Starting August 24th, we haven’t heard the Sparrowhawks and we have wondered if they have left the area. At the same time the small birds seem to have returned with bluetits, great tits, long-tailed tits and coal tits at the bird feeder and great spotted woodpeckers in the trees. It will be interesting to see…… Continue reading Sparrowhawk Saga – Continued
Category: Garden
Sparrowhawk saga
Those of you who follow us on twitter or facebook will have seen a number of posts about our local sparrowhawks. To summarise: Back in May we saw a pile of sticks in our oak tree and noticed a sparrowhawk sitting around and carrying twigs to (what we assumed was) its nest. We’ve seen sparrowhaks…… Continue reading Sparrowhawk saga
Spinach Harvested
For many years I’ve tried to grow spinach but it always seems to bolt and go to seed before it’s ready to pick. So this year I chickened out and bought some plants from the local garden centre. I also put a good helping of garden compost on the vegetable bed which may have helped.…… Continue reading Spinach Harvested
Peacock Butterfly
There seems to have been a shortage of butterflies so far this year (although the cabbage whites are keen to lay eggs on my broccoli). However I was pleased to see this in my garden the other day. Its interesting to see how the caterpillars can change into something so attractive.
2024 – Preparing for a Glut of some vegetables
As I’ve said before, this year has been strange. The cool start to the season meant that many things didn’t germinate when I expected them to (in fact there’s been poor germination throughout). The result was that I sowed some things again and I ended up with more plants than I expected. The second issue…… Continue reading 2024 – Preparing for a Glut of some vegetables
Crows & Moss
I mentioned the other day that the crows are having a go at the moss in our “lawn”. Just to prove what they are doing here are a couple of photos and videos. Raked up Moss A wheelbarrow full One Crow working on their own Two crows working harder Now, I don’t know what they…… Continue reading Crows & Moss
2024 – More Flowers
As spring continues, we’re getting yet more flowers showing through. Fritillaria, epimedium, more hybridised primulas, hellebores. The crows are also having a go at our “lawn” again, pulling up the moss. It seems that they’re looking for things to eat underneath rather than nest building. Sowed some lettuces today, hopefully they’l start to produce in…… Continue reading 2024 – More Flowers
What to do about Moles
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I’d got some molehills in my vegetable bed. Our garden backs on to some fields and, in the past, we’ve had moles at the border between our garden and the fields and (occasionally) coming down the hedge between us and our next door neighbour. However, this is…… Continue reading What to do about Moles
Apple Blossom Time 2023
This time of year I’m always pleased to see that the trees look like they’ll produce a reasonable harvest (the optimist in me, the weather always makes a difference). Anyway, the eater is showing a good helping of blossom. The cooker is always a couple of weeks later so that is yet to come. Surprisingly,…… Continue reading Apple Blossom Time 2023
The Role of Mushrooms in Gardening: Why Grow Your Own
Mushrooms and slime mold growing in the garden? Some might think this spells bad news for their plants, but this isn’t the case. In fact, fungi play …The Role of Mushrooms in Gardening: Why Grow Your Own