the indoor plants. Bit of a pong, I need to check the wormery sump. It may be my imagination, but this liquid feed seems to work magic. Within a few days the effects on growth are noticeable.
Monday 9 March 2009
The first Daffodil is in bloom! More or less in on cue, I think. A bit more pruning in the front garden on a very cold March morning. I trimmed the dead stems on the Sedum Matrona. This succulent is a favourite of the snails and slugs. I usually fail to take defensive measures until damage has been done. Yesterday I trimmed the Rue, Southernwood and Comfrey. Fund two Cowslips I had transplanted to the front and forgotten; moved them together in the sunniest spot.
Friday 6 March 2009
One more blue frosty morning – there was hoar frost on the back lawn first thing. I spent an hour in the top garden tidying up. I dug out weeds that were already growing strongly. They are the endemic weeds in my garden – Herb Robert is one, some of which are actually quite attractive plants, but which have to go if anything approaching an organised garden is to exist. I pruned the Grape Vines a bit more, and took a low-growing shoot from one of the Gooseberry bushes. I’m trying to develop this bush to grow on a single stem. I got rid of numerous self-set brambles. They’ve probably come from the Blackberries.
Thursday 5 March 2009
Bitterly cold even in the sun. I saw what I’m certain are Fox paw-prints in the freshly dug garden at the top. I noticed also that the alpine Arabis on the front rock wall is in bloom – a pretty little while flower. We have both yellow and purple crocuses out, and the lilac-coloured flowers that appear every year which I’ve assumed are a sort of crocus throwback. I may be wrong. Whichever, they are a welcome sight.
Wednesday 4 March 2009
A much colder morning, but bright after rain. I noticed that the first Daffodil showing a hint of yellow through the bud has appeared. I think they are at about the usual stage of growth for early March, despite all the weather anomalies. It occurred to me, walking round the garden today, how Spring moves forward despite frosty spells and cold. Probably dependent on the increasing – rapidly increasing – lengths of the daylight. But there is an amazing power behind Spring. The Rite of Spring maybe. Two crows cawing around the Horse Chestnuts today, and the Maggies are still here.
Tuesday 3 March 2009
This morning I checked for any signs of new shoots on the Russian Vine along the top fence. Nothing at all. But the Honeysuckles have green shoots. The Chives which I use along the borders of the paths already have an inch or two of fresh growth. They make a lovely edging plant. Two pairs of Magpies were chattering about the top of the Big Fir, and I spotted several Blue Tits flitting in the woodland area.
Monday 2 March 2009
A glorious blue early Spring morning. I’ve taken the black bin off the Rhubarb, to encourage the new stems which I shall force. I think they will benefit from a good watering. The bin will need to go back by this evening – there is a return to frosty weather forecast. Hopefully just a brief return. Yesterday I did the first serious digging of the year, at the top corner. Just a small patch, but it is good to get back to working the soil again.
Friday 27 February 2009
I watched a female Blackbird on the front lawn this morning. Looking for insects and worms. She then flew up to the Berberis Juliana and disappeared in the bush. A male Blackbird was rooting about in the flower bed. We have often had Blackbirds nesting in the Juliana. It five superb cover and protection with its long spines. I hope we have a nest this year.
Thursday 26 February 2009
I looked under the black bin over the Rhubarb. The first shoots are pushing through the pile of compost I dumped over the crowns. Hopefully another good harvest of forced stems in a month or so. The Angelica is looking healthy. I cleared the remains of last year’s dead stems away a few weeks back. Now there’s a small clump of strongly growing new green stems. And the Foxgloves in the shady wooded area have survived the winter. It should be an ideal site.
Wednesday 25 February 2009
It was good to see the first crocuses in bloom today. Deeper purple ones in the top garden, and the pale lilac species that always flower around the rock garden on the front. Daffodils are well on the way, and so are the other Spring bulbs. Surprising, after such a hard winter.
Tuesday 24 February 2009
I did a bit of real gardening today. I found the secateurs and pruned back the Vines, Buddleia and Gooseberry where they were beginning to make the path impassable. Just lightly, but enough to clear the paths. On checking carefully, I counted thirteen Cowslips, more than I thought. I noticed that the ones surviving are those most recently divided and transplanted ie the newest plants. Perhaps the life of a Cowslip plant is just a couple of years. I shall do more dividing the clumps this year after they flower.
Monday 23 February 2009
A mild settled spell. Realised I need to prune back the Vines. They are encroaching on the paths across the top garden. Last year was a very poor year for my grapes. Probably the exceptionally wet summer. Definitely looks like I’ve lost some of the Cowslips. Still have about half a dozen plants, and one starting to flower. They are lovely spring flowers – simple, unpretentious, cheerful.
Friday 20 February 2009
Spring is most definitely in the air in the garden. A bright sunny morning. There’s something about spring sunshine that is different and special. The daffodils are growing fast, and the snowdrops are magnificent. I will soon remove the cover over the bench at the top of the garden which has been in place all winter. Though still plenty of time for a return to a frosty snap.
Thursday 19 February 2009
The first Cowslip is just coming into flower. I seem to have lost some of the Cowslip plants. There were at least a dozen along a small path. Today I counted around six. The Rhubarb is not yet pushing through, though it has been protected from the harsh frosts by an upturned black plastic bin.
Wednesday 18 February 2009
A cloudy mild day. The weather seems becalmed at the moment. I noticed a surprising amount of disturbed soil around the garden today. I put it down to the Squirrels searching for their buried hoards of conkers. Could be partly the work of the Foxes as well.
Tuesday 17 February 2009
A mild February day. Walking round the garden this afternoon I noticed some frost damage to one of my terracotta pots. I have collected a variety of terracotta pots and ornaments of various sorts. They are placed around the garden. I noticed that one of the pots, under the grape vines, seemed to have shattered. It didn’t look like malicious damage, just a kind of spontaneous fracturing and splitting. It’s a nice design, a bowl with holes in the sides, like a small strawberry container. I’ll leave it there to remind me in the hot dry sunny days of summer what a hard winter we’ve had.
Monday 16 February 2009
The snow has almost gone, and it’s been a sunny, pleasant day. Just a few isolated bits hidden away you have to search for. The Snowdrops are looking lovely. There are thirteen clusters. Today I spotted the Snowdrops that I transplanted to the lawn and the meadow area. I really must try again this year to label and mark the Snowdrop clusters to prevent accidental disturbance during the year.
Friday 13 February 2009
For the first time this year I noticed it felt warm in the sun this morning. Still snow about, but it will soon be possible to do some gardening.
Thursday 12 February 2009
Still plenty of snow in the garden - now the eleventh day of snow. I noticed the Bluebells are pushing through, and what must be a Daffodil. When the weather does get warmer and Spring-like, things will really take off. The days are now noticeably getting longer. The pace is quickening.
Wednesday 11 February 2009
There is a slow thaw under way, and it is appreciably warmer today, but there’s still plenty of snow lying in the garden. The solitary fungus is still there. I thought the Squirrels might have fancied the delicacy. As the snow retreats, the Snowdrops are revealed in all their glory. All the clusters in both front and rear gardens look very good.
Tuesday 10 February 2009
I was amazed to find a new fungus in the garden today, growing out of the ‘forest floor’ in the woodland area. It is the same unidentified kind as I’ve found under the Big Fir, a couple of months back. Shiny, waxy-looking cap, a light brown / fawn colour. I’m surprised to find fungi growing after such a freezing spell with ice and snow around. It has been perceptibly milder today, but I doubt whether this temperature change today has caused such a sudden growth.
Monday 9 February 2009
Still snow and ice in the garden. This afternoon one of our Squirrels was back on the bird table, after the bag of mixed seeds. She’s given up on the peanuts in the metal feeder.
Friday 6 February 2009
Another substantial snowfall this morning. This is getting quite a big thing. The snow is generally about nine inches deep, but drifts to around eighteen inches in places. I decided to get my spade and clear the front drive and pavement. It was hard work. There was more snow to shift than I imagined. I put a bit of salt down, and now the drive is much safer for walking and getting the car out. More freezing temperatures are forecast.
Thursday 5 February 2009
More overnight snow, a substantial fall. Initially no evidence of animal tracks on the lawn. As the day wore on and the snow began to recede, a clear track of Fox prints from the garage down the path was revealed. Maybe he is sleeping in the garage. This is the fifth day of snow and freezing temperatures. At least the Rosemary cuttings indoors should be all right, and some of those in the ground have been covered with a plastic box.
Wednesday 4 February 2009
Perfect Fox paw prints in the snow on the rear lawn this morning. Far too large for a cat, and placed along a line. As I suspect, our Fox enters the garden by the side gate. He had taken a look in the garage, under the door, before trotting off to the top of the garden.
Tuesday 3 February 2009
The garden remains white over. A blue day with no further snow falls, and the snow has receded a bit in the winter sun. More snow is forecast. Early this morning I heard the crows cawing. This pair has been around for a couple of weeks. Probably sizing up the Horse Chestnuts for a nest. In which case there will the usual dog fights - or bird fights - with the Maggies.
Monday 2 February 2009
Heavy snowfall overnight, and more this afternoon. About four inches, but little drifts deeper in places in the garden. I went out for my walk round the garden, and took a few video and photo shots. I was looking for animal and bird tracks. Identified Pigeon tracks, and cat, but no evidence of foxes. Pleased I had the foresight to bring the potted Rosemary cuttings indoors. I may lose those in the garden.
Sunday 1 February 2009
A biting cold wind, though dry and quite bright, with forecasts of snow tonight, and a hard frost, as we enter February. I’ve decided to bring the potted Rosemary cuttings indoors from the patio for a few days, to try to avoid losing them to the frost. A brisk walk round the garden. The terracotta thermometer shows about - 2 degrees C. All twelve clusters of Snowdrops are in bloom, and are looking good. I noticed that the Tulips are pushing through the ground. That seems early.
Saturday 31 January 2009
I used the step ladder to finish tidying the Russian Vine at the top fence. Got rid of the remaining Sycamore self-set branches. The blackberry has now gone, so the Russian Vine will have a free run towards the north corner of the fence. I took further advantage of the crisp blue morning to tidy up the top garden; prune the roses, buddleia, redcurrants and cut away the dead stems of the Lemon Balm along the path.
Friday 30 January 2009
Another dry but very cold day, and forecast to get colder with snow. I did a last bit of clearing the blackberry brambles at the top fence. There are a few left, intertwined with the Russian Vine, but I’ll need to get the step ladder out to reach them. A self-set Sycamore the other side of the fence also needs pruning back. Still no sign of the Snowdrops I planted in the meadow area. I wonder if the Squirrels have taken them.
Thursday 29 January 2009
I took advantage of a lovely crisp blue afternoon to start removing the blackberry brambles at the top fence. It hasn’t been very productive, and last year was getting overgrown, inevitably, by the Russian Vine which has done a splendid job of screening the unsightly corrugated iron fence. I will finish the job soon. I then need to trim the Russian Vine where it’s trying to establish on the Rose Arch. This summer should see the entire top fence covered by the Russian Vine.
Wednesday 28 January 2009
I saw a report in the media this week that Snowdrops are several weeks late flowering this year, because it has been too cold. Only with the break in the frosty period have they come into bloom. Which matches my experience in the garden here completely.
Tuesday 27 January 2009
An amusing and entertaining scene in the garden this morning. Our Squirrel occupying the bird table (it should more correctly be called the squirrel table). Then, suspended by just one hind leg from the table edge, she attacks the red plastic string bag of bird seed, periodically climbing back and sitting on the table to consume the seeds. This process of course scatters seeds down on the lawn, where two Wood Pigeons are gratefully pecking at the manna from high.
Monday 26 January 2009
I had a look under the black plastic bin covering the rhubarb clump today. No sign yet of any shoots emerging from the thick mulch of compost. The days are perceptibly lengthening now, just, but of course it isn’t getting any warmer yet. It won’t be long before the first rhubarb appears. More Snowdrops in bloom, in various spots around the garden. I must resolve to mark the sites of the major clusters for next year.
Sunday 25 January 2009
I heard the crows cawing again today. Spotted one crow high in the Horse Chestnut in the next garden. Usually there are vicious squabblings between the Magpies and Crows. I haven’t seen any Maggies lately.
Saturday 24 January 2009
Tempted out to do a bit of garden work by the lovely blue crisp day, after a dull cloudy start. Belatedly I’ve brought into the garage all the solar lights. They need a clean and service before the Spring. They definitely add atmosphere to the evening and night time garden. Then I added kitchen waste to the top tray of the wormery. First for over a month. But the worms are active, and I want to keep them in production even over these cold months. They have been far more active than I expected, compared to last winter. Maybe the wormery system has settled down into a sustainable mode.
Friday 23 January 2009
A bit more gardening today. I tidied the lawn edge along the south border. The Angelica especially had died back over the lawn. The covered grass was yellowing and becoming almost a bare patch. My daily walk round the garden was exhilarating in the icy cold January sunshine. Nice to find Snowdrops where you don’t expect them. Sometimes stray bulbs that have bloomed against the odds. And a sense of a stirring growth just beginning. Is it me, or are the days just starting to lengthen perceptibly?
Thursday 22 January 2009
Milder, but loads of rain overnight again. I walked on the rear garden lawn this morning, and was surprised to find it soggy underfoot. I can’t remember it ever being so squashy. The soil here is over chalk, and always drains quickly. An indication how much rain has fallen lately.
Wednesday 21 January 2009
This afternoon despite the bitter cold I did my first bit of serious weeding this year. Just a small patch of garden on the front where the Snowdrops are coming into bloom. It was necessary to be careful not to damage the Snowdrops, or the Tulips and Daffodils which, surprisingly, are emerging. Still, the days are moving on, and in a week or so the days will begin to be noticeably lengthening, very gradually.
Tuesday 20 January 2009
I’ve now placed the old plastic dustbin upside down over the rhubarb, following the feed I gave it at the weekend. Forced rhubarb is quite delicious. We’ve still some sticks left from Spring last year. It should be ready to pull around April. I will add a load of worm compost on the crown when I get chance. It would be a good time to split the crown. It’s already quite extensive, and productive.
Monday 19 January 2009
The first snowdrops are in bloom in the front garden. About a dozen are in that delightful first stage when the white flower head resembles a hanging drop of pure white liquid, and you can see where the name comes from.
Sunday 18 January 2009
Looked out and saw the line broken this morning, lying on the path. A couple of fat Pigeons were waddling around the bird food, no doubt wondering why they had been given this bonus feed. It is a clean snap. I’ve put the bird feeders on the post top near the bird table temporarily. A bitterly cold blue day.
Saturday 17 January 2009
A quiet few hours during a lull in the stormy weather. I decided to check the wormery. First time since before Christmas, though I had put in plenty of kitchen waste to keep them happy. Delighted and a bit surprised that everything was excellent. Lots of liquid feed, about ten litres I would think, which I then diluted with water ten to one, and fed as many plants as I could - roses, rhubarb, apple and pear trees and more. I checked all the trays. Plenty of worm activity, much more than I expected given the frosty weather. I didn’t try to take out any compost from the lower tray. Need a bit of time on a milder day to do that.
Friday 16 January 2009
The indoor plants are surviving quite well. I was concerned about the big Yucca Elephantides, but it looks in a fair state after around two months indoors The key is to avoid over-watering at all costs, and give them plenty of light. This is the first year the Yucca has spent the winter indoors, so it’s a tough old plant anyway.
Thursday 15 January 2009
I found one or two snowdrops pushing through on the lawn. I don’t think they are the ones I transplanted to the lawn last autumn. Still not seen the first snowdrop in bloom. I threw compost around the Rosemary cuttings and the Lady’s Smock, to protect them from any further hard frosts.
Wednesday 14 January 2009
The Lady’s Smock is surviving well. Last year I divided two of the clumps, to give a total of five. The new clumps seem to have survived the winter well so far, and the original plants look positively flourishing. I’m surprised. This plant began life in a Leicestershire meadow, but has taken well to chalky Bedfordshire. The Salad Burnet doesn’t hail from Leicestershire, but is also thriving. Another surprise - how this fragile-looking plant stays so green and fresh through all seasons. A squirrel in the garden performing acrobatics on the line. He decided to drop straight to the ground from the line - about five feet – instead of crawling upside down back to the post then shinning it down. No doubt he judged the drop carefully as safe. You don’t try that from 50 feet up the Horse Chestnut.
Tuesday 13 January 2009
The rhubarb crown is certainly showing signs of new growth. We had a fine crop last year. I froze part of the crop, so we are still enjoying stewed rhubarb and custard. If this milder weather continues a bit longer, I intend getting some liquid feed or even compost from the wormery to mulch the crowns.
Monday 12 January 2009
I did a bit of weeding in the front garden. I uncovered the shoots of tulips pushing through. That seems very early. Still waiting for the first snowdrop bloom. If anything, the snowdrops are on the late side this year.
Sunday 11 January 2009
This afternoon the garden played host to six Wood Pigeons and two Squirrels. All at the same time, all feeding on the nuts, biscuits and seeds. Not taking the slightest notice of each other. Yet Squirrels are serious predators of birds’ eggs. I suppose taking your eggs is one thing, attacking you directly is another.
Saturday 10 January 2009
I spotted Wood Pigeons, Robin, Starlings and Blackbirds feeding in the garden today. Back to the bitter cold.
Friday 9 January 2009
Back to colder weather. Down to -3 degrees C by early evening. I’m pleased how well my Rosemary cuttings appear to be surviving this winter. Surprising. In the past I’ve lost whole bushes of Rosemary by the frost. But the Busy Lizzie has succumbed I think. I should have brought a bit of the plant indoors. There you are.
Thursday 8 January 2009
A change in the weather overnight; much milder, and the snow and ice are disappearing. Quite a noisy group of Starlings in the garden after the food on the path today. Nice to see them. And I spotted a Blue Tit attacking the peanuts in the hanging feeder. A couple of Pigeons literally billing and cooing on the fence, perhaps a reminder that Spring is on the horizon.
Wednesday 7 January 2009
No sighting or sign of our Fox today. But the Robin and Blackbirds have been feeding on the path. I saw a Starling – once a very common visitor, now rare, perched precariously on the peanut feeder suspended from the line. I hadn’t noticed before how long and narrow is a Starling’s beak. She was able to pick away at the nuts at a furious rate. The snow is still around today.
Tuesday 6 January 2009
The snow still lies on the ground, after a bitterly cold night with temperatures down to around -10 degrees C. Looking out of my study window this morning, I spotted an unusual fawnish-coloured shape on the long grass protected from the snow by the Box tree. It moved, and I saw it was a Fox, curled up and sleeping. Hurriedly, I took a brief video clip, and went to get my camera. On returning to the study, the Fox had gone. I braved the cold and went out to investigate. Fox paw marks in the snow lead from near the garage to the Box tree, then away to the top garden. It’s the first Fox I’ve seen in the garden for many months, thought the various excavations have been obvious. A nice thought that my little woodland area is deemed safe enough to sleep in by a wild creature. I’ve put out a bowl of cat food for Reynard, if he returns. Within an hour, one of our cat visitors was sampling the food. I also put out bird seed, peanuts, a bowl of warm water and broken biscuits along the path through the woodland area. A Robin was soon taking an interest, and a couple of Blackbirds. Meanwhile, our Cockerel was busy crowing away in the distance. Perhaps Fox had gone to investigate.
Monday 5 January 2009
The first snowfall of 2009! About 2 inches, appeared overnight. Another bitterly cold day, so it has largely lain. Tonight is predicted to be the coldest of the winter so far, with temperatures down to around - 7 degrees C . I saw a Blackbird searching the south border this morning for food; and what I think was a House Sparrow in the woodland area.. No birds have visited the seeds and nuts and Fatsnax hanging from the line. Surprising.
Friday 2 January 2009
The dry frosty weather continues, and my cockerel crows on. I found a snowdrop today almost in bloom. Needs a few more days, and possibly a milder day or two. I’m sure I heard Great Tits today, starting up their ‘teacher, teacher’ song. Perhaps a sign of Spring on the horizon. I haven’t checked the wormery since the cold spell began. I’ve stopped adding kitchen waste, since their activity must be reduced in this cold. But I ought to run off liquid feed, and do a basic check at least. It was in the early part of last year that I neglected the wormery, and a serious decline set in. That was reversed over the year, but I must avoid a repetition.
Thursday 1 January 2009 New Year's Day
Another bitter cold day. The cockerel continues its morning song. And I spotted the squirrel on the ground. I think it is now looking for the hidden stock piles of conkers.
Wednesday 31 December 2008 New Year’s Eve
A pleasant but very cold day again. Somewhere in the neighbourhood there’s a cockerel. This week he’s been crowing each morning. I really like the sound, so redolent of country sounds not usually heard in town. I know it’s a different story if the bird is next door. I’m still looking out for the first snowdrop bloom. It won’t be long.
Tuesday 30 December 2008
Another bitter cold day in the garden, dry, with winter sun. A feint smell of wood bonfire in the afternoon air. Quite pleasant, a reminder of the days when proper garden bonfires were actually a pleasure on a calm evening. I heard a bird song today which I think was either a Robin or a Wren. Lots of new diggings and scrapings around the garden. Foxes, cats or squirrels. Take your pick!
Monday 29 December 2008
I noticed the first snowdrop shoot peeping through just before Christmas. Today I checked all the places where the snowdrop clusters are. All of them have snowdrop shoots through. I have left the clusters undisturbed during the year. I intended marking the locations before the foliage died down last spring, but never got round to it. The ones I planted in the lawn are not visible yet, so I am avoiding walking in that area. I think it’s only a matter of days before the first snowdrop bloom is out. A bitterly cold day today, but pleasant in the winter sun.
Wednesday 24 December 2008 Christmas Eve
The Angelica has finally begun to succumb to the winter. I noticed for the first time today that the leaves on the tall outer stems have turned a shade of yellow. The inner shoots are still green, and seem to have a second flush of growth. This may have something to do with the liquid worm feed I have plied this plant with, possibly unwisely. The base of the Angelica stem still amazes me. It is a lovely coppery bronze, and looks like a tree trunk – it’s around six inches across.
Tuesday 23 December 2008
Perhaps I should scatter bird feed seeds regularly on the path this winter. Within a couple of hours of the spillage yesterday, I spotted a House Sparrow feeding on the path. I’d forgotten that many birds are ground feeders, and won’t take to a hanging feeder.
Monday 22 December 2008
When I looked out today, the garden line with the bird feed containers and bags suspended from it was lying on the ground. Inevitably, it wasn’t long before the squirrel was on the scene. He had the red plastic net bags open. Bird seed and peanuts on the path everywhere. When I went out later to inspect the damage, it was clear that the line had just snapped. It may have been due to the weight of the squirrel, but I doubt it. Not guilty this time I think. I repaired the line and replaced the bird feed. It was much milder today.
Friday 19 December 2008
Blow me down! When I went out in the garden today to see how the new mushrooms we getting on – they’d gone! Completely vanished. The pine needles are debris in which they were growing had all been disturbed. I think I know the culprit, and it’s not a squirrel or a fox. I had watched our black & white ‘waiter’ visitor cat scratching the ground near the Big Fir, to do what cats do in these circumstances. There was a solitary crow cawing and flapping overhead before perching at the top of a neighbouring tree.
Thursday 18 December 2008
Two Magpies were around the trees this morning. A milder day. My garden thermometer was reading 6 degree C. It’s a crude instrument, with a terracotta dial, but does at least show temperatures which vary in a logical way. I noticed a small white object, about 0.5 cm across, just peeping from the ‘forest’ floor debris under the Big Fir. On close examination it was a baby mushroom. Next to it I could then see three other even smaller emerging mushrooms. I’ve never seen them at this very early stage before. Then I spotted a new flush of the translucent-capped fungi I’ve seen before, not far away. It seems odd to get so many mushrooms and other fungi around in these winter days.
Wednesday 17 December 2008
From the Study I heard a solitary crow cawing this morning. A forlorn sound on a cold December day. I found a new excavation in the garden today. A neat hole scraped out of the lawn under the garden picnic bench. Either squirrels or foxes. Foxes I think.
Tuesday 16 December 2008
Walking round the garden today I noticed that one of the bird-boxes had fallen to the ground. It was the one with a slate roof, that had been fixed to the trunk of the Big Fir, facing north. I don’t think it has ever been used by any birds. Prime suspects are the squirrels, but on this occasion they are probably innocent. I reckon the high winds recently brought it down. I shall refix it, maybe in a new location, when I get chance. The days are very short now.
Monday 15 December 2008
Holly and Ivy. It’s nice and seasonal to see the red berries on the Holly bush in the front garden. I’m surprised the birds haven’t taken all the berries by now. Perhaps it’s a reflection on the reduced numbers of garden birds. And the Ivy climbs higher up the trunk of the Big Fir. On Gardeners’ Question Time on Radio 4 yesterday they were giving advice on getting rid of Ivy. I’m happy to leave it alone. It will be a bonus for the garden wildlife.
Friday 12 December 2008
In the early hours today I woke up, and feeling thirsty came downstairs to get a cold drink from the fridge. I looked out of the window at the back garden, wondering if I might be lucky and see a fox on the prowl. The garden at night. Instead, although the garden was pitch dark, through the gap in the trees the ground beyond was strangely bright. As though someone was shining a powerful torch on the ground. I immediately went back upstairs, and through the study window could see an extraordinarily bright full Moon, high in the sky, over the trees. I discovered today that the Moon is closest to Earth now than for the past fifteen years.
Thursday 11 December 2008
I had a close look around the garden for any signs of snowdrops or crocuses pushing through. Nothing at all. It’s too early. The strawberry plants look healthy and green. This is probably the time to lift them and replant. I neglected them this year, and so had practically no fruit.
Wednesday 10 December 2008
Another bitterly cold day. Evidence in several spots in the garden that the foxes have been busy, little excavations here and there. But I haven’t seen foxes for a long time. I noticed a few more of those fungi - I think they are Wood Blewitts – under the trees. They have a sort of waxy translucent looking cap. I don’t really expect to see fungi when it’s freezing. The terracotta garden thermometer read - 4 degrees C.
I believe it.
Tuesday 9 December 2008
On close inspection today I could see the new Peony shoots pushing through the ground at the base of the old dead stems. The Rhubarb, with all this year’s stems and leaves gone, also has what looks like the start of new shoots on the crowns. An early reminder, before Christmas, that Spring is waiting in the wings. I looked on the lawn where I planted the snowdrops earlier this year, but I couldn’t see any evidence of growth. A fine sunny but bitterly cold day.
Monday 8 December 2008
The cold weather continues. Temperatures around 2 degrees C. I noticed today that the Tradescantia I planted outside seems to have been hit by the frost. It’s sheltered by a north facing fence, but some leaves look darkened and wilting. I ought to pot a piece and bring it indoors to avoid the risk of losing the lot. A few Magpies noticed around today.
Friday 5 December 2008
The wormery continues to work well. A bit of a problem is what to do with the compost and liquid feed over the winter months. I think the worms will be less active, but they seem to be still producing these valuable products. The houseplants can use some of the liquid feed, but even they don’t need much feeding if any over the winter. The best idea for the compost is to use it as a winter mulch on those plants that will be in early spring growth. Certainly rhubarb, and also the Ice Plant and other succulents and alpines and the ferns.
Thursday 4 December 2008
The garden looks bare and empty. I heard a Magpie clacking somewhere in the woodland area. I went to investigate. I couldn’t see the Magpie, but sitting at the base of the tree trunk was that cat again. I walked away. I’m sure the Magpie can take care of itself.
Wednesday 3 December 2008
I watched a cat in the garden this morning. The moggie was sitting under the bird seed and peanuts bags hanging from the clothes line, looking longing up hoping for a bird to appear. He even stood up on his legs to try to reach the bags. I don’t think cats have become partial to peanuts. In the afternoon, as I strolled round the garden, a different cat was prowling in the wooded area. He saw me and froze. I just walked away.
Tuesday 2 December 2008
Another very cold day. As I walked round the garden today I noticed that my terracotta thermometer at the bottom of the garden was reading -2 deg C. It’s a fairly crude instrument in scientific terms, and in the measuring principle it uses, but it does clearly work, and it’s surviving the elements well so far. I’d be surprised if we have no snow soon.
Monday 1 December 2008
A very cold day, sunny. Imagine my delight and surprise this morning when I spotted what I think was a House Sparrow in the garden. I literally haven’t seen a Sparrow around for ages. At least, I think it was a House Sparrow. Something a bit strange. It was alone. Sparrows used to be sociable birds. And it seemed to prefer the trees and bushes more than I remember Sparrows did. Perhaps it wasn’t a Sparrow. There are several other small brownish birds it could have been.
Friday 28 November 2008
Curiously, no birds seen in the garden today, anywhere.
Thursday 27 November 2008
At last! Birds have returned to the garden! It began this morning with a couple of Magpies strutting about under the trees, chattering noisily and angrily as usual. Then I spotted a Pigeon waddling ponderously around. In quick succession, about four Blue Tits flitted around the garden, making lightning visits to the hanging seed and peanut feeders, followed immediately by a Robin, picking through bits and bobs where I had emptied the compost from the growbags. I was especially pleased to see a Robin back. It’s been ages.
Wednesday 26 November 2008
Getting milder. The little patch of wildflower meadow at the top end of the back lawn has not been cut - or mown, I should say. It seems to have become overgrown by one plant, which I can’t identify. I think I shall need to manage this area more closely next year.
Tuesday 25 November 2008
A pleasant bright crisp November day. No squirrels seen. And still not a single feathered friend feeding.
Monday 24 November 2008
Still no birds feeding, but yesterday a squirrel discovered the goodies. She climbed the line post, grabbed the red plastic net bag of peanuts, and made off with it between her paws down the garden path. Under the trees, she gnawed through the net and scattered the peanuts around. I watched these proceedings through the window, then went out and retrieved the bag half-filled with peanuts and hung it on the line. I was surprised that within minutes the squirrel was back, fearless of me, and rescuing the peanuts left on the ground. Clearly a hungry squirrel, and food is getting scarcer.
Friday 21 November 2008
Not a single solitary bird has been seen visiting the food I’ve put out. It’s been getting much colder, so we may get visitors at the weekend. All the Rosemary cuttings seem to be doing quite well. I hope that at least a couple survive the winter. If necessary, I will bring one indoors. The Russian Vine is now bare, a tangled skein of long thin branches. I wonder if there will be any nesting birds there in the Spring? I think the squirrels would have a job getting at them.
Thursday 20 November 2008
After neglecting to feed the birds since early summer, I’ve again put out peanuts, seed and Fatsnax. No takers today. I suppose I stopped feeding them partly due to the persistent efforts of the squirrels, and partly because there didn’t seem any birds interested. A frosty weekend ahead is being forecast, maybe with snow. Will that be enough to make my food seem more welcome to the birds?
Wednesday 19 November 2008
I’ve found more of the new fungi today, nearby under the big Fir. Must be around eight or ten. They were probably there yesterday, but I may have missed them. The greyish waxy cap makes them not obvious to spot. They all have the same bluish stem. Today has been dry and sunny. I took the opportunity to put the winter cover over the new seat at the top fence, while it was dry. I really ought to cover the picnic bench.
Tuesday 18 November 2008
I spotted a pair of Magpies briefly in the next garden today. And I found more fungi under the big Fir. There are two sorts, I think. A small group with waxy smooth caps and bluish stalks, which I reckon are Wood Blewitts. Nearby another small cluster, a bit broken, which are brownish and I can’t identify. The white mushrooms which appeared last week are fading but still there. The ground under the big Fir, with the accumulated debris from the tree, is undoubtedly a fertile site for fungi.
Monday 17 November 2008
Another one of those dark grey cloudy drizzly days, and a bit colder. No incentive to walk in the garden, let alone do gardening. This afternoon a largish flock of starlings descended on the trees, squawking and squabbling. They left as quickly as they had arrived. Otherwise, not much other bird life seen.
Friday 14 November 2008
The Spider Plant that was caught outside in the cold snap is slowly recovering indoors. Some of the foliage and runners were blackened. They shrivelled, and I cut them off. So it seems no terminal damage was done. Today the garden has been showered by falling leaves from the Horse Chestnut in the adjacent garden. A truly autumnal sight - leaves cascading down, like the poppies on Remembrance Day.
Thursday 13 November 2008
I’m pleased that all the new plants I introduced in the front garden have prospered. Both Sages are doing well. The Soapwort has spread, but it’s a delightful plant. The Mallow is thriving, and all the ferns have established themselves. The alpines on the wall and the rockery are in good shape. I haven’t put in any new bulbs this autumn, but I’m hoping for good displays from those left in the ground from early this year.
Wednesday 12 November 2008
This time of the gardening year thoughts turn to plans for the new year, and changes that could be made in the garden. I’m minded to get rid of the blackberries at the top fence. They are overgrown by the Russian Vine. The crop has been feeble this year. I may let the Vine take over the entire length of the fence. I really ought to get some work done tidying up the drive. Judicious pruning of the trees and bushes will have to be tackled.
Tuesday 11 November 2008
A pleasant day, dry, sunny, cold. My wormery continues to produce a regular supply of liquid feed. I used it today to feed the houseplants, and around the front garden. I hope I’m not in danger of overfeeding. It’s not what I would be doing in November, if I didn’t have a handy free supply of liquid feed, which so far has seemed to be remarkably beneficial. I washed out the sump of the wormery today, and added more kitchen waste to each of the three trays. Again, I’m unsure how much waste the worms can handle during the winter, when their activity slows down, I believe.
Monday 10 November 2008
A particularly rainy dull day, but I managed a brief walk round the garden. The Grape Vines have now shed nearly all their leaves, and the garden generally has a distinctly November look. The two Foxgloves I introduced in the shady woodland area are still green and look healthy. Hopefully a good display next summer. The Hostas are continuing to fade and die back.
Friday 7 November 2008
A cheery sight in the dull November garden - two New Dawn roses are in bloom. There was a second flush in early autumn, but I don’t recall ever seeing November roses. We have berries on the Holly, and the ivy continues to climb higher up the trunk of the big Fir.
Thursday 6 November 2008
The damp dull days continue. The Angelica is still green with luxuriant foliage. Like the Lovage used to be in its early years. I think last year the Angelica survived the whole winter without being cut down by frosts. Hardly seems possible. I’ll take a closer interest this year. I’m making a bit of effort to protect the new Rosemary cuttings from frost. I’ve moved the rather tattered remnants of the mini-greenhouse on to the patio, to provide at least a basic shelter. It’s important I don’t lose all the Rosemary.
Wednesday 5 November 2008 Bonfire Night
This mildish damp grey weather is fairly typical of early November and Bonfire Night. This morning we had visitors to the garden - birds. A pigeon waddling on the path, a magpie on the garage roof, and a couple of blue tits darting about the trees. The mushrooms haven’t been taken yet by the squirrels. I always leave mushrooms in the garden to spread spores around, hoping for another crop next year. Not sure how effective this is, but they do seem to come up each year.
Tuesday 4 November 2008
Another grey dull mild November day. The leaves are falling from the Russian Vine and the Grape Vines. Indoor, the Spider Plant seems to be slowly recovering from it’s exposure to that cold snap last month.
Monday 3 November 2008
Milder, grey and damp. I found another mushroom, the third, under the big Fir. The surface here is thick with pine needles and all the debris from the Fir. I’m not sure how fertile it is, but it certainly keeps pushing up fungi of various sorts. The recent frosty spell has caught the Hostas. Autumn Moon is fading swiftly. The Big Daddy has never really got properly established. There was an early attack by slugs, which didn’t help. Maybe it is set back under the trees too much in the shade.
Friday 31 October 2008 Hallowe’en
A bitterly cold day, but sunny and crisp. I found two mushrooms pushing through under the big Fir tree. Further on the ground has been disturbed, by the squirrels I think. The frosty nights have damaged the Spider Plant. The leaves are partly wilted. I’ve brought it indoors, but the damage may have been done. I added more kitchen waste to the wormery, and ran off a large quantity of liquid feed. I took the opportunity to wash out the collection sump.
Thursday 30 October 2008
As October draws to a close I reflect on the sad reduction of bird life in the garden this year so far. No robins seen for ages; no coal tits calling, certainly no thrushes; very few sparrows; even the pigeons have vanished over the summer. The occasional magpie has been around, and I’ve heard a crow cawing now and then. Why? Is it all due to the squirrels? As the colder weather sets in I shall make an effort to keep the bird table and feeders stocked.
Wednesday 29 October 2008
Today has been blue and cold. I expected the snow to have vanished in the early sun. Some has, but there is still enough lying to maintain the wintry garden look. I haven’t been round the garden today. The Spider Plant is still outside in the snow. I should have brought it indoors.
Tuesday 28 October 2008
We don’t often enjoy the garden at night in late October. But this evening the gardens are covered in snow. The bitter cold air from the arctic has given us a taste of winter, before Hallowe’en. There are red berries on the firethorn and holly in the front garden. It won’t stay long, but it’s picturesque for a while.
Monday 27 October 2008
Much colder today, but dry and blue. I was walking on the path near the Grape Vines when I heard rustling. I stopped and listened. I had just disturbed a blackbird. He was on the ground under the vines, then flew away with the blackbird’s typical clacking alarm call. However, I could see any bunches of the small green unripe grapes. They seemed to have disappeared. I did find one - but it was just a bunch of stalks, apart from a single grape. It seems the blackbird has been feeding on the grapes. Something I’ve not observed before.
Friday 24 October 2008
I had a close look at the Angelica plant this morning on my stroll round the garden. I was amazed. The stem base is now about four inches diameter, more like a shrub trunk that an herbaceous plant. It reminds me of Lovage - it has the same purplish tinge and the same vigour. I really must try making candied Angelica, out of curiosity. I wonder what the taste is.
Thursday 23 October 2008
My wormery is working overtime these days. The wriggly wigglers are producing more liquid feed and compost than I seem able to use, as the growing season begins to close. I suppose as the weather gets colder, the creatures will get less active, and production should reduce. Meanwhile, I’ll try to find ways to use all the wonderful plant food they are making for me.
Wednesday 22 October 2008
A lovely sunny dry day, so I did a spot of autumn weeding on the front. I’ve neglected this garden. Some lovely self-sets, including tall Feverfew plants in bloom, with their white button-like flowers. A delightful and surprising sight in October, but they had to go in the compost bin. I found a couple of Antirrhinums in bloom - creamy white flowers. I left those to set seed, which is a bit unlikely so late in the year.
Tuesday 21 October 2008
Walking round the garden today, it occurred to me how green the garden still is, in late October. Leaves are falling, but there is a green freshness around which seems unusual for this late in the year.
Monday 20 October 2008
A rainy dull day, and the days are getting shorter. Soon be the end of summer time. I noticed that the soil is quite dry in some parts of the garden. Under the trees mainly. I watered the recently planted Tradescantia. Found a few ripe blackberries at the top fence, which I picked and ate. The squirrels have been very active under the big Fir. Lots of neat holes dug through the pine needles.
Friday 17 October 2008
A pleasant walk round the garden this morning. A squirrel was on the lawn, at the edge of the little meadow, before scampering into the woodland area. Then I spotted a blackbird hopping around under the old apple tree. I froze and watched. It hadn’t seen me. It’s always a pleasure to observe a wild creature close-up unawares. Round the path to my old wooded seat in the corner. The sun felt really warm on my face. I pondered that it was mid-October. Surprising the sun was so powerful. Almost in reverie, I wondered at this star, our Sun. Feeling the heat from 92 million miles! And if I was just half that distance, how it would feel some four times hotter! A pleasant few moments lost in the garden.
Thursday 16 October 2008
The Hydrangea cutting sitting in a pot on the patio has grown well, and seems established. But a strange thing has happened. The leaves have turned a dark crimson. In fact, the tips of a few leaves have gone black. There are still a few small green leaves, the newest ones. My theory is that I have over-fed the plant, with the wormery liquid feed. I can’t come up with any other explanation. Interesting.
Wednesday 15 October 2008
A rainy gloomy day and one of the rare days when I didn’t walk round the garden. But I’ve now brought the Yucca Elephantides indoors for the winter. Not sure how it will react - it’s been outside in all weathers for several years. I’m feeding the indoor plants with the wormery liquid feed. So far, the effects have been very beneficial.
Tuesday 14 October 2008
Autumn is well and truly underway. The orange and brown leaves from the Horse Chestnut tree are starting to carpet the top garden. I’ve noticed that the spiders seem more active than usual. There are extensive webs around the garden. It amazes me how these creatures are able to manage the acrobatics and aeronautics that must surely be needed to attach their webs in the most inaccessible places.
Monday 13 October 2008
Today I found another mushroom growing in the pine needles under the big Fir tree. It’s a different kind to the earlier ones. The cap is smooth with a kind of sheen, and has a pale mauve hue. What I can see of the stalk is also tinged mauve. I’ve no idea of the correct name; I don’t think it is what we used to call a Blue Stale. I’ll check it out in my mushroom ID books.
Friday 10 October 2008
The three compost bins are full, after the addition of recent weeding. But they won’t stay full for long. No matter how much is added to them, they always reduce. I sometimes think I’ve discovered the answer to the waste disposal problem – bottomless compost bins impossible to fill. This year I haven’t even taken any finished compost out. It will be a really rich product, I hope, when it’s eventually used.
Thursday 9 October 2008
A few late blackberries have ripened on the canes on the top fence. These canes have been overgrown by the Russian Vine. I think I shall get rid of them before next year. A shame, because in principle it was quite a good idea. But the Russian Vine has done an excellent screening job, and gets (or rather, takes) priority. The other blackberries near the apple trees have failed badly this year, setting hardly any fruit.
Wednesday 8 October 2008
I spotted a blue tit flitting in the trees this morning. A rare sighting these days. There have been very few birds around since early in the year. Just the odd blackbird. Even the magpies have vanished, and the pigeons are scarce.
Tuesday 7 October 2008
The wormery continues to thrive. It’s been running for over a year now, and is more active than it has ever been. A key indicator is the quantity of liquid feed produced. I can draw off a useful amount, say about 200 ml, each week, or sometimes more frequently. This brown liquid is diluted by adding 10 times the amount of water, before using it on plants indoors and outside. The production of the rich dark compost is slower. I’ve so far had one tray full in the first year. I’m wondering if this overall level of worm activity will continue as the weather gets colder. I expect it will decline substantially.
Monday 6 October 2008
Leaves are now beginning to change colour on the trees, and are falling ever more copiously, no doubt triggered by the recent colder spell and the rapidly shortening days. The Russian Vine is shedding leaves. I tasted one of the small green grapes on the Grape Vine. Tart. They will not ripen now.
Friday 3 October 2008
It’s turned really cold today. A touch of winter. The two Foxglove plants I set in the woodland area have grown very well. Both have produced vigorous clumps. I wonder if they will give good displays next year. The Ice Plants - Sedum Spectabile – are all in flower, and give a welcome splash of colour, mauve, to the autumn borders. Walking round the top of the garden today, I marvelled at how the Russian Vine has extended its reach along the whole of the top fence. It has covered and outgrown even the blackberry canes.
Thursday 2 October 2008
Getting colder, and rain on the way it seems. It’s been a disappointing summer, much like last year. Somehow all the wet weather has restricted both gardening and use and enjoyment of the garden for sitting out and generally pottering about. A shame. The autumn is also proving to be disappointing. Just a couple of days of autumnal mellowness. Though late yesterday evening there was a thin mist descending. Perhaps time to think about indoor plants. I’m using the worm feed liquid to feed the three potted plants on the front window ledge. Soon I shall bring the large Yucca indoors, the first time for a good few years.
Wednesday 1 October 2008
This morning for the first time I spotted a squirrel on the front lawn. She did the typical squirrel antics, then made for the drive and on to the pavement. I held my breath. Would she stray into the road, which is busy? Yes. She darted into the road. In a flash she was safely on the opposite pavement and into a garden. Fortunately, there was a quiet minute or so with no traffic. Come to think of it, I can’t recall ever seeing a dead squirrel on a road. It made a change from the squirrels’ current obsession with scraping out holes, often quite deep ones, in the back lawns.
Tuesday 30 September 2008
The Dahlias continue to flower, a very large yellow ‘cactus’ variety, and a smaller purple one. The Michaelmas Daisies are looking fine. There are more bunches of grapes on the vine than I thought, but the fruits are all still small and green. I would say there’s no chance of them ripening, barring a spectacular run of warm days in October, which isn’t going to happen.
Monday 29 September 2008
I mowed all the lawns at the weekend. They look in good shape, green and quite lush, despite neglect mowing and feeding over the summer months. Or perhaps because of the neglect. Sometimes over-zealous mowing too close doesn’t help. I’ve also stated tidying and weeding the front borders, which have become overgrown. It’s not all bad; the self-set Feverfew is in flower and the daisy-like blooms are attractive. I don’t think we’ve lost any plants. The ferns look fine.
Friday 26 September 2008
A return, no doubt just briefly, to the sunnier balmy weather of last weekend. The absence of bird life in the garden this summer continues, and is both a mystery and a disappointment. I’m not planning to put in any additional bulbs in the garden for next spring. An idea I have considered is to transplant a few snowdrops and bluebells to under the big Fir. I have already put snowdrops in the lawn, near the meadow patch, which should be a welcome sight in the new year.
Thursday 25 September 2008
Another large mushroom has appeared overnight! Similar to the first one, and in the same place, under the big Fir, in the fallen pine needles. I was so pleased to see it, I watered it, washing the soil and debris off the cap to show its pristine whiteness. One advantage, quite a worthwhile one, of neglecting weeding in the garden is that it allows all sorts of self-set plants to grow. I spotted a well-developed Rue plantlet today. Digging it up carefully to pot it, I came across another four smaller Rue self-sets. All are now in pots on the patio.
Wednesday 24 September 2008
The New Dawn rose is giving a late show with several blooms appearing. This is rather surprising for late September. I wonder if it’s a result of recent feeding with the wormery liquid. Maybe. This liquid does seem remarkably potent. The Dahlias are still in bloom, but no surprise there, they will carry on until cut down and blackened by the first frosts.
Tuesday 23 September 2008
The apple harvest is good, for a tree that is some 70 years old, I believe. I pick up the fallen apples each day, and we use those. The Michaelmas Daisies are in full bloom now. The other day I spotted a huge (well, quite big) dragonfly buzzing around the garden. Evidently from the pond in the next garden. It’s the first time I can recall seeing a dragonfly here.
Monday 22 September 2008
The wormery continues to work well. It has settled down into an excellent production rhythm of liquid feed, which I have used on indoor plants, potted plants and to feed the New Dawn rose, and the Angelica. Today is the first day of autumn. Now the nights will be longer than the days. There is still green all around, although the first signs of autumn colours are showing. The lawns need another cut.
Friday 19 September 2008
The two grow-bags on the patio have come to the end of their life growing courgettes. I’ve composted the remaining plants, and tipped the growing medium out onto the top garden. It’s been an interesting and useful exercise. Next year I shall try to start things earlier in the season. The last rhubarb harvest has been gathered, and it’s a fine one. A bit of pruning of the lower branches of the big Fir has made the side path more accessible, and minimised the risk of bumped heads.
Thursday 18 September 2008
I repotted the Yucca Elephantides today, prior to bringing it indoors over winter. I was surprised to find that the root system had already expanded to fill the old pot, which was itself a size up from the original. This plant is looking much greener and healthier. It’s amazing it has survived at all through winters outside in all weathers, and general neglect. A tough species obviously.
Wednesday 17 September 2008
I saw a few more fungi in the garden today. Small toadstools, in the lawn. The grapes are still small and green, with no chance at all now of ripening before the frosts arrive. Generally, the growing season for fruit and vegetables is over. I shall have to get rid of the grow-bags, there aren’t going to be any more courgettes this year. The ones I planted in the open garden were a failure. I’m not sure why, maybe I put them out too late. There is a good crop of late rhubarb to harvest, and the apples are looking good.
Tuesday 16 September 2008
When I took my walk down the garden path this morning I came across a cardboard carton on the ground under the big Fir, broken open with a light brown powder scattered around. On inspection it was a bone meal packet. It looked like one I use. Surely not. I walked back to the garage to check. Mine was missing. Back down the garden path, and I spotted a trail of the light brown powder - bone meal – all the way down the path to the broken carton. I picked up the carton. There were claw holes. It looks like a fox had got into the garage by the gap under the door, dragged the bone meal carton down the path, and ripped it open. Foxes seem to home in on bonemeal. I’ve noticed how they scratch up earth around plants when I’ve used bone meal as a planting fertiliser.
Monday 15 September 2008
The Ice Plant - Sedum Spectabile – is making a nice splash of autumn colour. There are three plants in bloom. The first flower of the Michaelmas Daisy is now fully open. The days are rapidly shortening as autumn progresses. I’ve brought the re-potted cactus indoors for the first time ever. It has been left neglected to survive main winters outside. I intend re-potting the Large Yucca, for the second time this year, and also bringing it indoors over the winter. It will need a very large terracotta pot, and possibly a decorative bowl, although I rather prefer the plain terracotta.
Friday 12 September 2008
No new mushrooms appeared overnight, but the new one yesterday already has a piece missing. And this afternoon I caught a squirrel red-handed – scampering along the fence top towards our little woodland area with a conker in its paws. No surprise of course. The Michaelmas Daisy is coming into bloom and has revealed its hand – it isn’t my pale lilac variety, but the brighter mauve plant. So my favourite has perished since last year. I’ll try to get a quick replacement.
Thursday 11 September 2008
A second mushroom appeared today. It’s also under the big Fir tree, growing up through the pine needles. It’s more like a mushroom or toadstool, a rather shiny translucent-looking cap on a thin stem. The first mushroom has already been chewed away by some creature partial to fungi, probably a slug, snail or a squirrel. The squirrels have become very active lately.
Wednesday 10 September 2008
It was only a matter of time before the first fungi appeared. Usually around the base of the big Fir tree, in the ground covering of pine needles. The wet summer and the milder weather recently inevitably produced the first mushroom. It’s about five cm across, dome-shaped and not fully emerged from the ground. I don’t know its name. Probably the first of many.
Tuesday 9 September 2008
There’s a fine crop of apples ripening on the James Grieve tree. And a heavy late crop of rhubarb ready for picking soon. The blackberries are a big disappointment. Very few have set properly. I don’t know what the problem is. Too few honey bees?
Monday 8 September 2008
More squirrel sightings yesterday and today. And today I found a discarded conker casing – the green spikey case that contains the shiny conker – on the ground in the woodland area. There are also many little holes scraped out around the base of the big Fir, and in the lawn. Attempts to squirrel away conkers for the winter, I’m sure. Between the Russian Vine and the Rose Arch I found an extensive spider’s web, with a huge spider sitting at the centre. The web would have looked impressive, picked out in white frost on a crisp blue winter’s day. Seems very distant from the dismal grey rainy days we are still getting.
Friday 5 September 2008
I spotted a squirrel today, running along a neighbour’s fence. The first sighting for many weeks. I’ve also discovered a load of discarded conker shells scattered over the ground at the top south-west corner. Clearly some creature has been busy feasting. Maybe a sign of a hard winter to follow this wet wet summer.
Thursday 4 September 2008
We have got self-set ivy growing up the trunk of the big Fir tree. I call it the big Fir tree, actually it’s a Cypresses Leylandii. The ivy has now reached about five feet up the trunk at its maximum height. I think it’s an added feature in the garden. Certainly, if we ever decide to cut the Fir down, we’ll have a ready made natural screen in place over the stump.
Wednesday 3 September 2008
I got rid of the last of the old Rosemary bushes this afternoon. It was still growing well, but had become straggly and was badly sited near the north facing fence, and so getting little sun. All of the bush has been added to the log and branch pile in the woodland area. In due course I shall plant out the new Rosemary cuttings, when they have become more established. The rainy weather is continuing into September. It’s been largely sunshine and showers today.
Tuesday 2 September 2008
I haven’t seen a squirrel in the garden for ages. But this morning, under the big fir tree, I spotted one or two empty conker shells lying on the ground. The conkers had been neatly removed. All the hallmarks of squirrel activity. The squirrels live in the horse chestnut trees around here, so why they would bring the conkers into the garden to eat is odd.
Monday 1 September 2008
Not the first day of autumn, that’s 22 September, but certainly autumn is in the air. Not a promising start today, grey, more cloud, and rain threatened. An Indian Summer would be nice, and would compensate a bit for the awful summer. I mowed the lawns at last at the weekend. I raised the cut height to 3.7 cm, and that should help avoid serious browning. The grass had become far too long. Anyway, it’s now all looking fairly tidy. It will need another cut or two to get back into anything approaching pristine condition.
Friday 29 August 2008
There are just two courgettes on the plants, a large one, and a small one. I suspect these are the final two we shall have this year. The grow-bag plants are suffering from a leaf mould, and are generally dying. Those in the top garden have not yet set any fruit, and I fear it is too late to start now, with autumn on the way. There’s a nice display of yellow and purple dahlias, and no sign yet of the Michaelmas Daisies flowering. What has surprised me this summer has been the absence of the squirrels, and the usual bird visitors. No robins, no blue tits, very few birds of any description, apart from pigeons and the occasional blackbird. A silent garden. Strange.
Thursday 28 August 2008
The wormery is thriving. Today I started a new tray, the top one, with a dollop of kitchen waste I’d saved in my new compost caddy which we keep in the kitchen. The two lower trays are very active with worms. The wormery is now producing regular quantities of liquid feed. I dilute this, about ten to one parts, and have used it today to feed the Aloe Vera and the baby Yucca Elephantides which are in the front window, getting the morning sun. Except we’ve hardly seen any sun for weeks.
Wednesday 27 August 2008
The Angelica has put on a late growth spurt. The purple stem base is thick - about three inches across, and reminiscent of the Lovage stems. Perhaps these two plants are related, they do have a number of features in common. The Michaelmas Daisies are not in bloom, so I’m still waiting to discover which of the two varieties has survived. In any case, it’s far too early for Michaelmas Daisies. They used to flower around October and even into November.
Tuesday 26 August 2008
I’ve got rid of the old Rosemary bush near the patio. It had grown straggly and woody although still producing plenty of fresh shoots. It was about twenty years old. I easily cut through the stems with the heavy duty pruner. The root system was quite rotten. All the branches are now added to the log piles in the woodland area. The new cuttings are growing well, and I shall have plenty of replacement Rosemary bushes before long.
Monday 25 August 2008
Several of the courgette plants in the grow-bags on the patio have a grey mould spreading over the leaves. I wonder if this is terminal, or just a temporary result of the awful wet weather this August? I’ve noticed a hole dug under the side fence near the big fir. It can only be the work of a fox. I haven’t seen any foxes in the garden for a long time. Occasionally in the dead of night I hear barking, and the sound of claws on the side gate, like a creature scrambling over.
Friday 22 August 2008
The Russian Vine has done a magnificent job completely covering the corrugated iron fence at the top of the garden. It looks fine, and is a nice backdrop to the roses on the arch. Part of the credit is also due to the blackberry canes towards the north side, but even they are in danger of being covered by the vine.
Thursday 21 August 2008
I have found a dead bird near the foot of the big fir tree. Looks like a fledgling, probably a pigeon or a magpie. Very soon it was covered in a humming seething mass of flies, each with a green sheen. It seems late for fledglings, though I imagine this was from a second brood.
Wednesday 20 August 2008
This morning was sunny, dry and pleasant, so I sat awhile on the top garden seat. It’s not really been possible to do this for ages because of the long run of unseasonable weather. I saw just one of the tiny frogs hopping around. The Eva Harkness rose is a pathetic leafless and flowerless stem. Compassion has fared better, and looks reasonably healthy. There are a few Shasta Daisies still in bloom. Looks like a good crop of apples. The garden is overgrown and neglected. It’s now impossible to get along the stepping stones between the vine and the gooseberry bush. The parsley plant has gone. More small green fruits on the vines than I expected but they stand no chance of ripening unless we are due a long Indian Summer, which I can’t see happening.
Tuesday 19 August 2008
The courgette / marrow plants are still producing fruits, but they are starting to fade. The only fruits have come from the plants in the growbags on the patio. None of the plants at the top garden have set fruits. I suspect it is because they are in a location that is too shady.
Monday 18 August 2008
I discovered about a dozen tiny frogs or toads at the top of the garden today. They are really small. About one centimetre long, and only noticeable when they jumped a short distance. I saw one, then another, and realised this part of the garden was practically infested with the creatures. It’s good news, Perhaps they are attracted by the abundance of insects in the garden living around the wood piles. I imagine they originate and breed in the pond in the garden next door. But I’m not sure whether they are actually toads or frogs. I shall watch out for them.
Friday 15 August 2008
I used to have two small clumps of Michaelmas Daisies - lovely flowers, late in the season. They were the traditional pale blue variety, and the larger mauve plants. My preference has always been for the traditional ones. Two years ago I transplanted them, and last year it looked as though both varieties had failed. But it seems a bit more hopeful this year; hidden behind the Borage self-sets are what look like Michaelmas Daisies. I hope they are the pale blue ones.
Thursday 14 August 2008
The dreadful August summer weather continues. We had a teatime torrential downpour today. The garden is fresh and green, but also overgrown. The continuously wet grass has prevented mowing and the grass is far too high. It hasn’t been warm or dry enough to enjoy a pleasant evening sitting in the garden for a long time now. And already the evening are just starting to draw in noticeably.
Wednesday 13 August 2008
The wormery is now producing a steady and significant quantity of liquid feed for the garden, in addition to the first try of compost. I’ve been diluting the liquid with rainwater and using it to feed the courgettes, rhubarb, dahlias, yuccas, and the hydrangea, euphorbia and rosemary cuttings. The wormery is thriving, with plenty of worm activity. It has proved a valuable supply of compost and feed.
Tuesday 12 August 2008
The Russian Vine I moved to the top fence last year has done a truly magnificent job covering and screening the eyesore corrugated iron section of the fence. It’s now completely hidden, and the fence has been transformed into a lovely dense green mass, which I hope will attract wildlife. The Vine is also flowering in places. Part of the success is also due to the honeysuckle, clematis and the blackberry canes – but the lion’s share is for the Russian Vine.
Monday 11 August 2008
I don’t know why some of the blackberries have not properly set and have shrivelled up. It’s patchy; there are some quite nice blackberries already ripened, but the majority have failed. There was a hint of this problem last year. I wonder whether it’s the rainy conditions, which are similar this August to August last year. It’s convenient to have a small blackberry patch, though locally there are many good blackberry bushes growing in the hedgerows.
Friday 8 August 2008
The rainy humid conditions continue, and the gardens are really out of control, lawns, weeds, plants generally. The most urgent job is to mow the lawns. I’ll have to raise the cut height to avoid browning when the grass height is reduced too drastically. I think no more than a third off is advisable. Trouble is, I need dry grass and at the moment it doesn’t have time to dry before the next rain.
Thursday 7 August 2008
A tiny offshoot that I rescued from one of two Yucca Elephantipes that I’d left outside in all weathers for years has amazingly survived. It had just a thin yellowish shoot and looked on the point of expiring, but given sun, warmth and dry conditions indoors plus feeding, it has now produced strong green leaves and the stem is growing. The second plant is still outside, but re-potting and feeding has given it a much healthier appearance. They are essentially house plants. I was stirred from neglecting them when I saw the price of the mature Yucca plants at the garden centre. They need to be indoors when the cooler autumn days arrive. Shows what TLC can achieve.
Wednesday 6 August 2008
Slugs and snails are still active in quite large number around the garden. I was surprised at the clusters of snails sheltering under the rhubarb leaves and on the stems and foliage of the vines and globe artichoke. The summer has turned quite wet apart from one week of hot dry conditions, ideal slug weather. And no thrushes or hedgehogs seen in the garden these days to help keep numbers down.
Tuesday 5 August 2008
The herbs and alpines that I introduced last year have all flourished. Hyssop, Marshmallow, Comfrey, Cerastium, Bergamot, and several alpines on the front wall and the rockery. The old apple tree is bearing a good crop again. An amazing tree, overshadowed by the laurel, and around sixty or seventy years old, but the apples are excellent - James Grieve I believe.
Monday 4 August 2008
The wormery is working at full throttle. I checked the lower tray today. All the recently added waste had gone and was replaced by a rich compost. I’m now adding fresh kitchen waste to the second tray, and worms are also active there. The sump had compost in the form of a thick sludge, with just three live worms and the remains of two dead ones. I washed it out with rainwater, and fed the brown liquid to the courgettes and the rhubarb. A nice yellow and mauve display from the dahlias is brightening up the south border.
Friday 1 August 2008
I picked more redcurrants today. They are now fully ripened, and need harvesting. It’s a bit of a fiddly job. In about ten minutes I collected just over 1lb of redcurrants, still on the stalks. Then the tedious job of washing the berries, and stripping them from the stalks. I don’t think there’s a fast way of doing this. It took half an hour to finish the job. I then put the redcurrants in a container and into the freezer. I need to repeat this process tomorrow and get the redcurrant harvest, which is a prolific one, in the freezer. Then the gooseberries need urgent harvesting.
Thursday 31 July 2008
The courgettes are still producing more fruits, following the first harvesting. It pays to pick them when they are smallish. I’ve noticed that if a courgette grows to the size of a small marrow, when it’s taken the plant seems to suffer more of a setback and is a bit slow setting the next fruits. And the smaller the courgettes are when cooked the tastier they are.
Wednesday 30 July 2008
The roses I introduced a couple of years ago on the arch have both been disappointing this year. Especially Ena Harkness; virtually leafless, and producing just a couple of blooms. Compassion has been more prolific, and looks reasonably healthy, but not up to previous years. The fact is roses don’t seem to like my garden. Black spot is prevalent. I suppose New Dawn is an exception. We had a good show this year, but again, not up to the spectacular displays of previous years.
Tuesday 29 July 2008
The dahlias are just coming into flower. I seem to have lost several plants since last year. So far just a single purple flower, and one yellow. Not much of a display yet. The gardens look overgrown and in desperate need of weeding and tidying.
Monday 28 July 2008
Over a week now of hot weather. No rain but a thunderstorm threatened tonight. I’ve neglected the lawns, they are badly in need of a mow, and a feed. However, they are a lush green. My experiment with freezing fresh berries showed that the gooseberries retain their shape quite well, but the redcurrants turn soft with lots of juice. Either way, I shall use freezing to preserve the current glut.
Friday 25 July 2008
I’ve had two houseplants - palms – left outside for several years, though all weathers. They have been thoroughly neglected, and so have slowly but surely deteriorated. I decided a month or so ago to take some action. One of the plants had basically expired, apart from a tiny off-shoot which seemed as though it might still be alive. I re-potted the off-shoot, and composted the remainder of this plant. The second plant had some life left in it, so I have given it careful attention, watering and feeding and then re-potting. Glad to say that both are looking promising. The little off-shoot has become greener, and started to grow. I’ve now brought it indoors in a sunny window.
Thursday 24 July 2008
The Buddleia is in bloom. Those deep purple flowers have such a heady sweet scent, it’s hardly surprising bees find the plant so attractive. With Borage and Hyssop, the bees here are having a feast. Interestingly, the flowers of all of these plants are blue / purple.
Wednesday 23 July 2008
Today I saw something move among the plants in the top garden. On a closer look I spotted a tiny frog jumping away. It really was very small - about one cm long. Then in the early evening I disturbed an adult frog, close to the same place. Later, while I was sitting quietly enjoying the calm warm evening, a little blackish creature, the size of a mouse, scurried from under the corner of the fence into the cover of the foxgloves. I don’t think it was a mouse, it wasn’t the distinctive grey colouring. I suppose whatever it was, it might have been heading towards the two piles of logs and branches. If I was a small wild creature in the garden, that’s where I would live.
Tuesday 22 July 2008
One of those lovely warm sunny still balmy July evenings. I sat on the bench at the top of the garden for ages and watched the swifts circling, gliding and screeching high above. Insects of all kinds on the wing. Large bumble bees you could see thirty feet off the ground. There’s something about a July evening that’s quite different to June or August.
Monday 21 July 2008
We’ve harvested our first courgette this year, and eaten it. Excellent. I’m carrying out an experiment to see if the redcurrants and gooseberries will freeze successfully. The redcurrant crop is superb, yet again. Over the years we’ve had some wonderful harvests. The gooseberries are not quite as prolific as last year, but not far behind.
Friday 18 July 2008
The Bergamot is in flower. Attractive red flowers, with a ragged appearance, and quite a strong perfume. The Marshmallow is also flowering. It has made a much taller plant than I expected, about four feet or more, with smallish delicate white and pink flowers. The leaves are soft and downy. This plant prefers damp soil conditions, so I have made a special effort to keep it well watered. The Cotton Lavender and the Hyssop are also thriving in this border. Altogether giving a pleasing appearance.
Thursday 17 July 2008
I’ve taken fourteen Rosemary cuttings from the very old bush near the patio. Eight of these cuttings are now planted in the top garden, and the other six in pots on the patio. I expect about half a dozen to take root and thrive. Once that has happened, I will get rid of the old bush. It must be at least twenty years old, and has a branched thick woody stem about three or four inches diameter. When it’s gone I can redevelop and replant this border end.
Wednesday 16 July 2008
Tomorrow is one year since I set up the wormery. It’s still working well, and today I used the first compost. I’ve used it to mulch and feed pots containing recent plantings, the growbags and several repotted plants. This is a bit experimental. I’m wondering how effective it will be. The liquid feed has been produced for several months now. I’ve been using it on a variety of plants in the garden. Most of the compost is still in the wormery lower tray, and a fair number of worms are still working there. Before long it may be possible to empty this tray completely and use the finished load of compost.
Tuesday 15 July 2008 St Swithin’s Day
No rain here so far today, so the prospects for the next forty days are still hopeful. The courgettes are coming on well. How large those yellow flowers are! Like trumpets. All the better to guide the bees in, of course. I think the first courgette fruits (are courgettes fruits?) have formed, and we could be picking our first crop soon.
Monday 14 July 2008
The lawns are looking in quite good shape. The last three cuts have been down to 17 mm, the lowest for years, and possibly a shade too low. This low cut has helped reduce the vitality of the patches of coarse grass and helped the finer grasses, but has robbed the lawns of their lush greenness. I will probably raise the cut height 5 mm at the next cut due soon. The little meadow grass area has been a pleasure to observe. I’ve spotted at least five different varieties of grasses, and some interesting wild flowers. It really needs the first mow now most of the grasses and flowers have seeded. It would be nice to cut it using the sickle, but I haven’t been able to find a suitable grindstone to sharpen it. Probably use the shears.
Friday 11 July 2008
The dahlias are doing well in this wet weather. The flower buds have formed, and we should have blooms before July is out. I seem to have lost a couple of the dahlias over the winter, probably through tuber rot. The wormery is thriving. The first tray full of compost will be ready soon. I’m just waiting for all the worms to migrate from this tray, which they seem reluctant to do.
Thursday 10 July 2008
Two of the marrows / courgettes are now in flower. It shouldn’t be long before we have some fruits. The old apple tree, which I believe is James Grieve, has a good crop, if there isn’t a heavy shedding of fruits this month. The new apple tree with three varieties looks completely barren this year, likewise the pear tree.
Wednesday 9 July 2008
This month so far has been very wet and cool. It’s been raining continuously all day today. I haven’t really kept up with the weeds. The gardens are looking quite untidy and overgrown.
Tuesday 8 July 2008
Two of the Hostas will soon be in flower. Both August Moon and So Sweet have produced long flower stalks with what look like white flowers about to open. The position in shade of these plants seems to be suitable. The foliage is healthy. The main drawback is the dryness of the soil, since this shady spot is shielded from rain by the overhanging trees and bushes, which also extract much of the soil moisture. So they need plenty of watering, not a major problem in such a small area.
Monday 7 July 2008
The courgette and marrow plants are growing rapidly. Some are on the patio in growbags, the rest are in a couple of sites in the top garden. Hopefully a good harvest ahead. Yesterday a kind neighbour gave me a little hydrangea cutting in a pot. I have been under the impression that hydrangeas dislike alkaline soils, which we have here. I’ll need to be careful if I plant it out. Maybe best to keep it potted. The Shasta Daisies are in bloom. And the self-set Borage.
Friday 4 July 2008
Self-set plants are a sort of bonus. They’re welcome whether the seeds are from our own garden, or introductions from outside by wind or birds. A third option has now appeared. We’ve got single plants of oats and wheat. I’m fairly sure they come from the wild bird seed put out for the birds, and carried by birds from the feeder. It’s probably a common thing. Last week I visited a friend’s farm nearly a hundred miles away, and a single wheat plant was growing by the farmhouse door.
Thursday 3 July 2008
We’ve had an excellent crop of rhubarb this year, including early forced sticks. The single clump really needs dividing for next year. Gooseberries are looking good, though possibly a lighter crop than the bumper harvest last year. Redcurrants are almost ripe for picking. The blackberries seem to be doing well, and the remaining blackcurrant is fruiting. I ought to take cuttings. This soft fruit is a brilliant crop for a small plot. The grape vines look disappointing; last year was a poor year for grapes, after the wonderful crop in 2006.
Wednesday 2 July 2008
A welcome feature of the garden is the woodland area, especially the shade it provides on hot summer days. It’s a small area, just five bushes and trees, a taste of a woodland edge. I’ve tried to use this shade for a shady garden. I’ve now got four hostas, two foxgloves, two ferns and several feverfew plants. One problem is maintaining a moist damp soil. The trees extract serious amounts of water from the soil, and shelter it from rain, so watering is important, but not a major difficulty.
Tuesday 1 July 2008
I’m restarting gardenBlog after a few months’ rest. Today is hot, possibly the hottest day of the year, around the mid 20’s C. Needless to say, the Russian Vine has continued to make spectacular progress. The eyesore corrugated iron fence is covered except for one small area, which won’t be long. The gardens are approaching that ‘high summer’ look. Not quite there yet. A pretty display with the Sweet William ‘Indian Carpet’. Compassion and New Dawn are in full magnificent bloom, but Ena Harkness is almost leafless and clearly in trouble. Dahlias not yet in bloom, but lush foliage. A sad absence of many of the familiar small birds. No robins for ages. Not many blue tits even. The magpies are ever present, often in their furious noisy squabbles.
Friday 22 February 2008
I bought a couple of bags of farmyard manure. I’m not sure how close it’s been to a farmyard, but it has proved very effective in the garden over the past year. I wanted it principally to pile on the rhubarb crowns which are just starting to emerge. There are four crowns, more than last year I think, which hopefully promises an even more prolific crop, and last year was excellent. One of the bags, at twice the price, is pelletted. Not sure this is good value, but I shall give it a trial. The snowdrops are still in full display, and the daffodils are almost but not quite in bloom.
Monday 18 February 2008
It’s the time of year when I look closely for evidence in the garden that old favourites are appearing again. The Peonies are on their way. But no sign yet of Lovage. Last year I dug up the long-established clump, and re-set about five new smaller plants. They grew quite well last year, not as vigorous as they used to be, but quite strongly. I hope the disturbance hasn’t lost them. I’ve never been able to get my Foxgloves to self-seed. So once again I live in hope, not digging the soil where they grew last year, fondly hoping to spot a few seedlings. No luck so far. The bluebells are growing well, and one purple crocus has bloomed.
Thursday 14 February 2008
The snowdrops are now at their peak, making a lovely display. There are just a few in the lawn near the Box tree. Today I rounded up a few more stray snowdrops and planted them in the lawn around the ones already there. Next year hopefully they will produce a nice surprise. The lovely mild sunny weather continues. The soil is now quite dry for February. I watered in the new Cowslips and Lady’s Smocks. A pleasant hour pottering around the garden, tidying up and noting what is happening. Pleased to see both Honeysuckles, and the Clematis, look as though they have survived the winter. Three rhubarb crowns are pushing up.
Wednesday 13 February 2008
Taking advantage of the lovely Spring-like weather, I did a bit of gardening yesterday. Divided more of the Cowslips, and the Lady’s Smock. I also pruned and cut out the deadwood from one of the blackberry canes, or rather group of canes, supported by a framework of wooden posts. These plants did not produce much usable fruit last year, nor did the grapevines. I shall avoid pruning the vines this year. The severe pruning early last year had a detrimental effect on the fruiting.
Tuesday 12 February 2008
No halt yet to the smooth progress towards Spring. A beautiful blue day. The rhubarb, which had died right back to ground level, is showing the new stems just pushing through. I will cover it with farmyard manure soon. The Angelica had never died back, and is looking ready to put on a spurt of new growth soon. The garden needs attention to tidy up after the winter months. I’m always a bit reluctant to go in too hard, and risk destroying valuable new seedlings. It’s often surprising what appears, if you just let things start off in Spring without too much disturbance.
Monday 11 February 2008
The snowdrops are approaching the peak of their display, I think. They look very good, in eleven clumps. Daffodils not yet out, but probably will be in a couple of weeks. And a few crocuses, mixed in with the snowdrops. It actually sets them off, surrounded by white. The bluebells are pushing through. And I noticed today the first tiny new green shoots on the Russian Vine. This was a success story last year. A successful transplant, and then the usual rapid growth which covered the unsightly top corrugated iron fence. But still very few garden birds of any kind. I wonder if the squirrels have anything to do with it? Raiding nests last year?
Friday 8 February 2008
Another sign of an early spring; the Arabis Ferdinandi Coburgii has produced numerous flower stalks, which will soon be in flower with the white blooms. It’s an excellent subject for a wall garden. I need to set down a garden plan for the year. One item will be to do some maintenance work on the little woodland area. I cleared some of the dead branches last summer, but there are more that need pruning. I may try to redesign the whole area, to see if I can make it more redolent of a woodland edge habitat.
Thursday 7 February 2008
First sighting of a fox in the garden for a long time. It happened late afternoon, just as dusk was falling. I saw a black and white cat scampering down the garden path and then straight up the fence. Obviously in a hurry. A few seconds later revealed why. A fox was on patrol. It wasn’t in the least interested in chasing the cat. Scouting around near the woodland area, then it trotted towards the house, and back along the flower border to the trees again. It was a large creature, looked well fed. Or maybe a pregnant vixen? In any case, a welcome return to our garden. I wonder if the den is close by?
Wednesday 6 February 2008
Despite the apparent absence of our usual garden birds, the seed in the feeder hanging from the birdtable has gradually dwindled to the bottom. So I topped it up today. I also braved the bitter cold to put a few peanuts for the squirrels in their broken feeder. It’s quite amazing how much of the wood they have chewed away. Spring is surely very early this year. I saw the first crocus, yellow, today, amid one of the clusters of snowdrops. Perhaps it was encouraged to flower by its white companions.
Tuesday 5 February 2008
I tidied the little clump of Lady’s Smock. Helxine had somehow encroached on the clump, and would very soon choke it, given the invasive habit of Helxine. The Lady’s Smock is a successful introduction of a native wild flower into the garden, producing delicate pink flowers. I need to subdivide the clump and establish a reserve elsewhere in the garden. The daffodils continue to grow apace. At this rate, they will be in bloom well before the end of February.
Monday 4 February 2008
The lawns are looking in good shape, a nice fresh green colour, unlike the usual grey-green of winter. They have clearly benefited from the care lavished on them last year with regular mowing with the new mower; re-seeding the bare patches, keeping the borders free of overhanging plants, and the regular feeding during the Spring, Summer and then the autumn feed. Patches of incursion by the Helxine (‘Mind Your Own Business’) are still a small problem, which I shall tackle this year.
Friday 1 February 2008
A blue sunny crisp morning in the garden. Evidence of a visit by the fox. Holes scraped out in several places, which are much too large for squirrels or cats. The self-set ivy under the pine is advancing steadily up the trunk. If this progress is maintained, an ivy-covered trunk may be an attractive feature, and might encourage wildlife. I’ve no idea if any creatures are taking refuge in the log and branch piles in the woodland area. I shalln’t pull them apart to find out. Best just to leave them to stabilise into a secure hiding place for whatever creatures can benefit.
Thursday 31 January 2008
It’s not just my view that the daffodils are very early this year. A visitor made the same observation this morning. A lovely morning, with that spring freshness - ozone? - in the air. Even the Lily of the Valley are pushing the first shoots through. Still a remarkable absence of garden birds. It’s surprising. Just the odd one now and then. Nothing like the groups of blue tits and coal tits feeding voraciously at the bird table. Perhaps they are all busy looking for nesting sites.
Wednesday 30 January 2008
The days are just starting to get discernibly longer. A feeling that Spring is round the corner. I noticed that the Angelica is still green. Curious how plants that I would have expected to die right back during the winter have not done so this year. The Salad Burnet is another. I really need to divide the cowslips. They have formed very large clumps. Lovely flowers. More kitchen waste into the wormery today. I found a tiny baby worm on the inside lid.
Tuesday 29 January 2008
I noticed this morning a few snowdrops in the lawn. They look so good, it’s worth planting more for next year. The daffodils and tulips I planted in the autumn are already well on their way. The daffodil unopened flower heads are clearly visible. It seems a bit early. Though a good while yet before they bloom.
Monday 28 January 2008
More snowdrops are coming into bloom, and the overall appearance is looking quite good. In the front garden, it’s a drift along the lawn curve, rather than the three separate clusters last year. I think that the peak of the display is some time ahead. I’ve noticed that there are stirrings of growth elsewhere. The chives which had died right back are now showing fresh green shoots pushing through. The Salad Burnet has never died back; it’s as green as ever. All through the winter. That’s surely odd, for a deciduous plant.
Friday 25 January 2008
You don’t very often see a squirrel fall down! But this morning a squirrel - a young one I think – was attempting to get at the peanuts in the new metal feeder, when suddenly it fell. Before hitting the ground it did several somersaults, and landed on its feet. More snowdrops are out, and the collective effect in the front garden is beginning to be quite evocative. Not yet equalling last year’s display, but there’s time yet. A nice touch for Burn’s Night.
Thursday 24 January 2008
The Fat Snax has gone! The new wire cage is empty! The little green plastic string bag which contained the Snax was lying empty on the lawn, till it was blown away. I assume this is the handiwork of the squirrels. I checked the new peanut feeder for damage after the mauling it has received. But there’s no apparent damage. I suppose the steel wire mesh is just too tough even for those tiny razor-sharp teeth.
Wednesday 23 January 2008
The wet but quite mild weather for January continues. More snowdrops are out. I like the appealing way their flowers nod gently in the breeze. It’s a welcome sight on these dark short days. There are a lot more to come into flower, but even so the little clumps don’t seem so dense as last year. The squirrels are still attacking the new metal bird feeder. Attacking is not an exaggeration. They spend ages trying to get through the metal mesh. With some success. They are able to chip away at the peanuts, but not pick them out whole.
Tuesday 22 January 2008
This morning the squirrels have renewed their attack on the new bird feeders. Quite a determined ferocious attempt to get peanuts from the all-metal feeder. I don’t think they have damaged it, but they were able to nibble away at the nuts. They also had a go at the Fat Snax. Our robin appeared to see what was happening, and a pigeon and a sparrow. Out of pity for the squirrels I put a pile of peanuts on the path near the birdtable. Soon a squirrel was back. First he sat munching the nuts. Then the typical squirrel behaviour of scampering up the path with a nut, to find a hiding place to bury it. A scamper back to the nuts, and this repeated half a dozen times.
Monday 21 January 2008
Last year I began to take feeding the garden birds more seriously, installing a new birdtable and a variety of feeders. I’ve now made an earlier start this year on improving feeding facilities. I bought a new all metal peanut dispenser yesterday. In order to confound the squirrels who destroyed a plastic feeder last year. Also, I’ve got a new ‘Fat Snax’ retainer, which hopefully will stop the squirrels taking these items away, as if they were a sort of conker.
Friday 18 January 2008
I bought another sack of farmyard manure today, and used it to provide a mulch for the snowdrops, and the daffodils and tulips that are just starting to push through. I also tidied up the snowdrop clumps, removing the pegs and string I’ve used since the autumn to identify their position and this avoid inadvertently digging them up. It’s hardly the real stuff, smelly and straight from the farm, but there’s no doubt it has an impact on growth, both as a fertiliser and a ground cover mulch.
Thursday 17 January 2008
I’m not sure what to do about replacing the broken squirrel feeder. The squirrels chewed it to destruction. Meanwhile, they are back feeding on the birdtable. Is there a squirrel feeder that is squirrel-proof? Should I bother feeding the squirrels? More snowdrops are coming into bloom. And I noticed that the daffodils are now pushing through. Another harbinger of Spring round the corner.
Wednesday 16 January 2008
I found time to have a look at the wormery today. No obvious problems. It’s situated in the garage, out of the wet weather and protected from the worst of the cold. There are certainly plenty of worms, and they look active. The kitchen waste seems to have been eaten. So I added a generous helping of worm feed, and some lime conditioner. I will keep a regular more frequent check now. So far, I haven’t had a load of compost from the wormery, but hopefully by the time Spring arrives there will be a useful amount available.
Tuesday 15 January 2008
I haven’t checked the wormery for many weeks. I’m just relying on the abundant food supply that had built up, and a reduction in worm activity due to the cold winter weather. Hopefully, the worms are still happy. More rain. It’s difficult to get out in the garden and carry out a few jobs that need doing.
Monday 14 January 2008
At last - a visit by blue tits to the birdtable. A welcome sign of bird life in the garden. And this morning a pigeon was sitting incongruously on top of the birdtable roof. The snowdrops are out! Today the first three snowdrops are in bloom. A lovely sight. And an early harbinger of Spring. There are eleven snowdrop clusters in the gardens. At their peak, they should produce a nice display.
Friday 11 January 2008
I have seen one of our squirrels. Clearly not asleep hibernating. He or she was after the bird seed I have put on the birdtable. Seemed to be enjoying the snack. There are also many holes in the soil under the conifer, which I’m sure are dug by the squirrels trying to find their buried conkers.
Thursday 10 January 2008
Saw a robin today, near the Box tree. Otherwise, apart from magpies and a pigeon, there seems very little bird activity. I did see a small bird on the lawn which I couldn’t identify. It wasn’t a house sparrow, but rather similar appearance. Several snowdrops almost in bloom, but still not quite.
Wednesday 9 January 2008
Today we needed fresh parsley for a white fish sauce. I looked in the garden. The parsley is still green and healthy - a welcome surprise in early January. Still waiting for the first snowdrop of 2008. It won’t be very long, several blooms are on the point of coming out. I replenished the bird seed on the bird table. There is a complete absence of birds visiting the table these days. I suppose they have found a better-stocked table elsewhere. I need to check the wormery. I am assuming that in these winter days the worms don’t eat so much, and slow down. I may be wrong.
Tuesday 8 January 2008
It’s a pleasure in the January garden to see the first snowdrop in bloom. These tiny pure white flowers are welcome in the short cold winter days of the new year. In recent years I’ve tried to propagate their numbers, in both the front and back gardens. There are now about ten separate small clumps, and a few scattered single snowdrops where bulbs have gone astray. All the clumps seem to be growing strongly, and there are numerous vigorous green stems pushing through the cold earth. I’m eagerly searching for the first bloom. It won’t be long. There are a couple of plants in the front garden where the white of the unopened flowers are visible. It’s just a matter of time.
Thursday 27 December 2007
The first snowdrop is not yet in bloom, but there are many shoots a centimetre or two pushing through the soil. Today I saw a squirrel under the big conifer. And the black and white cat that is often in the garden was sitting next to the broken squirrel feeder. The cat was peering intently into the Box bush. Magpies around, making their usual chattering racket. I noticed that the compost bins are still reducing. The activity has not been stopped by the wintry weather. I wonder how the worms in the Wormery are faring?
Wednesday 26 December 2007
Boxing Day
A dry and bright Boxing Day, after what turned out to be atypical Christmas Day weather - milder and rainy. Not much activity in the garden today. The squirrels seem still to be active, judging by the new holes that appear beneath the big conifer. The perennial Sweet William is still in flower at Christmas, with small mauve flowers. and Salad Burnett remains fresh and green. That surprises me. Apart from the emerging snowdrops and peonies, the garden generally is becalmed between the old year and the spring.
Tuesday 25 December 2007
Christmas Day
A hard frost overnight, the lawns and trees are white over. When I stepped on the bare earth, the soil was hard and crunchy. I make a point of not walking on the lawns in frosty weather. I believe it doesn’t do the grass any good. There are no robins around. Where have they gone? The alpines on the new rockery which were planted in the autumn are all still doing well and looking healthy. I’m not so sure about the two sage plants in the front garden border. They both look a bit sorry.
Monday 24 December 2007
Christmas Eve
The berries have long been stripped by birds from the holly bush in the front, just a few remaining for Christmas decorations. A frosty blue morning again, with white lawns and trees. I noticed new green shoots have appeared at the base of the succulent Ice Plant - appropriately named. On close inspection, the Peonies have also started to produce new shoots. So the flora in the garden is already quietly looking ahead to the spring. Is this a bit earlier than usual? Maybe not. The recent frosts have finally cut down the chives, now lying limp on the soil. There are more scrapings and scratchings in the earth around the gardens, probably either the squirrels or foxes. The only bird seen in the garden was a lone pigeon which settled on the roof of the bird table for a minute.
Friday 21 December 2007
Another very cold morning, but not white over since this dry spell continues. I noticed that more snowdrops are pushing through, now in the back garden. Despite the frosts, some plants are still green. Salad Burnett still looks bright green and vigorous; the Angelica has not been slain by frosts. A plant pot of cacti is outside, and also surviving frost. I suppose Mexican nights may also get very cold. I dead-headed the last cowslip blooms, from the late autumn flowering.
Thursday 20 December 2007
No sign of the squirrels today. There is also a strange absence of the usual small birds in the garden. Especially the blue tits, coal tits, and the greenfinches. Where are they? I expected them in numbers at the bird table as the winter set in. I wonder if the cats, which are frequent visitors, or the squirrels, have scared them away? Or perhaps they have all found a better bird table, with superior food, somewhere else.
Wednesday 19 December 2007
We saw three squirrels in the garden today, all at the same time. One was eating the bird seed I had scattered on the path yesterday. I put a few peanuts on the path near the base of the bird table, but the squirrel didn’t return to eat them. I thought squirrels hibernated in winter? Especially in this very cold and frosty weather!
Tuesday 18 December 2007
The perennial Sweet Williams are remarkable plants. Both seem to be evergreen, and both are still flowering, just. I’ve noticed more fresh holes dug in the top garden. I think they are too large to have been made by squirrels. Most likely the foxes, though the side fence isn’t down, and I haven’t seen a fox for ages. Our robin was around again, I was moved to scattered bird food, a mixture of seeds, on the path, but the robin didn’t seem interested, neither did any other birds. The water in the bird bath is frozen. I ought to warm it up in these frosty spells.
Monday 17 December 2007
Another frosty bright early morning, icy blue sky. I noticed the first snowdrops are just pushing through. That’s a sign of hope as we approach the shortest day of the year. These first shoots are in the replanted clusters of snowdrops that I put in the front garden in the autumn. I wonder how prolific the blooms will be? On a different theme, I found fox droppings in newly scraped-out soil. There are few birds around, but a friendly robin sat on the edge of the compost bin watching me this morning, then flitted over to a bare grape vine stem. And a noisy group of six magpies, with two crows, started chattering and flapping at each other in a tree nearby.
Friday 14 December 2007
A sunny crisp frosty morning. A white frost on the lawns. I noticed this morning that the strawberry plants’ leaves have started to turn yellow. There is plenty of evidence of the squirrels digging for their buried conkers, in the form of small holes in the soil under the fir tree. I saw a squirrel running along the distant fence top in the bright sun. I wonder what creatures, if any, are taking advantage of the piles of logs, branches and twigs that I have left in the woodland area? No sign of any hedgehogs unfortunately, but I hope there are plenty of insects. It’s an ideal habitat for them, I should think.
Thursday 13 December 2007
There is little incentive to doing gardening on these wet cold dark days. There are plenty of jobs that need attention. It’s a good time for pruning. The Berberis Juliana on the front needs clipping back again. It is a very vigorous bush. There are also some bulbs that were lifted and not yet replanted. It may be too late. Though I shall try to find time to get them in the ground during a mild spell. It always seems a pity to waste any planting material.
Wednesday 12 December 2007
The garden today looks windswept. Leaves and twigs scattered over the lawns. I noticed this morning that a small group of the fungi under the fir tree has gone. The rest are still nearby. I wonder if the squirrels are partial to mushrooms? The Rosemary cuttings are still green. I’m sceptical they will survive the winter, but I live in hope. The cowslips have expanded. The clumps are now quite large, and really ought to be divided before the spring. The Ladysmock has also grown and would probably also benefit from being split into smaller plants.
Tuesday 11 December 2007
A mild morning - very mild for December – but wet. The blustery winds have stripped the remaining few leaves from the Russian Vine. The Vine did an excellent job this year screening the unsightly corrugated iron fence at the top of the garden. It established itself quickly after a rather late transplant last spring. Now the fence is revealed in all its ugliness. I really need an evergreen climber. I wonder what this might be? I noticed that a panel in the side fence has again been damaged and pushed forward. I’m sure this is evidence of fox activity during the night.
Monday 10 December 2007
The lawns are looking in quite good shape, for December. Certainly a lot healthier than this time last year. Regular mowing and feeding has been beneficial. Reseeding the bare patches has been successful. I’ve also made sure there were no overhanging plants at the lawn edges, which quickly cause the grass to die back. If I have time I may do a top dressing. I’ve found that even using just sieved garden top soil, brushed in, is effective as a top dressing, and makes a difference.
Friday 7 December 2007
The birch log containing nesting tubes for mason bees is still hanging by ropes from the vine support. I certainly saw bees taking an interest in the summer, but I’ve no idea whether they have actually nested there for the winter. I started making additional nesting tubes, but they are not completed, and I assume it’s too late now. I’ll get them finished for the spring. I noticed this morning that the new fungi under the big conifer, which I think are Wood Blewits, have quite shiny metallic-looking caps, with a lilac tinge.
Thursday 6 December 2007
One of the two Globe Artichokes has sprouted vigorous new growth from the base. Seems odd. I need to lift the potatoes. They were earlies! The tall stems of the Jerusalem Artichokes have been blackened by the frosts - the tubers also need lifting. The large-leafed Comfrey in the front is now dying back. There is a self-set Teasel also in the front. It’s in fact two plants very close together. This should provide a spectacular display next year. The Salad Burnett is still fresh and green in the top garden. But the French Tarragon is looking yellowish and sad. Why do some annuals seem more resistant than others to the cold weather?
Wednesday 5 December 2007
I pruned a few lower branches of the big conifer. I was careful not to overdo this - to avoid disfiguring the tree. A robin flitted around watching my efforts. It’s interesting how some annuals seem to survive longer as winter advances. Salad Burnett is still green, bushy and even looks as though it is still growing. The Angelica also remains green. Basil is a shrivelled black stalk. I have been round all the late plantings and firmed down - not too much – the farmyard manure mulch. The hope is this mulch will help the plants survive the winter.
Tuesday 4 December 2007
I’ve now tidied up the self-set scrub under the big conifer. It was mainly elder plants which were a couple of feet high, with some bindweed and other small plants. I could have left it to grow wild, but I decided that this area is better left to the build up of pine leaves and the ivy which is starting to advance up the trunk. I think this provides an interesting and valuable mini-area in its own right, without the scrub. For example, it supports fungi particular to pine woods. I found new ones today. A smooth waxy-looking cap, with gills and stem tinged light purple. My best shot at identification is that this is Wood Blewit.
Monday 3 December 2007
Gardening in late autumn and winter is a pleasure, but first making the move from the warm room to a wet cold garden requires a bit of determination. Today in the failing late afternoon light I went out to sweep up leaves on the front. A useful addition to the compost heaps. I spread the last of the bag of farmyard manure around some of the new plants, which will hopefully help them survive winter frosts. I transferred branch prunings to the log piles in the woodland area. These are intended to be habitats for insects that hedgehogs and birds may feed on - though the continued absence of hedgehogs is a disappointment. A quick check on the wormery showed that the worms are still alive, and wriggling, though their activity does seem to have reduced now the weather is colder.
Friday 30 November 2007
Rue is a useful herb. It’s an evergreen perennial. I like its bright blue-green foliage. Some people dislike the scent of rue; I rather like it. It was used as a strewing herb in the past. It is very useful as a low hedge border plant. It is also easy to propagate, and self-sets readily. I noticed today that the chives are starting to turn yellow. Most of the garden looks bleak and empty. The roses have had an average year. The New Dawn put on one excellent display, but didn’t repeat the performance as it often does. Compassion is climbing well over the arch, while Ena Harkness has been a bit disappointing this year. By autumn it had lost nearly all the leaves, for no obvious reason. Will have to remember to give all the roses a good feed early in spring.
Our friendly and almost tame blackbird, who lives in the front garden, has been quietly stripping the orange berries from the firethorn bush. There’s only a few berries left. Their colour matches the bright bill of the blackbird. I think he was probably raised in the Juliana bush, so the front garden is his home. How else can you explain his quiet attachment to this location? Our robin is to be seen around now, in both front and back gardens. I need to try again to claim the bird table back for the birds. The separate squirrel feeder is now a ruin, destroyed by the squirrels. I’m not sure what to do to restore the balance.
Wednesday 28 November 2007
Winter is gradually setting in. I noticed this morning that a few more plants are dying back after the recent frosts. The Bergamot is failing, and the Marshmallow. The Angelica is starting to suffer. There has been more activity by the squirrels. Further attacks on the bird table. This has included hanging upside down from the table, clinging on with hind leg claws, taking the plastic top off the metal peanut bird feeder, then poking its head into the feeder to get at the peanuts. I suppose I should be grateful they haven’t - yet - tipped all the peanuts out onto the lawn below. I really ought to find time to cover the garden bench and table for the winter.
Tuesday 27 November 2007
A mushroom is growing under the Leylandi conifer. In November. We often get fungi growing in the rich compost of decayed pine needles. This mushroom has already been nibbled away, probably by the squirrels. These amusing and entertaining little animals were on the bird table yesterday. The first time I’ve seen two squirrels on the table at the same time. They look like young squirrels, born this year no doubt. The Rosemary cuttings I took about two months ago, rather late in the year, still look green. I’m hoping at least one or two survive the winter, and allow me to think about replacing the two very old Rosemary bushes that are still left from the half dozen or so we used to have.
Monday 26 November 2007
I noticed yesterday that at least one of our squirrels is smaller than the others. I think it’s a young one. It’s fair to assume that the squirrels have been busy raising a family this year. In fact, I’m sure I saw three squirrels in view at the same time, not all in our garden. This morning, before dawn, I saw the solar lights in the garden flashing on and off. Not sure of the science behind this phenomenon. Now the weather has turned wintry I’ll have to bring the lights into the garage till the spring. There’s six of them, used mainly as markers along the paths or in the flower borders. They do add extra interest in the garden, as well as being a reminder of the importance of renewable energy.
Friday 23 November 2007
A blue mild early morning. These days my early morning walk around the garden is in the first light. Lots of fallen leaves. I’ll have to find time to sweep them and get them on the compost heaps. Yesterday one of our squirrels returned to the bird table and attacked the red string bag of peanuts, meant to attract siskins. I’ve never identified a siskin in our garden, but they’re reputed to find red string bags irresistible. The bag is almost gnawed through. Today could see a major spillage of peanuts. I’m pleased how well the Sedum Spurium, which I rescued from the old rockery, has thrived.
Thursday 22 November 2007
A dark dank misty early morning walk round the garden. It’s an archetypal November morning, alongside those blue crisp bright mornings. A lot of rain, so everywhere is sodden. I inspected the damage the squirrels have inflicted on their feeder. Basically, they’ve destroyed it. The clear plastic front window is not just gnawed away, a whole chunk has been ripped off. I need a metal feeder. I’m keeping a close watch on the new plants I introduced, rather late, this year. They didn’t have much time to establish. The Angelica is still green and healthy-looking. Isn’t it an annual? The sole loss so far is the Nepata or Catmint, which I’m hoping will grow again in the spring.
Wednesday 21 November 2007
A stormy spell. Fallen leaves litter the lawns. The Dahlias look a sorry sight. Much squirrel activity, including their feeder. I inspected the feeder this morning. All the food - seeds and nuts - has gone, and I was surprised to find that not only was more of the wood frame gnawed away, but also a section of the transparent plastic front. I’d noticed they had given up actually lifting the hinged lid to get at the food, and were getting food directly from the corner, but I hadn’t realised how easy this was now a large hole had appeared. Effectively, they have destroyed the feeder. A pity. I wonder if I can find a replacement, more squirrel proof against damage?
Tuesday 20 November 2007
The Dahlias have died back. The recent hard frost overnight, getting down to -5 C, has blackened the leaves and stems, and left the blooms in tatters. Much of the garden is now looking wintry. All the Vine leaves have gone, though the Russian Vine still retains a proportion of its cover. A few Shasta Daisies are still, surprisingly, in flower. The squirrels are active, using their own feeder, and scampering over the lawns and along the fences. It will be interesting to see if they do disappear for a while and actually hibernate. And hopefully the winter will see plenty of visitors to the bird table.
Monday 19 November 2007
I saw a coal tit feeding at the bird table this morning, from the seed dispenser. A magpie was showing interest also. I’m not sure whether it was the food or the coal tit that was attracting it. After a second hard frost last night, the Dahlias are now definitely looking in a sorry state, but the leaves and stems have not blackened yet. Despite the cold, the lawns are still putting on a bit of growth, evident since the last cut.
Friday 16 November 2007
A useful self set - probably with the aid of birds - is the Ivy which is starting to climb up the large Leylandii trunk. I think the same Ivy is also trying to climb the larch-lap fence in the woodland area. It’s spreading over the ground under the Leylandii. This area is naturally thickly covered in dead and decaying pine needles, and is thus a quite specific habitat. I wonder if this variety of Ivy is particular to a pine woodland floor. On this morning’s walk around the garden I dead-headed the cowslips. I’m pleased they have thrived. I ought to divide them. And likewise the Ladysmock which comes from its home environment in a midlands watermeadow.
Thursday 15 November 2007
A milder day. There are curious unseasonal anomalies in the garden. I picked a ripe blackberry this morning. There are a few unripened blackberries, green and red, still on the brambles. There’s a rosebud on Ena Harkness, unopened, which is covered in greenfly - even after the frost. And Bindweed still in flower. I have restocked the bird table and the squirrel feeder. The birds are still largely absent. I saw a squirrel at the feeder, lifting the lid, today. They have done quite serious damage to the feeder, gnawing away the edges of the wood.
Wednesday 14 November 2007
A hard frost overnight. Not white-over on the lawns, trees and roofs, because the air is relatively dry I suppose. The Dahlias may have been dealt a fatal blow, but it hasn’t registered yet. Some plants have succumbed. The Jerusalem Artichoke foliage is limp and shrivelled. The Rhubarb leaves have already gone. A bright crisp November day. I notice that the compost bin is again down and no longer full, despite being piled high with kitchen waste and lawn mowings. I wonder if there are worms still at work here, continually reducing the volume, in addition to the normal decomposition action of the bin.
Tuesday 13 November 2007
I have never been a garden gnome enthusiast. Or one for garden ornaments in general. I’ve taken the view that the garden itself is the spectacle, and it doesn’t need gilding. But long ago I made a single exception to my gnome rule, and introduced a subdued little plain concrete gnome, which over the years has weathered nicely. I recently gave in to a ’welcome’ sign. It is a rusty metal thing, spiked into the ground. It is actually rusty metal, not painted plastic. My true passion is terracotta. So around the garden are terracotta plant pots of all sizes and shapes, some handmade.Terracotta pot stands, compass points, and a terracotta thermometer when I decide where to put it. It’s the pastel colour and earthy naturalness of terracotta that I like. This morning I saw a robin, and a blackbird on the front lawn. And the welcome reappearance of a blue tit at the bird table. A sign of the colder weather?
Monday 12 November 2007
The November weather has been pleasant – dry, bright and crisp but not frosty yet. This open weather has enabled more gardening than is usual during this month. Mainly tidying up and looking ahead to next year. I need to give some attention to the woodland area – there are piles of pruned branches that need sorting. The piles of rotting logs, branches and twigs that I leave in this area are meant to provide a haven for insects and small mammals. It would make an excellent hibernation place for hedgehogs. But I haven’t seen a hedgehog in the garden for many months.
Friday 9 November 2007
After Bonfire Night there are usually a few fallen remains of rockets and other fireworks in the garden. This year has been no exception. Autumn moves on apace. The vine leaves have nearly all gone. Dahlias still magnificently in bloom. The Shasta Daisies put on a wonderful display this year, after I transplanted them. Flowering week after week, for several months. There’s plenty of garden work for the winter months. If I can find time to clear some of the accumulated rubbish scattered around and in the outhouses, that would be a welcome improvement. It’s surprising how one becomes blind to eyesores.
Thursday 8 November 2007
Still quite mild and dry. So I decided to mow the lawns again today. The grass has grown noticeably since the last cut towards the end of October. But mowing in November is unusual. At least the lawns look in good shape. They will have a flying start in the Spring. In a few days I shall apply a second autumn liquid feed.
Wednesday 7 November 2007
A foggy early morning. I noticed lots of small spiders’ webs on the lawn, about five cm across, the threads covered in mist. I wonder if they are spiders. The Hosta ‘August Moon’ has succumbed to the cold weather and the leaves have faded. So have the rhubarb leaves, now lying flat on the ground and turned yellow. All my recent plantings seem to be surviving, apart from Nepata which has died back completely. Ivy is creeping up the truck of the large Leylandii. I’m a bit surprise to see ivy on a conifer. I suppose there’s no reason why not. More evidence of what I’m sure are Foxes’ footprints, but I haven’t seen a Fox for a long time.
Tuesday 6 November 2007
Interesting how even in November some plants are still flowering. The oddest flower today - and I do mean ‘flower’ in the singular - is a solitary stem with a little white flower on the Arabis which has been growing so nicely on the stone wall. The Dahlias are still in flower, but awaiting the grim reaper of the first severe frost. They have already survived a light overnight frost last month. Another contender for the oddest flower is the Cowslip. Now these really are spring plants, and welcome and lovely ones. But we have a number of Cowslips in bloom in November. In fact, they have been in bloom on and off throughout the year. That’s a bit worrying. Climate change? Not to mention the perennial Wallflowers still flowering, and the Sweet William.
Monday 5 November 2007
The garden continues its rapid change to autumn and winter. November has started with some pleasant sunny mild weather, and the lawns are still growing. Dahlias are still in bloom. The squirrels seem to have given up on their feeder. It may be because they have already eaten the nuts and things they prefer best, and are leaving the seeds. Holes are appearing around the garden and in the lawns where they have been busy burying conkers. Not much evidence of bird activity on the bird table.
Friday 2 November 2007
In the drive, stretching about six metres along the base of a shaded wall, is a remarkable little plant. It forms a soft green carpet, with no obvious flowers, grows and spreads rapidly, but dies down completely in winter, reappearing without fail in the spring. It is called Helxine, and the popular name is Mind Your Own Business. Sometimes called Baby’s Tears, it has tiny white flowers that are not noticeable. It can be invasive, but I find it a very useful plant for shady damp places where not much else will grow. Our plant has grown from a small piece of Helxine introduced here more than thirty years ago from an earlier garden, where it had been growing for at least another thirty years. I’d be lost without it, but not much fear of that.
Thursday 1 November 2007
Another bright crisp day. This morning I noticed that despite the recent overnight frost, aphids are still around. There are black flies on the Dahlias, being devoured by ants. And the Ena Harkness climber rose on the arch has a new bud and leaves hosting green fly. The Russian Vine has done a wonderful job this year clambering over the trellises I put on the unsightly corrugated iron fence at the bottom of the garden. It’s now rapidly shedding leaves, so till the spring we’ve just got the stems and branches to hide the fence. The marigolds are still in bloom. I noticed that the basil has suddenly succumbed to the colder weather, but the remaining shrivelled leaves retain that powerful aroma redolent of pastas and Italy.
Wednesday 31 October 2007
We seem to be enjoying a mild brighter spell as November approaches. The lawns are still growing - noticeably. I may need to do another late mowing. The wormery is working well. I’ve become accustomed to the slow pace of life of the worms. It’s something that can’t be rushed. One of the encouraging signs is the presence of quite large numbers of baby worms. But they are nearly all still working in the lower composting tray. There are a few in the middle tray, but no signs yet of a wholesale migration upwards. I wonder how active the worms will be as the winter sets in and temperatures fall.
Tuesday 30 October 2007
I like to keep a daily watch on the garden, by taking a gentle stroll around. It’s a bit less pleasant as winter approaches, but equally important to see what’s changing in each season. I notice things like new paw-prints, especially after the ground has been recently dug. Our foxes are still around, and their paw-prints are a regular feature, not to mention the holes they excavate. Early this morning, I was woken about four o’clock by noises in the street and front gardens I’m certain were the foxes. The days are rapidly shortening, and summertime is over.
Monday 29 October 2007
I’ve now done what will probably be the final lawn mowing of the year. The grass wasn’t completely dry, but there had been no rain for a while. I raised the cut height to the maximum 4.2 centimetres. I’m pleased with the result. The programme of gradual restoration of the lawn quality this year has been successful. The bare patches have been seeded; regular mowing has kept down and weakened the weeds; feeding has put back fertility into the lawns which much neglect had reduced. I doubt whether another cut will be needed before the Spring. It might be. The milder winters have allowed some grass growth in recent years. One regret I have is no daisies in the lawns. Many years ago I used weedkillers, and the daisies have, perhaps surprisingly, never returned.
Friday 26 October 2007
One of the tulip bulbs I planted recently has been dug up. Almost certainly by a fox. I just replanted it. The Nepata plant is now completely shrivelled up. Not sure whether it has just died back as the days get colder, or just died. There’s a label at its location, so I’ll look out for it in the Spring. The strawberries need replanting - I’ve gained a few more plants from the runners. The back garden is now truly taking on an autumn appearance.
Thursday 25 October 2007
Ferns are a useful plant in the garden. We have six. On the rockery is Dryopteris Cristata - The King Fern as the label says. Also on the rockery but partly hidden by the tree is a fern of unknown variety. It was found growing from the house wall, and successfully transplanted into the garden. Another Dryopteris, Filix Mas, is under the tall Berberis Juliana. Polystichum Herrenhausen nestles close to the Rue bush. The other two, one an off-shoot of the other, are also of unknown origin. I’ve had them for quite a few years, moving them to different locations when they seem to be struggling. I find this is a feature of growing ferns. The conditions need to be just right, then they take off. Chiefly, it’s dappled shade and plenty of moisture they like.
Wednesday 24 October 2007
I watched our tame blackbird feasting on the bright orange berries of the berberis bush in the front garden. He’s a male bird with the yellow beak. Although he’s always around near the garden, when he fancies a feast he perches almost hidden in the bush, motionless, and wary. Then suddenly he picks a berry and swallows it in one motion, with a flick of his head. When he’s on a roll, he repeats this every three or four seconds. There’s still a mass of berries on the bush. He seems to be the only bird that eats them. Within a month, all the berries will have vanished. A pity, because they are decorative in the bleaker months. But after all, the berries are there to be eaten. Yesterday we had the first frost of the autumn, overnight. It doesn't seem to have been severe, at least the dahlias are not blackened yet.
Tuesday 23 October 2007
The lawns need another cut before the winter, but the grass is still too wet. With a spell of dry weather and a bit of sun I might get the chance. As leaves fall, and growth dies back, the garden appearance is rapidly changing towards the barer stark winter look. It doesn’t seem to take long. I miss the Michaelmas Daisies this autumn. Moving the plants earlier in the year to the location adjacent to the Box tree was a mistake. We’ve had a few flowers from the mauve variety, but none from the more traditional lilac kind I like best.
Monday 22 October 2007
I’m still amazed the way compost reduces in bulk. It never seems possible to actually fill a compost bin. Despite adding material all through the spring and summer, only one bin is not quite full, one is about two thirds full and the other practically empty. I noticed today that the squirrels have launched a new attack on their feeder. One edge of the wooden box is seriously gnawed away, in an attempt to get at the seeds and nuts. I’ll try to cover it with tape. I put it down to at least one animal not discovering how to raise the lid. It’s getting colder at nights, but no frost yet.
Friday 19 October 2007
Still a dearth of birds in the garden. No robins for ages, apart from one brief appearance about two months ago. No blue tits, and the coal tits have vanished. A few Blackbirds, and the magpies. I’ve heard the occasional crow. That’s about it. I wonder if attention from neighbouring cats is the problem. No visitors to the birdtable. Perhaps things will change if the weather turns colder. I noticed a few new green blackberries today. A late surge. They won’t ripen of course.
Thursday 18 October 2007
The leaves are falling. The grape vine leaves are turning yellow and falling. The Russian Vine is shedding leaves gradually and becoming barer against the corrugated iron fence. The Firethorn is covered thickly with orange red berries, which our resident tame blackbird has started to enjoy. The dampness and mistiness of autumn has set in. I wonder how long before the first frost?
Wednesday 17 October 2007
Despite the early devastating attack by slugs and snails, which literally cropped the young plants back to ground level, the dahlias have done very well. There is still an excellent autumn display of an enormous yellow cactus dahlia, and two plants in shades of mauve. But soon we may have the first frost which will cut them down. All the new plants in the front garden are growing well. They were put in rather late in the year, but hopefully will get sufficiently well established to survive the winter and thrive next year. The single possible exception is Catmint, Nepata, which seems to be struggling.
Tuesday 16 October 2007
The blackberries in the garden have had a bad year. Not as bad as the grapes, but quite bad. On all the bramble bushes only a few blackberries have grown and ripened properly. Many of the berries have just shrivelled and died. I don’t know why. Maybe the wet summer.
Monday 15 October 2007
Of all the wild creatures in the garden, the spiders tend to get neglected. The misty autumn days are a good time to admire the handiwork - or leg work - of spiders, when they are outlined by dew. I’d been admiring a wonderful web construction in the front garden for days. The large web, with a fat spider sat at the centre, was amazingly suspended in the middle of the lawn by threads attaching it to bushes and the tree. I’d been careful to avoid walking into it - until yesterday. The whole construction came down. I managed to partially rescue the web by re-attaching a couple of the filaments to branches, but I fear the damage was done. This morning after a heavy dew I discovered some different kinds of web. Like fine lacework draped over low plants, especially the Sweet Williams. A ghostly effect.
Friday 12 October 2007
The lawns are looking healthy and in quite good condition. After regular feeding each week through the summer I have now given the first feed with the autumn formula. Ideally, it would be nice to cut the lawns again before the winter. But the grass has not been dry enough to use the cylinder mower. I did a few repairs to worn patches of grass, and the new areas have grown well.
Thursday 11 October 2007
This year the vines have been a complete disaster. Just a few miserable bunches of tiny green grapes. The problem may be partly due to the awful wet July and August. But the basic cause I think was the severe pruning in early spring. It had to be done, to bring the vines back under control, but it clearly scuppered the cropping this year. I have never fully understood the art of vine pruning.
Wednesday 10 October 2007
I managed to get the snowdrop bulbs replanted in the front garden. There are now six little clumps. Still to be lifted, regrouped and replanted are the rear garden snowdrops, apart from one replanting I did in the summer. The new daffodil and tulip bulbs have yet to be put in. It’s getting a bit late. Not to mention the hyacinths I lifted during the tidying of the front garden. The weather is still quite mild for early October.
Wednesday 3 October 2007
The squirrels don’t seem to have many natural predators apart from humans. But I’ve observed several amusing interactions between our squirrels and the cats that hunt in the garden. The squirrel swishes her tail in a gyratory way when she senses there’s something suspicious about. Once the cat spots the squirrel a sort of stalking starts. First the cat will jump up on the fence near the squirrel feeder. The squirrel fairly casually runs along the fence top to a safe distance, then stops and looks back at the cat in an unconcerned way. The cat slowly advances along the fence, and the squirrel just moves further away. I think the squirrel must be a much harder quarry to catch for cats than most birds.
Thursday 13 September 2007
The Globe Artichokes are in various stages of ripening. They are basically an edible thistle. We had not tried cooking them before today. I first chose one that had flowered and dried on the plant. After half an hour cooking in boiling water, I attempted to pull the outer leaves away and see what there was to eat. The answer was nothing. It consisted of a bunch of stringy strands and hard brown leaves, all of which were inedible. Next I selected a small greenish artichoke which had not yet opened into the purple thistle head. After cooking, this was much more promising. The leaves pulled away with a small edible section. When the strands had been removed there remained a small base which was eatable had had a distinctive taste. So it seems that the best stage to harvest globe artichokes may be somewhere in between these two stages, possibly when the purple flower is still blooming and before it has dried up.
Wednesday 12 September 2007
This dry pleasant weather continues, almost an Indian Summer. Our Robin has suddenly reappeared, after months of absence. Of course, it may not be our Robin. And a Blue Tit was spotted on the bird table a few days ago. The swifts seem to have left, after circling and swooping high overhead during the summer. A bright display by the Dahlias is in full swing, and will hopefully continue until the first frosts. Mauve, yellow and purple are the colours. The grape crop still shows no sign of ripening, just a few bunches of small green fruits.
Tuesday 11 September 2007
The time of the year for thinking about planting bulbs is here. We had small displays of daffodils and tulips this year, but they were less spectacular than last year, so I have bought new bulbs. The new daffodils are all King Alfred. The tulips are a mixture of different colours. I hope to plant them within a week or so. I need to get the snowdrops replanted as soon as possible, although two groups have been done, and a number of groups in the back garden have not been sorted yet. The bluebells gave a fine display this year. If I can identify the bulbs in the ground, I will lift and replant them. There is also just a single muscari that flowered this year, the remnant of the many we used to have. It may be possible to divide this if it has produced bulblets. Then there are a number of hyacinths that have been lifted and need replanting. Plenty of work ahead.
Monday 10 September 2007
The renewed front garden rockery is now looking fine. It will take a few weeks to begin to settle down. I planted two ferns. One is Dryopteris Cristata The King, the other a self set of unkown type which I found high up the house wall at the back. Whether this rockery site will prove to be suitable for these ferns remains to be seen. It is partially shaded, but may be too dry. I planted a striking yellow-green foliage plant with filament leaves called Santolina ‘Lemon Fizz’. A pretty low-growing plant Scuttelaria ‘Texas Rose’ with little red flowers is on the ground level section of the rockery. Sedum Kamshcaticum Variegatum is also on this level. It has yellow flowers. I also replanted three pieces of Sedum Spurium which I rescued from the old rockery. There remains plenty of space for additional alpine plants, but I will wait to see how well these thrive before making further plantings. Much depends on getting the right location and soil type. I’ll monitor progress carefully.
Friday 7 September 2007
Today I rebuilt the small rock garden on the front. It had been in existence for many years but had gradually become neglected and overgrown. Eventually it became choked by the ‘mind your own business’ plant, which though delightful and useful is invasive, especially in shady and damp areas. The rocks were sandstone which I had obtained from neighbours when they removed the garden front sandstone walls. I’d already cleared the site, so my task today was to resite the sandstone and replant. The basic design I adopted was a front border area, backed by three layers of ‘exposed’ rock outcrops. I will describe the replanting next time. A decidedly autumnal day. The vines seem to have contracted a leaf browning disease. The grape crop this year will be sparse and probably unripe, unless we have a long Indian Summer this autumn.
Thursday 6 September 2007
A definite autumnal chill in the air this morning. The conifers in a neighbouring garden have been pruned. There is now much more light reaching the top garden. This is from a northerly direction, so there is no change in the direct sunlight, but I expect to see some effects on the growth of plants. This is unlikely to affect the vines. They have put on remarkable growth this year, probably due either to pruning in the spring or feeding, but the fruit looks small and sparse. I doubt whether much will ripen before the frosts arrive, and it will be quite different to the magnificent grape harvest last year. I’ve rescued the pineapple mint and eau de cologne mint from the front garden. Inevitably, they have become tangled together, and it is hard to tell which is which. I shall have to replant them in pots in the ground to curtail their spread.
Wednesday 5 September 2007
The final days of August and the start of September have been dry. This more open weather has given a welcome chance to get more gardening work underway. I’ve turned my attention today to the front garden. The beds needed tidying and I’ve moved herb plants from the back garden to the front, including Hyssop, Cotton Lavender, Purple Sage, Rue and Chives. I have also improved the lawn edging and given some thought to restructuring the small rock garden. One consequence of the drier weather has been a few brown patches appearing in the lawns. They should disappear with the next rainfall. Today I watched a squirrel on the birdtable. She only made a feeble attempt to get at the peanuts, then headed for the fence and the new squirrel feeder. She sat of the platform, scratched at the glass front, then gave up without a trying to lift the lid. I’m certain there are more than one or even two squirrels, not all of them able yet to access the food.
Tuesday 4 September 2007
The few strawberry plants I introduced this year have been successful. The plants are a ‘Florence’ variety. They have grown vigorously, produced some nice fruit, and are sending out runners which should increase the stock for next year. Today I have removed the last remaining Rosemary bush from the front garden. It must have been fifteen years old, if not more, and the stem was knarled and bare. This is a step towards improving the front garden with a greater emphasis on herbs and a cottage garden style. Already the lawn is looking much better. I have taken seven cuttings from the Rosemary, and they are now planted in the top garden. I’m hoping a couple of these might survive, and I will use them eventually to replace the old bushes.
Monday 3 September 2007
The old apple tree continues to be surprisingly fruitful. The tree is around seventy years old and is a James Grieve I believe. It has become overshadowed by the adjacent Bay tree, but is carrying a decent crop this year, which is still ripening. In contrast, the ten year old dwarf apple tree, with three varieties on the same root stock, produces just a few tiny apples. The dahlias are now in flower - mauve, deep purple and yellow. The yellow cactus dahlia has the largest dahlia flower I have ever seen, at eight and a half inches diameter. A Michaelmas Daisy is also in flower. This is unusually early. It’s the newer, larger mauve variety, not my favourite pale lilac / blue, which is not yet in flower. I transplanted the Michaelmas Daisies early in the year. Unfortunately, in their new location they have been overgrown by self-set Borage, which I’m reluctant to remove before they have set seed. I may have to find a way of rescuing the Michaelmas Daisies.
Friday 31 August 2007
I mowed the back garden lawns today, and for the first time I included the re-seeded area in the mow. This small triangular area in one corner of the lawn was only set about two months ago. I’ve given it a couple of cuts using shears, to avoid potential damage to the young grass shoots from the cylinder mower. It may temporarily go a shade of brown, but overall this area is now difficult to distinguish from the established lawn area. The join is practically invisible. This success is at least partly due to the wet summer and the absence of long dry spells requiring watering. I’ve bought another new plant today from the garden centre. Cotton Lavender, or Santolina Chamaecyparissus to give it the correct Latin name. It may be a useful low hedging plant for the herb garden which I’m planning to develop in the front garden. This has been a sort of herb garden for some years, but I hope to make it much more attractive and varied.
Thursday 30 August 2007
Evidence today that there is more than one squirrel visiting the garden. A squirrel came from the horse chestnut tree several gardens away, along the fences and down our north border fence. She didn’t seem to notice the squirrel feeder, and paid no attention to the bird table food. After a brief visit to a neighbouring roof, she returned by the same route, again showing a complete lack of interest in the feeder. An hour or so later, a squirrel appeared again. But this squirrel went straight to the feeder, pushed the lid up and spent about ten minutes on the platform tucking into the nuts. This looks like two creatures. These days the garden seems to get more visits from the local cats. Today I watched a black and white cat playing cat & mouse with a small animal in the flower border and then the lawn. Then the animal jumped away, revealing itself as a frog. The cat chased, and caught the frog in her mouth. She dropped the frog. Was it dead? No, it jumped away back into the border, followed by the cat. I’d had enough. I went out into the garden and scared the cat off.
Wednesday 29 August 2007
Today I found a tiny Holly plant growing behind an old Rosemary bush that I was tidying. Interesting how it got there. Probably from a Holly berry dropped by a bird. This is the common variety, unlike the variegated Hollies I have elsewhere in the garden, so the seed had been brought in from a neighbouring garden. I dug up the little newcomer, and transplanted it to the top of the garden, to join another Holly plant found in similar circumstances recently. Self-set plants are a valuable resource in the garden. It’s so easy to get rid of everything when weeding, and lose these free additions to the garden stock. My Teasels came this way. And I’m glad that Lemon Balm, Borage and Feverfew are hard to eradicate.
Tuesday 28 August 2007
The rainy weather this ‘summer’ has produced an explosion in the garden slug population. If this had simply meant an unexpected feast for the slug predators, perhaps all would have been well. But in my garden the hedgehogs have vanished. I don’t know why. Not many years ago the hedgehogs were regular welcome visitors here. This absence of a major predator of the slugs is a problem. I have reluctantly used slug pellets to prevent the total loss of some plants including the hosta, dahlias and several other valued plants.
Monday 27 August 2007
I saw the squirrel climbing the pole to the peanuts on the bird table, so I tapped on my study window. She was puzzled where the taps were coming from, but decided it was bad news and made a quick retreat up the fence and along the top. When she reached the squirrel feeder she climbed down on to the ledge, and explored how to get to the food on view. I had sellotaped the front glass window to prevent it being lifted. Within a couple of minutes she had lifted the wooden lid of the feeder, grabbed a nut and sat on the ledge nibbling away. For about ten minutes she repeated this process. Eventually she was almost climbing into the feeder to choose an item from the nut mixture of squirrel food. Whether she will now leave the bird table to the birds remains to be seen.
Friday 24 August 2007
I have several succulent and rock plants in the garden. Some have been successful, others seem to fade and fail. Sedum Spectabile, apparently known as the Ice Plant, thrives very well, and I now have two offshoots from the main plant which is itself now just coming into bloom - a dull mauve colour. I have recently rescued a low growing matt-forming plant from the old rock garden which has green / red leaves. I believe it is Sedum Spurium. It is recovering well in several plant pots, and I will replant this in the new rock garden I’m planning. Another succulents that has thrived is Sedum Matrona, Arabis Ferdinandi-Coburgi Variegata is an excellent wall plant, called Rock Cress, with white flowers, which thrives remarkably well on the from rock wall. Euphorbia Myrsinites is also on the wall and growing vigorously.
Thursday 23 August 2007
The continuing rainy weather makes gardening difficult, and limited to not much more than walks round the garden. It’s not been possible to cut the lawns, and they are beginning to need cutting. A dahlia is in bloom, a cactus type with cerise flowers, and another is almost open. The Russian Vine is also in flower. This plant has put on spectacular growth, as might be expected, and has fulfilled its purpose of screening the corrugated iron fence at the top of the garden. Overall, this has not been a typical gardening August.
Wednesday 22 August 2007
For the first time this year I noticed an autumnal feel to the garden this morning. It’s still mid-August, but somehow there seems a misty autumn chill in the air. The grape vines have put on remarkable growth this year, probably the outcome of the pruning and feeding I did in the spring. There are more grapes than I first thought, not as prolific as last year, and they seem to be late, still just very small green bunches. They will need to swell and ripen quickly to be eatable, which means we need a spell of warm weather soon. The Michaelmas Daisies have been overshadowed by self-set Borage. The Borage is very welcome, but I hope the Michaelmas Daisies survive this year. They are always a familiar part of the autumn garden. The ‘August Moon’ Hosta has been revived by transplanting it from the front garden and protecting from the ravages of snails and slugs.
Tuesday 21 August 2007
The squirrel has discovered the new feeder! It has managed to get at the peanuts and other goodies, but not in the way intended. I saw the squirrel sitting on the fence near the feeder, happily nibbling a peanut. She then climbed down and sat on the feeder platform, looking through the glass front at the mass of food on display. I couldn’t at first see how the squirrel was getting at the food. Then it became clear. It wasn’t through the planned route of lifting the top lid and delving down. She had managed somehow to slide up the glass front, and extract the peanuts through the narrow gap at the base of the glass. When the squirrel had gone, within minutes three or four blue tits and greenfinches descended on the feeder, supposedly ‘bird-proof’, helping themselves to the nuts and seeds. I shall examine the feeder to make sure the glass front is securely down - if necessary held in place by sellotape.
Monday 20 August 2007
The dahlias had a very poor start this year, due to savage attacks by the slugs and snails. One young plant was reduced to just a short bare stem. I had to use, reluctantly, slug pellets to give the plants a second chance. It has worked, surprisingly, and the dahlias are now healthy looking plants just producing the first blooms. Whether they will be as prolific as they usually are remains to be seen. The blackberries have started to ripen, and I’ve already enjoyed picking and eating delicious fruits. The Shasta daisies are still in full bloom - a magnificent display this year after I divided and moved the plants.
Friday 17 August 2007
Our worm farm is now just over four weeks old. I’m pleased to say that there are still live worms in the compost, so I am presumably doing something right. I’ve kept up a fairly regular feeding regime, but not putting excessive quantities of food in the top tray which might be uneaten and go rotten. The bits of kitchen waste including tea bags (split open), cardboard from kitchen rolls, lettuce leaves and broccoli stems have been mixed occasionally with a proprietary ‘worm treat’ and an alkaline conditioner to prevent the compost becoming too acidic, which the worms apparently dislike. I feared that the compost was becoming too wet at one stage, so I added a bit more dry cardboard and left the unit in the sun. It’s kept in the garage usually, out of the rain. So far there is no liquid in the base for use as a fertiliser, and the worms are still eating their way through the first tray of compost. Only when this first tray is devoured, and the works move up into the next tray, can the first delivery of compost be used. There have been a few fatalities. I once found about ten dead worms in the base. And initially there were a few worms in the lid, but they’ve stopped going there lately. I think that the system is still settling down, and is not yet fully operational. The pace of life of the worms is quite leisurely. Patience is required, I think.
Thursday 16 August 2007
No sign yet that the squirrels have discovered the new squirrel feeder, let alone found out how to open it. In fact, there have been no sightings of squirrels for a week or so now. It may be they have plenty of food as the conkers begin to mature on the horse chestnut trees where they live. I’ve been surprised how often bees now use the bee house that is hanging by the grape vines. I imagine they are mason bees, but I’m not sure about the identification yet. They seem to pop into the tubes, stay for a minute or so, then emerge and fly away. The top garden is reasonably under control, certainly under better control than it has been in August for some years past. Both compost bins are almost full; they get filled to overflowing, then rapidly reduce down. This process happens repeatedly, it’s amazing how the compost compresses. However, I think I will soon have to assemble the third bin and put it in place.
Wednesday 15 August 2007
The blackberries are ripening, and I’ve already sampled the first fruits. There are of course plenty of blackberries for picking in the countryside, but it’s good to have a few available in the garden. Also I’m trying to produce a bramble ‘thicket’, along the top fence, adjacent to the Russian Vine, which may provide another secure habit for nesting birds. Talking of birds, the garden seems to have hit a silent, quiet period. Very little bird song, no activity at the bird table, and simply very few birds of any species observed. This year has been a disappointment for birds' nests. Apart from a couple of aborted attempts by robins in the spring, there have been no nests found in the garden this year, which is very unusual. I’m not sure why. Squirrel maraudering? Magpies? We harvested a few more Charlotte potatoes today, and pulled what is probably the last of the rhubarb this year. It’s been an excellent crop, from the single plant. The hollyhock is in bloom, a deep crimson, but the leaves are suffering quite badly from a form of rust, with tiny brown specks all over the undersides of the leaves, which are disintegrating.
Tuesday 14 August 2007
I have fixed the new squirrel feeder on the south facing fence, close to the box tree. The top of this long fence is part of the squirrel’s route from the tall horse chestnut trees where it lives to my bird table. I felt it was unwise to place it on the pole supporting the bird table, thereby attracting the squirrel to the table. I shall now wait and see. How long will it take for the squirrel to discover the new feeder? Then how long to find out how to lift the lid to access the peanuts and other squirrel food visible through the glass pane? This location is further from the house, but still close enough to observe the squirrel’s antics easily.
Monday 13 August 2007
This morning I found the unmistakeable evidence of fox activity during the night: bird feathers, probably pigeon’s, on the lawn. I haven’t actually seen any foxes in the garden for some time, although paw imprints in the soil and dung have indicated their presence regularly. Barking in the night is occasionally heard, and unlikely to be dogs. At least I haven’t seen the problem that used to be prevalent - fairly large excavations in the garden soil which became something of a nuisance. I suppose that may have been related to exploring for possible den sites. The site of a suspected den, just beyond the top fence, has not been active recently.
Friday 10 August 2007
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Or rather, if you can’t stop them raiding the bird feeder, give them their own. So I’ve bought a squirrel feeder. I have yet to decide where to place it; it could be on the pole supporting the bird table, which the squirrel climbs to reach the bird food, or some distance away on the fence. The latter solution may, hopefully, move the squirrel’s attention from the bird table. The design requires the squirrel to work out how to lift the wooden lid in order to get at the peanuts and other food, which are visible through the front glass panel. I doubt whether this will prove an obstacle for this persistent, agile and inquisitive creature. I wonder how long it will take?
Thursday 9 August 2007
The New Dawn climbing rose along the south facing fence is now reduced to about ten remaining blooms, after a magnificent display this year. I’ve started the deadheading, in the hope of a ‘second flush’ perhaps in September. Both Compassion and Ena Harkness are now giving a good second display. Compassion has surprised me with phenomenal new growth; strong healthy new branches several feet long. This augurs well for next year. I shall need to train the new stems carefully over the archway. It’s always quite easy to snap new shoots by excessive bending. The grape vines continue to put on vigorous, even luxuriant, growth, but not much evidence of grapes setting. I wonder if I overdid feeding in the spring, maybe with too much nitrogen. Though a poor crop of grapes this year may be a natural outcome of last year’s fantastic grape harvest.
Wednesday 8 August 2007
The globe artichokes are looking impressive. They form quite majestic plants. I’m not sure when they are ready to harvest; I shall check this out. This year the small pear tree has produced just five pears. They are sweet with a delicious flavour. I harvested a few Charlotte salad potatoes yesterday. The strawberry plants I introduced this year were quite successful, and they are producing runners, so I hope to increase the stock for next season. There are still a few redcurrants on the bushes, the crop was excellent. One job I need to do soon is to take a few Rosemary cuttings. The old bushes will need replacing before long. I find that with luck if I take six cutting, a couple will succeed.
Tuesday 7 August 2007
I’m leaving a tiny patch at the top of the back lawn as a sort of microcosm meadow. The most striking flower growing there now is a tall spindly plant with a yellow flower. It looks a bit like a buttercup from a distance. Searching through my wild flowers book, I believe it is the Common Hawkweed. Obviously not so ‘common’ that I knew its name instantly. I suppose I shall have to ‘mow’ this meadow soon, perhaps with a sickle. I’ve also identified a small dainty plant with pretty pink flowers, growing along several of the garden paths, as Herb Robert. The dividing line between wild flowers and the ‘domesticated’ variety is not really clear-cut in a wildlife garden. Teasel is a plant I welcome which usually pops up anywhere and everywhere, but is entirely self set. Sometimes this does create a problem when weeding. Is a particular plant a weed, or isn’t it?
Monday 6 August 2007
The garden is assuming that high-summer look. A bit less green, a bit less luxuriant, as autumn starts to loom on the horizon. I’m pleased to have the hollyhock in bloom, a deep crimson. I usually find that these plants succumb to disease or slugs in my garden. The dahlias have struggled through, after the early mauling by the slugs, though they are not yet in flower. I noticed today that the honeysuckle on the pyramid is showing signs of distress, at least one branch turning brown. I can’t understand the awful problem I’ve had with honeysuckle and clematis this year.
Friday 3 August 2007
I haven’t really paid any close attention to observing the butterflies and moths that visit the garden. I made a start with the butterflies today. I tend to regard them as simply one of two sorts - ‘Cabbage White’ if they are white, and ‘Red Admiral’ if they are coloured a crimson / brown. But a largish butterfly settled on the fence next to the buddleia bush. It was a reddish / brown colour, and had large imitation ‘eyes’ on its wings. The reference book seemed to prove it was a Peacock butterfly. There are many white butterflies around the garden, but they rarely seem to settle. Perhaps I should grow cabbages.
Thursday 2 August 2007
The weather has changed at last, after many weeks of cloud and rain. Sitting in the warm early morning sun today, watching the many flying creatures in the still fresh morning air, is a pleasure denied for so long. The clematis Rouge Cardinal is in flower, a deep crimson. Ena Harkness and Compassion roses around the arch are in their second flush. Compassion especially is very vigorous, throwing out numerous new long strong branches. The blackberries are just starting to ripen – I tried the first ones yesterday. Redcurrants are still plentiful, and the pears are coming on nicely. The lawns are looking in good shape, helped by all that rain.
Wednesday 1 August 2007
They have finally done it. The squirrels have broken the peanut feeder hanging from the bird table. I say ‘they’- there may be more than one - though I suspect it’s a single culprit. The act of vandalism was not actually witnessed, but the evidence was clear. The plastic top cover was broken. Previous attempts had focussed on the bottom cover, but I had made this area a bit more difficult to attack by tying a plastic net around the base of the feeder. A few peanuts were scattered on the lawn below the bird table, but the main contents of the feeder were still in place. Soon after, I noticed that one of the fat snax had disappeared. The second time this has happened, and not much doubt again about the identity of the culprit.
Tuesday 31 July 2007
There is now a lull in bird activity. Practically no visitors to the bird table. And not many birds around the garden. The blue tits, great tits and even the recently active coal tits seem to be lying low. No greenfinches. Magpies and pigeons still around, but much less obvious. The blackbirds are still singing from the tree tops and chimneys - for how much longer? House sparrows are non-existent, and song thrushes too. The most frequent visitors - or raiders - at the bird table are the squirrels. I’ve started putting a bowl of peanuts on the ground below the table in an effort, probably futile, to prevent complete destruction of the plastic peanut dispenser hanging from the table.
Monday 30 July 2007
The tiny ‘woodland’ area of the garden has gradually become neglected, with piles of prunings, the old broken garden bench, and other odds and ends. I’ve now dismantled the old bench and moved it to the drive ready for disposal. The prunings have been sorted into branches to add to the wood piles, which I keep as habitats for insects and wildlife, and the remaining bits and pieces which have gone into the brown recycling bin that the council collects every fortnight. This shaded woodland area separates the ‘tidy’ lawn and flower border section of the garden from the top garden with the fruit trees and bushes, vegetables and the herb and cottage garden.
Friday 27 July 2007
I have three compost bins which take the compostable garden material and also our kitchen waste. I’ve now decided to start an additional different approach, using a ‘wormery’. Essentially this is a worm farm, a term I prefer, where the animals (worms in this case) are working to produce compost for the garden. The idea is that the worm farm will use mainly kitchen waste, and will produce a rather different, richer and finer compost and a liquid feed for the garden. The worm farm has started with 1,000 workers ie worms, and so far all seems to be going well.
Thursday 26 July 2007
The buddleia is in bloom, and the self-set borage with its pretty blue flowers. Both attract butterflies and bees. I’ve been a bit heavy-handed with the teasel this year. It’s another self-set plant, which produces seed heads that some finches love. I’ve been pulling up and composting the teasels wherever I’ve seen them in the garden. My intention was never to eradicate them of course, but my over-enthusiasm seems to have achieved that result. Now I’m anxiously looking round for a teasel that has escaped the slaughter, to perpetuate this welcome plant for next year. I’ve spotted a robin again. I think it may be a young bird – it doesn’t seem to have discovered the bird table yet.
Wednesday 25 July 2007
This awful wet ‘summer’ continues. Overall it has hindered work in the garden, and has meant very few pleasant dry sunny days pottering in the garden. However, at least the garden looks green and lush. And it has been actually helpful for the lawns, providing ideal conditions for sowing grass seeds. The bare brown triangular patch of lawn, caused by the overhanging Rosemary bush which I pruned back severely, is now green again despite being reseeded only two weeks or so ago.
Tuesday 24 July 2007
I visited an excellent Herb Garden yesterday, which has given me some new ideas for my own garden, and encouraged me to buy a few more herbs plants. Now I need to find suitable garden space for Salad Burnet, Pot Marigold and Southernwood, all of which I’ve grown in the past, and lost the plants for one reason or another. I particularly like Southernwood; lovely fine foliage, and a delightful scent. And Marigolds are so typical of an old English garden. Then I bought three new herbs – new for my garden, that is. Marsh Mallow, Bergamot and Soapwort.
Monday 23 July 2007
The squirrels are fairly frequent visitors to the bird table. In fact, I’ve deliberately placed loose peanuts on the table itself, in addition to those contained in the plastic feeders and red polythene string bags. Otherwise,the feeders are going to get destroyed - the chewing away has already started. I took the chance yesterday to observe closely, through binoculars, our squirrel visitor feeding on the table. Climbing the six feet high metal post is no problem at all. Just straight up. Then devouring peanuts as fast as possible, while keeping a wary lookout. The peanuts are held tightly between the front paws, the thin outer husk discarded, and the kernel nibbled away. I had never seen before how long and vicious- looking are the squirrel’s claws. This performance continued for a good five minutes, till noise from a neighbouring garden caused an immediate lightning retreat off the table, down the pole, across the lawn, up the fence and along the fence top edge towards the tall trees. I might get a special bird-proof squirrel feeder, with a flap lid the squirrel has to open to reach the peanuts.
Friday 20 July 2007
I was pleasantly surprised, though I shouldn’t have been. Sitting quietly on the garden seat enjoying the peaceful early evening, I saw a bee settling on the new bee log. Looking more closely, I saw it actually enter one of the hollow bamboo tubes. That’s what was supposed to happen, but I didn’t expect such a quick result. Perhaps there are more solitary bees in the garden that I realised? I wonder if it was a mason bee? My patience and observation were further rewarded when a largish fast-flying butterfly settled high on the conifer, basking in the last of the warm evening sun. I looked it up in my butterfly book; it was either a small tortoiseshell, a red admiral or a painted lady, probably the first.
Thursday 19 July 2007
There is very little activity these days on the bird table. I restocked it with peanuts, seeds and fat balls recently, but all this food has gone largely unnoticed except by the coal tits. The robins are still absent, and no blue tits or great tits have been seen for many weeks. I suppose there is plenty of wild food around, and the feeding of nestlings may have passed its peak. A solitary pigeon sat on the bird table roof yesterday, then flew off without any attempt to reach the food. Even the squirrels haven’t bothered.
Wednesday 18 July 2007
It’s probably a bit late in the year to set up a bee log in the garden, but better late than never. The bee house is designed for mason bees. These solitary pollinating bees come in at least two varieties – red and blue. I believe the red kind have by now finished all their nesting for the year, but the blue creatures are still interested. I’ve hung the log from a wooden stake in front of the grape vines, about four feet from the ground, facing south to catch the sun and sloping down slightly to avoid filling with rain. It has space for around thirty bees. I’ve never noticed a pollination problem in the garden, but the more the merrier. I suppose that in the absence of any mason bees other insects may take up residence.
Tuesday 17 July 2007
Today we discovered that gooseberries and redcurrants together, served with cream, make a delightful pudding. Another way of using the enormous crop of these two soft fruits this year. The grass seedlings on the bare patch of lawn have started to germinate, just over a week after sowing, with several areas about half an inch high. The top garden is looking overgrown, but green and lush. The blackberry brambles have set a good quantity of berries, which should ripen next month. These brambles will provide an excellent nesting site next year.
Monday 16 July 2007
The buddleia is now in bloom. That heavy rich scent is redolent of hot summer afternoons, and of course it’s a honeypot for butterflies. The two climbing roses on the arch, crimson Ena Harkness and salmon pink Compassion, are in bud for what looks like being quite a prolific second flush of roses. And the lovely pink of New Dawn continues. This year we have a brilliant display by the Shasta daisies – at least that’s what I call them. I believe they are a variety of aster. Tall stems, with large white flowers and a yellow centre. Like huge daisies.
Friday 13 July 2007
Early this year we had an excellent show of snowdrops. I always let the plants die down naturally after blooming, which I’m sure helps them to multiply and build up reserves for the following year. Despite the best intentions, as garden work gets busy, the exact locations of the snowdrops become forgotten, with a risk of overplanting and wholesale disturbance. I’ve made a start on identifying the locations of the snowdrop clumps, lifting, dividing and replanting the bulbs and labelling the sites clearly. Hopefully this will result in good displays next winter.
Thursday 12 July 2007
The bird table needed replenishing with peanuts, fat balls and seeds. There hasn’t been much bird activity for a month or two now. I suppose there is plenty of food around the gardens. But for several days coal tits have been feeding, identified easily by that white patch at the back of the neck. The robins have been conspicuous by their absence for months, but a solitary robin put in a brief appearance yesterday. I have been looking out for bats in the dusk. None seen so far, and the swifts that have been circling high above for weeks have disappeared.
Wednesday 11 July 2007
I’ve decided to invest in a wormery. After considering making my own, I’m going for a commercially available design. Expensive, but allowing the production of liquid fertiliser and a fine compost material. It may prove a costly failure, I shall see. Anyway, my three compost bins are successful. This year I’ve had a good supply of compost for mulching and planting.
Tuesday 10 July 2007
Still showery, but perhaps the worst of this ‘rainy season‘ is over. It has certainly been a superb season for soft fruit. gooseberries galore, a superb crop of redcurrants, blackcurrants fine, and the blackberries look set for a great harvest by the autumn. I’m a bit unsure about the grapes this year. They just seem too far behind.
Monday 9 July 2007
I’ve pruned all the deadwood from the old Rosemary bush in the back garden. It must be around twenty years old, and was overhanging the lawn extensively. This has left a triangular patch of bare earth in the corner of the lawn, which I’ve re-seeded. Hopefully the new grass will soon grow. The pruned Rosemary has also freed up a piece of garden border. I transplanted rue, sage, a succulent whose name I don’t know, hyssop and six chives plants to fill the gap. This bit of the garden looks much tidier.
Friday 6 July 2007
I bought a new lawnmower this week, to replace the ancient one that is literally falling apart. It’s been too wet to give it an inaugural run, but tomorrow may be dry. I’ve decided to try a new strategy with the lawns. I shall let the grass grow a bit longer overall, and a few border areas will be left unmown, to encourage insects and wildflowers.
Thursday 5 July 2007
The rain has continued unrelenting into July. It has been quite difficult to work consistently in the garden at this critical time of the growing season. The New Dawn roses have put on a fabulous show this year. I’m surprised, after the poor results last year, and the recent weather. The redcurrants are now ripe and ready for picking, as are the gooseberries. It’s the best ever gooseberry crop I’ve had. They are green and sweet, and very nice on salads. The couple of blackcurrant bushes are looking fine, and the rhubarb is ready for the third pulling.
Monday 25 June 2007
The awful June weather continues, with more rain, and cool. Despite this disappointing setting, soft fruit in the garden is ripening. Redcurrants and blackcurrants are ripe and eatable. The gooseberries are green, large, and succulent. I’ve eaten one and it’s tart, but fine. I’m sure this variety ripens further to become red and sweet. I shall wait and see.
Saturday 23 June 2007
As I resume these notes, the lavender bushes in the back garden have just today, quite suddenly, come into bloom. Adding an eye-catching colour to the south border, where the New Dawn roses are giving a good display, not yet reached its peak.
Monday 4 June 2007
The New Dawn climbing rose is just starting to reach the bud-opening stage. Last year’s display was disappointing, after several magnificent years. I planted two parsley plants from the nursery a few weeks ago, in different parts of the garden. One is doing very well; the other is suffering from the ravages of slugs, and in danger of going the same way as the dahlia shoots.
Friday 1 June 2007
The garden still has a windswept and battered look. Hopefully June will see calmer days and a chance to tidy up. The chives which edge several paths are now in full bloom. They make excellent edging plants. Several foxgloves are almost in bloom. The first of the two honeysuckles I planted this year, the one on the pyramid, is growing vigorously and looks very healthy. But the second seems to have expired, for some unknown reason, apart from a couple of tiny axillary shoots. I shall watch them intensely for signs of growth.
Thursday 31 May 2007
The dahlias I planted are a disappointment so far. Only two have come through, and they have both been eaten by the slugs. The weather is till wet and cold and inhibits much gardening. The lawns need mowing. I’m not sure what I want to do. A closely cut lawn, manicured, would look nice and be a pleasant contrast to the wildlife garden. But I would really prefer to have more of a wildlife meadow effect. The jury is out.
Wednesday 30 May 2007
The recent very wet and windy weather has caused some plants to keel over, including foxgloves, aquilegia, tarragon and the potato and artichokes - both globe and Jerusalem. When the weather becomes more seasonal I shall tidy them up, and some staking may be needed. Because of the secluded site with nearby tall trees there is a tendency for plants to grow a bit lanky, which makes them vulnerable to windy days.
Tuesday 29 May 2007
Both the honeysuckle and the clematis that I planted about ten days ago at the top fence near the garden seat are showing signs of serious distress. They are wilting and the foliage looks terminally ill. I can’t understand what has caused this problem. Was it the aerosol wax polish I used to protect the bench wood? Maybe it drifted onto these plants. The Russian vine close by has not been affected. Or any other plants. Did I use too much fertiliser in preparing the planting holes? Will they both recover? We have had two days of almost non-stop rain which has been beneficial to the garden, but has prevented work in the garden that needs attention.
Friday 25 May 2007
The Charlotte potatoes are growing well, though a bit lanky due to shade from the trees. Likewise the Jerusalem artichokes. These don’t require much encouragement to grow, but they are a very useful crop. I discovered that a hosta in the front garden I thought had not survived the winter is in fact growing well, hidden by weeds. I shall need to take action against the marauding snails and slugs. If only there were a few song thrushes still around.
Wednesday 23 May 2007
The recent spell of persistent showery weather seems to be ending. It was welcome, but has delayed some gardening jobs. I want now to prepare a site for marrows, which I shall grow from seed. It’s many years since I last grew them, but they were invariably successful, and a valuable vegetable both as large marrows to stuff, and also eaten small as courgettes. The first roses in bloom this year are the climbing Ena Harkness. Beautiful large scarlet flowers, with a lovely scent.
Tuesday 22 May 2007
The honeysuckle Lonicera Periclymenum which I planted last week has quite suddenly started to looked sickly. It had seemed to make a good start, but I noticed today that the shoots were looking limp. Maybe it needs additional watering. It would be a shame to lose this plant; it is needed to climb the end section of trellis and screen the corrugated iron eyesore. The gooseberries are swelling fast. This looks like being an excellent crop, possibly the best ever from this bush. But best not to count chickens.
Monday 21 May 2007
The Lady’s Smock is still in bloom. It’s a lovely small delicate pink flower. Best seen in mass in a meadow, but it is evocative to have even just a small clump in the garden, along with a patch of the fine sedge whose name I don’t know but which grows in the same damp meadow pastures. The slugs have inflicted further damage on the emerging dahlia shoots. It looks like slug pellets or no dahlias.
Friday 18 May 2007
No end in sight to this wet spell. It was needed, and the gardens have benefited. The grape vines have put on a significant spurt, as have the gooseberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants. The swifts have arrived. Circling and swooping high overhead, lots of them. But our robins have vanished. It’s a bit worrying. They were around everyday for so long. I can only hope they have nested somewhere nearby, and no longer visit our garden.
Thursday 17 May 2007
My comments yesterday about the explosion in snail and slug numbers due to the spell of wet weather have been further verified today. This morning I found slugs actually in situ on both dahlia shoots, which have been extensively and possibly fatally damaged. I removed them by hand and squashed them underfoot on the path. I also found a slug busy at work on a rhubarb leaf. This creature was despatched in a similar way. I am tempted to use slug pellets in a limited way. The squirrel has again been caught in the act, upside down on the birdtable, attacking the peanuts. The seven foot or so metal pole supporting the birdtable is not a barrier.
Wednesday 16 May 2007
The recent wet weather has certainly brought out the snails, and slugs. There are no song thrushes around to take the snails, and I have stopped using slug pellets. Not sure what to do. Roses are soon to be in bloom. Both the Ena Harkness and Compassion climbers, on the arch, are almost opening bud. New Dawn is growing quite strongly after a slow start and last year’s set back, when it began to look sickly with yellowing leaves and some blackspot.
Tuesday 15 May 2007
There is very limited space in the top garden for vegetables. I’ve already set a few early potatoes and reset a few rows of Jerusalem artichokes. My main efforts this year will be on marrows and runner beans. I plan to grow both from seed, which need sowing soon. One of the dahlias I planted has now broken through and is growing well; one other looks as though the slugs have cut through the stem just as it has emerged. I may need to take some defensive action. Perhaps bits of wire netting may act as a deterrent.
Monday 14 May 2007
The spell of showery weather and cooler temperatures over the past week has been welcome. It has tended to bring the garden back into season. I need to take some action over the lawns, which are now beginning to grow too long. I don’t worry about over- manicured grass these days, but the lawns do need to look neat, to set off the wild garden approach elsewhere.
The gooseberry crop looks like being a bumper year. I wonder if the grapes will match the huge harvest we had last year?
Thursday 10 May 2007
I bought a sack of ‘farmyard’ manure from the garden centre yesterday. How close it has ever been to a farmyard is open to speculation. This year I have had a good supply of my own garden compost, which has now been exhausted, and the new climbers need additional mulching. With the recent showery weather, there has been an explosive growth of weeds, including the pernicious bindweed. There seems no alternative to painstakingly digging up each bit. One of the dahlias is now just above ground.
Wednesday 9 May 2007
I’ve fixed a third trellis, inverted triangular shape, to the top fence, nearest to the south-west corner of the garden, and planted two new climbers near the base. These are clematis montana rubens, and honeysuckle lonicera periclymenum. This particular corner of the garden has been a difficult spot. Nothing has been successful there. The gooseberry bush is growing well, no sign of mould, with fine healthy foliage and a surprisingly large potential crop of fruit.
Thursday 3 May 2007
I have now installed two large fan-shaped trellises on the top fence, as part of a scheme to hide the unsightly corrugated iron. It looks better already, and the Russian vine will be able to climb more easily over this fence. I will extend this idea with a third trellis and another climber, may be honeysuckle or clematis.
Wednesday 2 May 2007
Weeds are growing rapidly everywhere. None more so than the bindweed. It seems to appear from nowhere overnight. The front lawn has been invaded by the bindweed in the borders. My tactic is to hand weed as soon as possible, with the aim of weakening the root system. Aquilegia - Granny’s Bonnet - is starting to flower. This plant self-seeds very prolifically, but it is delightful, with such a wide variety of colours and tints. Cowslips are nearly over, and the bluebells are in full flower.
Tuesday 1 May 2007
We pulled the first rhubarb sticks and made a delicious stewed rhubarb desert. The single rhubarb plant is a rescued survivor from the original clump of at least half a dozen plants. Since replanting it as little more than a bit of root eighteen months ago it has flourished. This spring it has grown at an amazing pace, producing a bumper crop replete with enormous leaves.
Monday 30 April 2007
The two grape vines are now starting to grow strongly. In the past week the buds have burst and the new shoots are growing vigorously. Last year we had an especially heavy crop of grapes, albeit small ones, but sweet. It will be interesting to see what this year’s harvest produces.
Sunday 29 April 2007
Early this morning I solved the mystery of the bird food disappearing from the bird table perched atop a seven foot metal post. It’s the squirrel. Caught in the act. The squirrel had no problem at all shinning up the metal post, and I had time to take a couple of photos in evidence. The loose food on the bird table has gone, and I saw the squirrel attempting to get peanuts from the wire grill holder.
Thursday 26 April 2007
I’ve bought three new herbs from the garden centre: parsley, peppermint and chamomile. I really should grow parsley from seed. The leaves of peppermint can be used to make excellent chocolate mints. I’ve planted the chamomile between the new stepping stones, which is a sort of compromise with a proper chamomile lawn. I tried the latter once, but it did not survive constant walking-over very well. My wildflower Lady’s Smock is now in bloom - a lovely delicate lilac. And talking of lilac, the Lilac tree blossom is now also in flower. Lilac blossom perfume is such a powerful reminder of childhood spring days.
Wednesday 25 April 2007
The bluebells are now in full bloom. There are just three small clumps of bluebells, in the open garden. I tried many years ago to naturalise them in the small ‘woodland’ area, without success. I will try again for next year - it ought to work, in what is potentially a more natural habitat.
Tuesday 24 April 2007
The lawns have survived the current dry spell quite well. The usual rapid lush early spring growth has not happened this year, but at least the lawns still look green. There’s a weed problem with the front lawn: unusually, it has bindweed on a surprisingly large scale. I am trying to control this bindweed by hand-weeding, hoping to avoid the use of chemical weedkillers. I also prefer to allow the lawns to have a less manicured look, with a managed wildflower population. How successful this strategy will be remains to be seen.
Monday 23 April 2007
The Russian vine that I moved about two months ago is growing very well. I was unsure whether it would survive the shock of the move. There has been no problem. It has quickly settled in at its site next to the new garden seat at the top fence, and is already pushing out fresh shoots over 30 cm long. A climber of this vigour is just what’s needed here. The Compassion and Ena Harkness roses are growing well on the arch, with at least five buds on the former.
Friday 20 April 2007
The weather has turned significantly colder this week, and the dry conditions have continued. It may not be a bad thing; growth was rushing ahead too fast in the exceptionally warm spring. There is still plenty of time for frost. I have replanted about twenty Jerusalem artichoke tubers. There are a few signs that ‘New Dawn’ is responding to the recent feeding.
Tuesday 17 April 2007
The south border looks much more cared-for now. The seven dahlia tubers are planted, and the michaelmas daisies moved to the western end of the border. However, the New Dawn climbing rose still seems lacking much vigour, despite copious feeding, watering, mulching and the excellent warm weather. I’ve planted a few Charlotte early potatoes. The rhubarb has grown rapidly and looks ready to provide the first sticks this year.
Friday 13 April 2007
I turned my attention to the south-facing border in the back garden today. This is probably the prime spot in the garden, but one I tend to neglect. In a good year I plant dahlias, which produce a very colourful display all summer. Otherwise, it makes do with the collection of perennials that has built up over the years: lavender bushes, rue, red hot poker, michaelmas daisies, rosemary, a prolific climbing rose ‘New Dawn’, a couple of other less successful bush roses and a clump of lovely large white daisy-like plants whose name escapes me. I have split up the daisies and planted them in several sites in the top garden, to clear a space for dahlias. I also intend replanting the michaelmas daisies.
Thursday 12 April 2007
Bought six strawberry plants - ‘Florence’ variety. My last attempt at growing strawberries, in the mini-greenhouse, was a disaster. The temperatures were far too high. So the new plants are in the open garden. It’s nice to have a taste of strawberries straight from the plant, but larger numbers of plants take up too much space in a small garden, unless you adopt special techniques. I also bought marrow seeds. I haven’t grown marrows for many years, but they can be a prolific and useful crop. I shall set these seeds in the mini-greenhouse to get them germinated early before planting out.
Wednesday 11 April 2007
This fine dry sunny weather continues. I’ve transplanted a chicory plant from the front garden to the top garden. The leaves are edible, in salads, though I have yet to sample them. Over Easter we did use leaves from the tansy to make Tansy Apples, which is a delicious pudding. It’s a valuable resource of gardening - growing herbs that are either unobtainable in the shops, or that are much better freshly picked. Herbs don’t generally take much space. They grow wild, but they’re sometimes difficult to find.
Tuesday 10 April 2007
The cowslips are in full bloom. These simple plants are a delight. Flowers don’t have to be large and gaudy to appeal. The weather over the Easter holiday period has been unusually warm, more like early May. I have now completed my project to install a garden seat at the top of the garden. I was able to enjoy sitting there in the early morning sunshine on Good Friday for the first time. My original little home-made bench is still by the north side fence at the top of the garden, but the new seat gives an unfamiliar view back straight down the garden, towards the house.
Tuesday 3 April 2007
The peonies are now showing strong bronze shoots about three or four inches long. These plants have been in the same location for many years. It’s a shady spot, along the north - facing fence. The peonies seem to prefer this spot; they have been less successful in sunnier sites. They give a showy display of large red blooms, without scent, and they are soon over. Although the weather is cooler than it was a few weeks ago, the garden generally is stirring and everything is starting to move. Not long before the explosion of growth by the time May arrives.
Monday 2 April 2007
I’m preparing a space at the very top of the garden for a garden seat. The ground needs to be cleared of perennial weeds, especially bindweed and ground elder. I shall then lay a small area of paving. The style of seat is undecided. Probably something inexpensive and simple. When complete, this little project will give a place to relax with a view back from the top of the garden, through the rose arch, between the trees towards the house.
Friday 30 March 2007
I’m not sure what the robins are up to with their nest building. About two weeks ago, they started building a nest in the old galvanised iron watering can which has been lodged in the lilac tree for several years. Then the activity seemed to become quieter. Today they have been busy nest-building in the garage. They get access through a gap at the top of the garage doors. I haven’t checked exactly where the nest is - I think it is on an open cupboard shelf in the corner. If this really is a serious build, it follows on last year, when robins also built in the garage, getting in the same way. I don’t know whether these are the same pair as last year, or even whether they are the same pair who started the nest in the watering can.
Thursday 29 March 2007
My seed potatoes are being chitted indoors and will soon be ready for planting, together with the Jerusalem artichokes that I have harvested and have not been eaten. There simply isn’t room in a small garden to plant rows and rows of potatoes. My aim is to make the best use of available space, by planting the potatoes in small clusters among the other plants. This year I’m growing Charlotte, which is a nice salad potato.
Wednesday 28 March 2007
Another lovely sunny warm Spring day, after the morning mist had cleared. I visited the garden centre this afternoon, and bought two dahlia tubers, ‘Suffolk Punch’ and ‘Penelope’. Many years ago the entire north border was filled with dahlias, and a riot of colour every summer. Gradually we lost them to frost and disease through not lifting the tubers every winter. I have decided to reintroduce at least a few varieties this year, to give a splash of colour around the garden.
Tuesday 27 March 2007
Today is another glorious blue, sunny, warm day, after a misty early morning. One of the pleasures of gardening of course is just to sit down and enjoy the garden. I’m preparing the site for a new seat, right at the top of the garden, next to the Russian vine I transplanted about a month ago and which is growing well in its new location. I think it was Geoff Hamilton who quoted a gardener who said: ‘Sometimes I sits and thinks; sometimes I just sits.’
Monday 26 March 2007
I’ve been away, and saw the garden today for the first time in five days. I’m pleased it looks fine. A few holes dug by the foxes, and a broken fence, but it is still not that time of the year - May /June, when in just a week the garden can grow away almost out of control. I put in another six foxglove plants last Wednesday. I hope I can establish a self-seeding colony of foxgloves. Daffodils are in bloom , and the tulips are not far behind. I used to have a good number of muscari. Last year I rescued the last plant. I was pleased to see it is coming into bloom. And the rhubarb plant I rescued two years ago, the last of a once-thriving patch, is growing vigorously.
The next entry in gardenBlog will be on Monday 26 March
Wednesday 21 March 2007
Today is the first day of Spring. It’s a lovely blue day, though cold after a frosty night. Activity on the bird table has been monopolised by the robins lately. I’ve spotted one starling, and what I think is a house sparrow. The sparrows are so rare now that I have to look twice and think about it before being sure of the identification. The tits have definitely shown much less interest in the past week or so. Just an occasional visit. I wonder why this is?
Tuesday 20 March 2007
There simply isn’t room in a small garden to grow large quantities of vegetables like potatoes, or indeed large quantities of any vegetables. You need an allotment for that. However, it’s well worth making an effort to grow even just a small quantity, to experience the improvements in flavour and taste that freshly-harvested crops provide. So I try to grow a few potatoes each year, usually first earlies. This year I’m going to plant a few Charlotte variety salad potatoes, for the first time. I hope to get them in the ground within the next ten days, weather permitting.
Monday 19 March 2007
Winter seems to have returned today, after the recent exceptionally mild days. There was a light snowfall overnight, which has quickly vanished in the sunshine. The frost is probably not severe enough to check seriously anything in our garden. The Russian Vine transplanted nearly three weeks ago is showing clear evidence of growth, with small green shoots and leaves appearing. I doubt whether it will be affected by the frost. In the past week, there has been significant growth in most plants. The gooseberry bushes are clothed in light green leaves, and the rhubarb is pushing strongly through the covering of compost.
Friday 16 March 2007
I never seem to have any luck with foxgloves self-seeding. Consequently, I buy new plants from the garden centre each year. I’ve bought two more plants this week, and placed them near the new stepping stones. Self-seeding is never a problem in our garden for lemon balm, aquilegia or feverfew. But foxgloves don’t provide this freely available supply of new plants. I wonder why. No thrushes in the garden these days, and the house sparrows, once so numerous with their friendly chirruping, have vanished. It would be so nice to see even just one or two around.
Thursday 15 March 2007
Today I’ve tidied-up the blackberry bushes at the top fence. I had neglected them, so they have become unwieldy, and made the path almost impenetrable without getting scratches from the thorns. It seemed a pity, because we get a good crop from them each year. I’m now taking them more seriously. The dead wood has been cut out, and I’ve tied the canes back to the fence. It has always been a pleasure blackberrying in the garden. The blue tits have paid another visit to the bird table. And I saw what I took to be a greenfinch, with rather unusual colouring.
Wednesday 14 March 2007
The present dry warm sunny weather, coming after weeks of rain, has given the whole garden a growth surge at the time when it most needs it - in early spring. There is a risk of frost still, which could cause a really serious setback. I don’t know what has happened to the great tits and blue tits. They have abandoned the bird table. Great tits are certainly still around; their song is heard nearly all day, every day. It’s just the pair of robins who are building a nest in the old watering can in the lilac tree who are constant visitors to feed at the table at the moment.
Tuesday 13 March 2007
The harvest of Jerusalem artichokes has been abundant this year. They are an easy crop to grow, and provide an unusual and pleasant addition to the range of vegetables. However, it seems they are not really artichokes at all! The name is a corruption of an earlier name. The true artichokes are the globe variety. I have just two plants of globe artichokes, neither of which produced anything edible last year, despite the highly decorative silvery foliage. I’ve now moved them from a cramped position near the path, to give them more room in a central position. The transplanting has produced an alarming leaf droop, but this morning it had recovered dramatically overnight, so perhaps the damage is limited.
Monday 12 March 2007
The drier and sunnier weather has continued. It seems more like early May than mid-March in the garden. But plenty of time for a cold snap. I’ve been making use of the compost from one of my three compost bins. It’s ideal for spreading round the base of plants as a mulch. I’ve used it for the vines, apple and pear trees, gooseberries and blackcurrants, globe artichokes, roses and several other plants. It has taken about two years for this bin to be ready for use. It’s amazing how so much organic material reduces to so little compost - but a little goes a long way.
Friday 9 March 2007
A few days of drier and sunnier weather are helpful in the garden, with so much tidying-up to do. An essential job is remaking longstanding beds of herbs. I’ve already replanted my tansy patch. Tansy is excellent for tansy apple. The mint bed needs bringing under control. I’ve had an excellent lovage corner for many years, probably around twenty, without disturbing it at all. It is a vigorous herb, with lovely coppery early shoots, and fine tall stems, with a smell of celery. I noticed last year a slight loss of vigour, so I shall try to replant it without too much of a check to the lovage shoots just emerging.
Thursday 8 March 2007
Last year we had a superb crop of green grapes from the two vines. It would be good to get a similar harvest this year, but I’m not confident. Pruning grapes is an art I’ve not mastered. All I have done this year is trimmed a few straggling branches, to tidy the vines. I suspect I should have pruned much harder, earlier, to generate new branches for this year’s crop. We shall see. Yesterday I bought three new wooden stakes, and two eight foot green plastic covered metal poles, which I put in place to tie the vine branches. At least the vines are now secured and tidy, ready for the explosion of growth that will occur before long.
Our pair of robins have started to build a nest. It’s in an old metal watering can I put in the branches of the lilac tree. They carry on busily adding to the nest, not in the least worried by my presence.
Wednesday 7 March 2007
I’m still busy making structural and design changes and clearing the ground in the top garden. This is going to occupy me for most of the month. The three compost bins are almost full. It’s amazing how the waste organic material put in decomposes and reduces in volume so much. Two of the bins have sliding interlocking side panels, which tend to burst open under the pressure as the bins fill. My plan is to empty two of the bins and use most of the compost to form a low mound in the centre of the garden. I hope to use this compost mound to grow marrows and courgettes.
Tuesday 6 March 2007
A garden mystery! Late yesterday morning I noticed that one of the Fat Snax - the ball of fat and seeds - was missing from the bird table. I thought it might have blown off the hook from which it was suspended, during the squally weather. But there was no trace of it on the ground. It looks as though the squirrels have found a way to reach the table. It was the lowest Fat Snax. Perhaps a squirrel was able to scramble up the metal post and grab it. I can’t quite picture a squirrel carrying off one of these relatively large items, in its green plastic net. I’ll stay on the case.
Monday 5 March 2007
Another early morning walk round the garden, to take advantage of the glorious morning sun. A lovely morning, but distinctly colder, although no overnight frost. The weather pattern lately has been fine mornings, turning cloudy in the afternoon, with showers or rain in the evening. And windy, though I shouldn’t complain about that in March. The new paths with stepping stones look good, and allow much better access to the garden. At the weekend I divided some of the chives and transplanted them alongside the new stepping stones. Chives make a nice border. One daffodil is in bloom, a yellow crocus, and a purple one. The snowdrops are rapidly fading. I must label the clumps to avoid inadvertently disturbing them during the year.
Friday 2 March 2007
I walked round the garden early this morning. A glorious morning! Not 'officially’ Spring, but the seasons are hardly officially anything anymore. A lovely bright, sunny, crisp morning. Just makes you glad to be alive! The top garden is looking cared-for after my recent work starting on the new paths. My robin friend soon spotted me, and sat on a grapevine branch eying me up. Robins do look plump, but this one looked plumper than usual. Might be all the feeding on the fat snax and peanuts on the bird table. Can birds suffer from obesity? I’ve cleaned the bird bath. It had become mucky and discoloured over the autumn and winter.
Thursday 1 March 2007
I wondered how long it would take the squirrels to find the new bird table! Today I saw the first squirrel taking an interest. It did a balancing act along the fence top down the north side of the garden, then came on the lawn beneath the bird table, picking up scraps of peanuts and seeds that birds have scattered below. Watching very closely, as it was eating I saw it cast its eye up to the table. In a minute, it clambered into the rosemary bush near the table. It seemed about to attempt the two metre leap. I wouldn’t have been surprised - I’ve seen the squirrels perform prodigious leaps from branch to branch high up in the chestnut tree tops. But it didn’t have a go. I think the rosemary branch was too bendy to allow the squirrel to propel itself with enough power. Thinking better of it, it retired back to the fence top, and sat for three minutes eating a plump rose hip from last year’s New Dawn crop that was still on the briars.
Wednesday 28 February 2007
Foxes are frequent - daily – visitors to our garden. I think they have a den at the top of the garden, somewhere between our fence and the outbuilding of the house at the back. On the whole they are welcome. I occasionally put food out for them. They seem partial to tinned cat food. The main complaint is that they are always digging holes. It is never very clear why they dig. A month or two ago I found a dead fox in the garden. I buried it several feet down, and covered the grave well.
When I walked round the garden this morning, there was a small hole on the grave, and bits of grey fur scattered around. The grave had not been seriously disturbed, and I have now covered it with two zinc dustbin lids.
Tuesday 27 February 2007
I took advantage of a dry fine day to begin work in the top garden making three new paths. They will be stepping stones. True, the new paths will diminish the total area of ground available for plants. But access will be improved. And they will allow new additional walks around the garden. Clearing the ground for the first section, I unearthed a load of Jerusalem artichoke tubers, which I’d forgotten about. They are an underestimated vegetable. We cooked some for supper. They look like unusually white smooth potatoes when cooked, but have a delicious silky texture. At least I made a little start on this project. My efforts were watched at very close range by a pair of robins. I’m sure they are the two who have been frequenting the bird table lately.
Monday 26 February 2007
At the top of the garden is a wooden fence. The people at the back attached six feet high corrugated iron sheets to the fence many years ago, which has always looked unsightly. I’ve been undecided what to do about it, partly because is it not visible from the house, and also because I wasn’t sure of the best idea. Over the weekend I’ve made up my mind to plant Russian Vine along the fence, and train it over the corrugated sheets. This would also solve the problem of what to do with my existing Russian Vine that has been growing rampantly for several years further down the garden. Provided it is feasible to transplant, it is a ready-made solution.
Friday 23 February 2007
The wood pigeons have now mastered the art of feeding at the bird table! Two pigeons stood side by side on the roof of the table. One flew off and was able, by a clever in-flight manoeuvre, to alight on the table ledge. The table size isn’t pigeon-friendly. It’s designed with robins and blue tits in mind. But by lowering its head, the pigeon was able to peck the fat snax on the table. It was soon joined by the second pigeon. The two could just manage to fit on the table together. After a few minutes,they returned to the roof together, where they began to show more interest in each other than in the food.
Thursday 22 February 2007
Seems less bird activity on the table, since the supply of peanuts and sunflower seeds on the table itself has all been taken. Birds seem a bit reluctant to make the extra effort to extract food from the wire and plastic dispensers, and from the fat snax plastic nets. Perhaps they have just got used to being ‘spoon fed’, and will soon return. Yesterday I bought two large flagstones from the garden centre, which I shall use to create more garden paths in the top garden. It’s still very mild for February, but has turned wet today, which makes the soil less workable.
Wednesday 21 February 2007
A bit of work today tidying the front garden border by the drive. This needed doing before I can trim and straighten the lawn edge, using the aluminium edging that has been so effective on the other sides of the lawn. I find that green plastic edging soon breaks up. Most houses here have paved the front lawn, for car parking. I feel that a healthy lawn sets off the front garden in a unique way. It doesn’t have to be closely cut and manicured to perfection. I like to leave the grass quite long, but weed free, except for a sprinkling of daisies. Years ago I used to eradicate even daisies ruthlessly. Not now.
Tuesday 20 February 2007
I have started to tidy-up the top garden close to the paths. The risk is disturbing perennials that have died right back, or even inadvertently getting rid of them. The advantage is that an early start on clearing away the unwanted plants from last year, before much growth starts, saves effort later. The paths around the garden are a feature I enjoy. They enable a walk round the garden, even though the garden is relatively small. I’m tempted to add another path or two this year. It’s partly a balance between a pleasant walkway, and taking up valuable growing area.
Monday 19 February 2007
There’s no doubt that the bird numbers feeding at my bird table have increased steadily. The most common species are robins, great tits and blue tits. At the weekend I saw a greenfinch for the first time at the table. The total number of different species to date is now seven. I shall watch for new visitors. No sign of siskins yet, and I don’t recall ever having identified a siskin in the garden.
Yesterday I got rid of a very old Rosemary bush from the drive border. A bit sad, because it was coming into bloom, in February! Those misty blue flowers are beautiful. Must have been a good fifteen or more years old. I’ve got three others, so my plan is to take cuttings this year to renew the stock.
Friday 16 February 2007
I’ve noticed that blackbirds never come to the bird table to feed. But there is a blackbird now, a female, feeding on scraps that have fallen on the grass immediately below the bird table. At the same time as a robin is on the table, pecking at the ‘fat snax’. Robins seem partial to the ‘fat snax’, alternating between them and the peanuts on the table. They even divide their attention between the ‘fat snax’ on the table, and those hanging in the plastic nets down the side of the post. Robins seem to be more inquisitive and adaptable that some other birds, and of course this often shows in their choice of nesting sites as well.
Thursday 15 February 2007
Yesterday saw blue tits, great tits, robins and a house (or possibly hedge) sparrow feeding at the bird table. There was also for the first time a pigeon. It had evidently spotted that food was available here, and alighted on the roof of the bird table to investigate. It seemed to be looking for a way to reach the food. Strutting backwards and forwards over the roof, then craning its neck down. But the food was too far away. Meanwhile small birds were coming and going. Finally, the pigeon attempted, clumsily, to fly and hover at the food table level. It failed, and after three attempts flew away in despair or disgust.
Wednesday 14 February 2007
The garden is recovering from a rainy night. I saw a starling feeding from a hanging fat seed ball earlier this morning. Starling numbers in the garden have declined dramatically in recent years, like the song thrushes. It’s good to see a few starlings around. Before dawn there is a noisy chorus these mornings, and the blackbird alarm call is a regular feature. I wonder what is the cause of the alarm? Could it be a prowling fox? Or maybe the sparrowhawk that was in the garden recently is still around? Or perhaps the magpies are the culprits?
Tuesday 13 February 2007
This morning is sunny and dry. I’ve been watching blue tits feeding at the table. They swoop down, grab a peanut, and immediately fly off to a branch to nibble at the nut. I saw one tit wedge the nut in the fork of a branch before pecking at it. They ignore the hanging food dispensers filled with peanuts, and sunflower seeds, and go straight to the table. I haven’t seen them show any interest in the fat seed balls yet. The robins are different. They come to the table, and eat the peanuts in situ.
Monday 12 February 2007
I bought a bird table about ten days ago. It is small, and doesn’t have its own stand, so I’ve fixed it at the top of the washing line post. There are several advantages in this location. From the birds’ point of view, it is a safe feeding place, some nine feet from the ground, at the top of a slim metal post which a squirrel, cat or other predator would have great difficulty scaling, and not accessible from nearby bushes or buildings. For me, it is easily observed from my study window, and from the kitchen side window downstairs.
Friday 9 February 2007
For the first year I can recall it was possible to garden in January. Not just tidying up, or a bit of pruning, or design changes, but actually work the soil. The soil was friable and not the usual sodden compacted mass. I was able to transplant snowdrops from the back garden to the front, without damage to the bulbs. The soil was as workable as it would be in April in a usual year.
Before I claim too much for climate change, February has seen a frosty spell and snow, getting gardening back more in line with the calendar.
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