Thursday, May 18, 2006

Sunshine on a rainy day

Hurray in between showers I actually managed to cut the grass, take sixty three photos of the garden, plant eleven brave morning glories, and go shopping to Asda.
The weather is mad, sunshine, then cloudy, then heavy showers.I rushed around trimming the border edges.I weeded the front and side borders, but only managed a few in the long border.
There is new growth everywhere.The rain is like an elixir Vitae inspiring new life from all my plants, shrubs, tree's, grass, and weeds!
I felt very alive today with the birds singing, wind blowing the hedge and tree's.The world around me dissapeared for a little while.I worked methodically, drinking gallons of tea and observing, photographing.After an enforced layoff it was good to be back to the garden.
As i trimmed, weeded, and dug I reflected that in its exposed position I will always have dandelions, bindweed, nettle, bramble.The wind blows in seeds, the birds drop them (I think i got an apple pip seedling.Its in a pot with two mystery weeds.Someones blog ends may all your weeds be wildflowers.So I have 3 pots of ???).
I have not laid down any more slug pellets because of the birds.I dont want them chemicaly killed slugs and ingesting poisons.I have read about wildlife friendy gardens.I need to encourage a balance between pests/predators like a natural balance.
Very lion king-ish a la circle of life.If they eat my morning glories i will not be happy!!
To that end I have a hedge, long uncut grass around the edges deliberately to encourage ladybirds, hedgehogs.If i can work out where I will put some water down.Frogs, lizards etc.
Each garden is like a micro environment within an urban setting where I live.If enough people have tree's, hedges, wild grass and flowers, then butterflies and bee's will come.
Its like an individual response to global warming, destruction of rainforest, and in fact many natural environments are being destroyed, displacing wildlife, exterminating species of plants, tree's, animals, etc.
Like the dinosaurs, then the dodo, once it becomes extinct it is gone.I hope with new skills I can teach people about organic gardening, wildlife sanctuarys, etc.
Im not an expert but it's in our magasines here in the UK.I will post some links when i find them via google!!
Pics to follow (a few, not all sixty three!!).I just walked around the dark garden, its still raining but there was a quiet, serene feel to the garden.The stillness of night, the growth of plants away from human eyes.They collect energy via the sun during the day, then party on all night.

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