Summer Holidays

I am finally off on annual leave from work.Two weeks to enjoy the garden, and the allotment.I took this photo of a Blackbird on Friday.We took Mum to the RHS flower show at Tatton Park,in Cheshire on Saturday.

I took 265 photos at the RHS most northerly flower show.It was gloriously hot weather, and the deer park was packed out.I need to select my highlights then blog the best 24 or so photos..

Back in our garden the Mole has scaled down his digging attacks.Only one hole seems to have more dirt piled up it.For a small creature he has caused an inordinate amount of damage to our small grass lawn.

The birds have been feeding undeterred.They are eating all the fat balls like they are going out of fashion.I try to stock up the food and water daily.

The summer holidays have brought with them cloudy sky's, and rain showers.The baskets are blooming magnificently.There are explosions of colour all around the garden.The Bee's are very busy with all the nectar available in our small garden.

I harvested our first new Potatoes of the year yesterday.Three and a half pounds of Charlotte New Potatoes grown in a grow bag on the concrete path.I will go to the plot tomorrow where the early Potatoes should be ready to harvest.

Bank Holiday Dozen

Its a Bank Holiday Monday and guess what?It is raining cats and dogs outside.I took this photo today.The Rose Harlow Carr is covered in raindrops.I guess its a good thing as the rain has been scarce for most of March,April,and May.Our pond needs plenty of rain to keep its level topped up.It had lost a lot of its original water during the hot sunny days as shown by tidemarks on the black edge of the pond.

The Flag Iris look beautiful covered in rain drops.The pond water below, and the raindrops above reflect the cloudy unsettled sky.

The Rose Harlow Carr is very fragrant.The plant has the smallest Rosebuds.They obviously pack more flower petal into a smaller space than usual Roses!I saw these Roses growing in the scented garden at Harlow Carr many visits there ago and had it on my wish list.

This is the tantalising Rose Bud of the Rose Molineux.We bought five of these to form a low hedge in the front garden.I will plant them in the winter.They are resting in the David Austin pots still by the house.These have a glorious golden yellow colouration.I cannot wait to see how they look with all five flowering together.

The only thing to do when its raining hard is watch the Gardens Wildlife.This is a juvenile Squirrel who keeps coming into the garden to raid the fat balls,sunflower hearts, and the peanuts.He is so agile like a fluffy tailed acrobat.He can leap between vertical structures, hang upside down, and is tenacious despite being disturbed by me many times.He runs off, waits, then returns to the food.I do not know if the squirrels live around here or if they cross the road where the deciduous woodland is?

The garden is always full of birds flying in and out.Eating, drinking,squabbling, and singing.They are a constant source of amusement and interest.The garden has attracted a lot of baby birds recently.Fluffy Blue Tits and House Sparrows.Beating their wings to be fed by the parent birds.I hope that the Baby birds grow up and return as adults to feed, and drink here.The only thing we have not done yet is put up nest boxes.This is on the to do list.

The Sun was actually shining yesterday.After I got soaked at the allotment the clouds drifted away and the sun came out.I took some photos yesterday that contrast to the wet flowers of today.On the decking outside the backdoor I have this decorative frog watering can with red glass eyes, and the red and yellow Primula that was dug up by a squirrel?,and left wilting.I rescued it,revived it, and put it into a smaller pot as a table decoration.It has re payed me by flowering away.

The Lupins,Geums,and Californian Lilac always shimmer in the sunlight.I keep trying to capture the diffuse light they make when the sun illuminates them from behind.I love the Alium Everest seed head leaning at forty five degrees.

The Teasels have grown massively in the wildflower area, and the sunken border.They are now towering at six feet high with sharp edged leaves, and pouches where they capture and hold water between their leaves.These are plants I have grown from the original Trilby Street seed head.These did not flower last year, but will this year.I have collected four self seeded plants so far which are growing in the greenhouse. Next year they will replace these plants.The self seeding plants will guarantee this plant in the garden for years to come.I love how tall, and architectural they are.Tough,rugged,and elegant looking.The dried seed heads are beloved by Goldfinches allegedly.

Another pleasing feature of the garden is the wildflower area.This flower has bloomed a few days ago.It looked like a Chrysanthenum as it was growing.The flower opened out to this beautiful Sun daisy.The wildflower mix has been sowed twice now, and is being left to grow itself.It will hopefully self seed and perpetuate itself.Every year should have a different feel to it as various flowers win the battle.There will be no compost added to the area around the pond.I want it to stay poor soil to encourage Wildflowers.The Bee's have already been drawn to the Wildflower area.

This was the first day that the Harlow Carr Rose bloomed.It looks beautiful.It is named after the RHS garden in Harrogate.I have the Wisley rose too that my Mum sent me for Xmas in 2009.I think Roses are so pretty, and romantic.I think gardens need at least one (if not eleven Rose bushes like me).I still want a Dog Rose,some Climbing Roses, and a few more upright ones from David Austin.The David Austins have been bred by an expert, selected, and trialed before they go on sale.The price is more, but the Roses are superb in shape,colour, and health.Botanic Gardens around the world mass plant these I bet.

The last photo is of a Blue Tit eating fat balls from the cage that is closest to the house.These are amazingly agile birds, very quick, and hard to photograph.

Springwatch starts tonight on BBC2 from Wales.Kate Humble,Chris Packham,and Martin Hughes-Games present three weeks of wildlife watching from RSPB Ynyr-Hirs reserve.I love Springwatch.It is one of the tv highlights of the year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/uk

Our garden is made for us, but is designed to attract wildlife,Bees, and Butterflies.Our pond has attracted Newts, and Frogs.The organic garden has a Hedgehog that visits to dine nightly on the slugs and snails.There are Pipestrelle Bats that fly around the house at twilight and night catching all the flying insects.We can hear the nearby Owls twit-a-wooing or screeching at night.All the wildlife is within a short distance of the house which is amazing.

The garden can attract wildlife, and be beautiful to look at.

Champagne and Jazz

I have spent the day shopping today with Cat.We went into town for some more Bird food.These Goldfinches always appreciate the nijer seed in the container.They have started to come back into the garden to feed.I have three large Teasels growing.The two in the sunken border are over six feet tall now and will grow lovely comb like flower heads which will turn into ornate dried seed heads for the Goldfinches to eat.

The Astrantia's continue to attract insects.Bee's get lulled to sleep on these pink cushion like flowers.This Ladybird was accommodating in letting me photograph him.I love how you can pick these beetles up and let them walk all over your hand before letting them get back to the business of eating aphids.

This is a photo from the Greenhouse looking down the concrete path towards the house.The two compost bins are on the right hand side.The bird feeder moves up and down the path to try to avoid the food spilt by the birds accumulating.

Roses,Hostas,Lilys, and mixed tubs sit besides the fence creating a live river of green.the planting softens the hard edges.I want eventually to have a border running alongside the path so there is two rivers of green plants.

The Sambuca nigra has survived being dug up from the old house.It originally collapsed and all the leaves died back in shock.I left it in the soil, then examined the roots.There was new root growth so I left the plant in.It has rewarded us with lovely black ferny growth, and these Champagne bubble like flowers, exploding out above the dark fronds.This is one of my favourite plants.It is very elegant and pretty to look at.

Growing in a container now is this Dianthus Jazz.This flower has soft pink and white flowers with a slight scent of cloves.It is a contrast to the electric Magenta plants of its sibling.These are picturesque and are perennials.The new Dianthus Red has not flowered yet.

Even Bees need to rest occasionally.This Bee was resting under the leaf of one of the Sweet Peas that are clambering up the green netting.He was very sluggish so maybe had overdone the collecting pollen?

When we were out shopping I bought four bags of compost,five pots of new grasses (festuca Glaucas),some guidebooks for British Butterflies, and British Insects.

I have planted my Outdoor Girl Tomato's in two containers.The red Cherry Tomato's need planting into the greenhouse grow bags.

May is a month of much activity, and a lot of blooming flowers.Time to go to the allotment tomorrow.

Garden Catchup

I have finally finished my night shifts.After resting yesterday I spent the day reacquainting myself with the garden. This photo shows the Lupins, the Aliums, and the Ceanothus together growing cheek by jowl. The colours all complement each other, cool shades of blue,purple, and white. The Ceanothus is also called California Lilac and should hopefully bring the Bees in for miles with its honey scented Blue flowers.

The Aquilegias have flowered now.These are the Dragonfly mixed Variety.The pink petals and spurs/white centre contrast to the black ferny leaves of the Sambuca growing next to the clump. The other Aquilegias are more darker coloured. The two Aquilegia Fruit and Nut I bought have not done anything this year.The two varietys will probably hybradise and self seed for years to come.

The warm dry weather has encouraged a boom in the amount of Aphids. The Lupins pictured above had a huge amount of Aphids eating the sweet nectar from the flower spikes. The local House Sparrows descended into the sunken border and proceeded to eat the Aphids. They look liked fine diners eating Corn On The Cob as they moved up and down the Lupins flower spikes.My second lot of Lupins have also got a lot of aphids. More fine dining for the House Sparrows.

I love the natural selection of House Sparrows controlling Aphid populations.I feed the Sparrows seed and Fatball and they keep my plants in good condition.

This is a close up of the Lilac tree flowers. The flowers are starting to wind down now. The variegated tree leaves are covering the branches though. I bought a painting on Canvas of Lilac Tree Flowers and Leaves.I hope year on year that the flowers increase in number.

Flowering away in the Wildflower area around the pond are these two beautiful flowers. The first is white and reminds me of Chicory. The buds behind the flower are like enlarged balloons. I think these were seeds in the Wildflower mix I sowed last year.I do not know what its called.

This pink flower is also blooming in the Wildflower patch today.It has nine petals around a central stamen. The leaves are small and triangular.I hope to be able to find these two flowers in my Wildflower book.

I watered the pots along the garden path. All my Roses, Hostas,Lilys (Casa Blanca,Tiger, Oriental Stargazer, Madonna Lily, and Asiatic),Alpine Strawberries, and the Potatoes in Grow bags.

It actually rained yesterday for the first time in weeks. It was a passing shower so its been dry and sunny today. The pond is actually an inch lower now than when I filled it originally.I can see the water marks dipping down.

I hope that I can plant all my Greenhouse plants at the allotment soon.Only a few days ago I forgot to close the greenhouse door and there was a frost.My Broccoli Garnet look slightly sickly today.They might have to be substituted by Hampsons bought plants.

The sun is shining now as I write this.I will cook some Chocolate Chip Muffins later.I topped up the birds food and changed their water. The garden is always full of Garden Birds.They like my organic and wildlife friendly garden.

Its been nice to catch up with the garden and to show more than one photo.

Debris And Darwin

I have been chilling in the garden for the past two days. Watching the birds flying into the feeders.
I saw the two Linnetts the other day.I saw a Greenfinch this morning feasting on the sunflower hearts.
The milder conditions seems to have inspired flocks of birds to descend into the garden.
I cleared a lot of the debris left in the wildflower patch. There is some bare soil now ready for any seeds to germinate.
The Pond is cool and clear, and has masses of beasties swimming around. I hope that I will see some Frogs again and dragonflys this year.
I planted the white Echinaceas in the sunken border. I removed two leggy Lavenders to make some space.
I have cleared away the debris that had accumulated over the winter. The cleaning up helps you reacquaint yourself with your plants. Seeing which ones have survived and which ones have disappeared.
I want to order some gardening books. I remember somebody saying about a book about Victorian plant hunters. I cant remember what it was called..
I was looking on Amazon and came across a book about Charles Darwins garden at Hope House. I will order that to read. Its funny how gardening can encompass so many other areas like history, culture, and science.
If you know the title of the plant hunters book email me or leave a comment

Siskin Suprise

These Teasels and Dried Verbena bonarensis are still striking in the sunken border. They were crushed under the snow, then frozen night after night. They have survived and are very architectural in shape and form together.
These need cutting down and the winter debris in the sunken border cleared ready for the spring bulbs.
I have spent the day watching nature programmes on the BBC i player.
The first was called Human Planet looking at how people have adopted to various environments around the world. The BBC filmed for three years all around the globe, with many indigenous peoples.
The second program was a Natural World Special about the Mesopotamian Marshes in Southern Iraq. These were originally thought to be the inspiration for the Garden of Eden. The former dictator Saddam Hussain wanted to destroy the Indigenous Marsh Arab population. He built Canals and rivers that drained 12,000 km of marshland leaving it as an arid desert.
The BBC filmed an Iraqi mans quest to rebuild the lost marshlands. The Wildlife and Birds returned once it had been re flooded. The old buried seeds of the marsh Reeds survived a decade of dessication, and once the waters flooded the area they germinated. Filling the area back with its traditional plants. It shows how political decisions can decimate an area, and that areas can sometimes be brought back from the edge of extinction.
The garden today was full of birds flying to and from the feeders. The highlight today for me was two Siskins feeding below the Goldfinches. The bowl had mixed bird seed and the Siskins were tucking in. They have black and yellow stripey feathers, with olive green body's and tan undersides. I have not seen them at our Bird Feeders before today..
It is the RSPB's big garden bird count next weekend. I hope to have an hour in the morning to count the birds for their study. It provides a snapshot of bird numbers all across the UK.
The Spring Bulbs are starting to show themselves from the soil. The green cones are symbolic that Spring is approaching.

Name Of The Shrub

This luscious green leaves shrub has these dainty white flower buds on it. I do not know what it is called. We had it in the garden growing in compressed soil. It is not very tall. I transplanted it into a small Grecian urn. I keep meaning to re pot again in a new bigger, roomier pot.
I have been working lots of nights, and day shifts. I keep thinking about doing a blog post but procrastinating.
The weather here has turned decidedly wintry. Snow has fallen for the earliest time in 17 years. Scotland and the North East have been hit by heavy snow fall..
Here in West Yorkshire the temperature has dropped to minus seven last night. The soil has frozen solid (good thing I planted the Spring Bulbs at last) and nothing is moving around.
The squirrel has blunted his claws trying to dig the frozen earth up in my planter tubs..
All the water in the garden has frozen, including the pond. The Pond has only frozen over the surface. There is water beneath still liquid. The resident Frogs are probably sleeping at the bottom, absorbing oxygen through their skins.
I topped up the birds food today. I'm always aware of their plight when freezing winter hits. There was a good program on BBC4 about the history of Garden Birds.
One of my favourite tags "Garden Birds" was a Victorian invention, after mass movement from the country to industrial cities. The workers missed the birds that they saw in the country. The only birds that followed were House Sparrows.
A severe Victorian Winter killed many Goldfinches, and started the craze to leaving crumbs of bread for the Birds. People were yearning for a country idyll, and the charitable urge to help all Gods creatures.
All the bird tables, Nesting Boxes feeders, fat balls, and water bowls came from this Victorian charitable instinct to feed the birds.
The temperature never rose above two degrees today so all the frozen water stayed frozen. December is nearly here.I wish i knew what the evergreen shrub was called.

Birds And Bulbs

The two types of Lavender I have are still flowering away beautifully. I love rubbing the tough stemmed leaves and smelling the fragrant Lavender plant.
The Birds have been busy feeding today. The bird feeders have been busier than they have been for days.
I read that the birds I'm seeing in the garden will probably be migrants from Europe and other parts of the UK.
My Blackbird from May has long gone, and his Russian cousin Olaf is now feeding in the garden.
I saw Blue tits, Great tits, Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Goldfinches, Starlings, and Blackbirds. I read that you will only see 10 percent of the birds that visit your garden.
There must be hundreds then that visit daily. I only watch the garden for some of the time.
I finally finished planting the Spring Bulbs. The nights have got frosty and the soil is starting to be frozen in the mornings. The birds water is also freezing into icy blocks overnight and needed breaking up daily.
I planted Daffodils, Narcissus, Tulips, Aliums, Dwarf Irises, Freesias, and Hyacinths in the sunken border, and along the edge of the shed. I need some pots to plant the remaining bulbs. I had more bulbs than i could plant...
The spring garden will be full of flowering jewel colours. The cold winter is approaching, but the thought of the spring will keep me going through the cold dark days

Simple Pleasures

The shorter days have caused one of the Xmas Cactus on the kitchen windowsill to start flowering. Beautiful white, shiny flowers hang down from the green segmented leaves. The sun was shining today in between torrential rain showers and gusting winds.

Indoor plants can brighten up the house when the weather outside is appalling. Bringing colour and light to the house. I have seven plants on the kitchen windowsill. An Aloe Vera, Two Cactus, Three Xmas/Easter Cactus, and a Money Tree plant.
The front room has two Rubber Tree plants and a Spider plant that is hung on the curtain pole.
House Plants and me have always been closely associated, Maybe I like bringing elements of the garden indoors.
The gale forced Winds have wreaked havoc on my bird feeders. The tall feeder station got blown over and broke my new Nijer seed feeder catching bowl (that was under the feeder to catch the seeds and prevent mass germination on the grass below), and the seed feeder smashed. I need to buy replacements.
I repositioned the feeders and was rewarded by the site of a Squirrel, Eight Collared Doves, a Blue Tit, a Robin, and two Goldfinches in the fading light of the day.
The other pleasure in cold wet weather is watching the wildlife in the garden.I will keep feeding them throughout the winter.

Fall Views

I thought I would show a longer view of the garden from the backdoor at the moment. It is showing hints of Autumn hues and yellowing leaves. My statue is in the centre of the rows of Hostas. The purple Lupin is flowering away. The seed heads of the Teasel are drying to brown. I want to see if my regular flock of Goldfinches eat the seed over the coming winter.

The Anemone De Caen is flowering. It has an electric blue colour that swirls around the petals. The Stamen looks like a liquorice all sort sweet..

The Hostas have all flowered, and all the flowers have turned to seed heads. The leaves are turning yellow and brown. I have sorted them out ready for repotting over the winter. I think if I keep repotting in bigger pots that the Hosta clumps will grow year on year.
The garden birds are also visiting the garden in greater numbers as the daytime temperature falls, and the night comes earlier.
It was raining again today so I have been making Scones, and Chocolate Chip Muffins. The house smells of warm baking as I type this. The birds are busy feeding in the garden. I have seen a Baby Robin today. I hope he keeps coming to feed over the winter.

Three G's

I was off today but the weather was very inclement. It was raining heavily throughout the night, and blowing a gale! Our skylights nearly opened themselves with the strength of the wind.
When i got up and ventured out into the garden the wind had blown my bird feeder station over unfortunately killing a Goldfinch. I can only assume he was feeding when the strong wind toppled over the station. The base is a 15 kilo granite stone so its not light.
The Goldfinch was even more beautiful at close range with hundreds of feathers covering his little body. The yellows were so vibrant on the wing bars.
The other day we had a Bird of Prey cause chaos at the bird feeders. He flew in over the house and around the old conifers that grow beyond the back of our garden. He swooped into the fleeing birds and then back across the road.
The flight was so quick I dont know if he caught his dinner. I still do not know what kind of bird of prey it was. He was like a black shadow in the sky, but the garden birds put out their alarm call and scattered like the anthill mob!
You feel a strange feeling when a raptor is dive bombing your favourite Goldfinches and House Sparrows. I love the Raptors as a group so i was torn between my loyalties. Nature can be pretty unforgiving sometimes..
I rescued this pretty Geranium out of my sickly hanging baskets. I love the pink flowers and khaki green leaves. It is good to have colour on a windy, grey day.
It felt like an autumnal day. The leaves are rapidly changing colour, and the first few leaves have dropped. It was cold today with a bitter north wind.
I moved the feeders to the static feeding station, and pretty soon the garden birds had worked out where the food had gone to. I did not want any more casualties of the wind.

Retro Blue

This Globe Thistle has taken two years to grow before it is flowering. I love the Japanese manga look of the blue Thistle. The Flowers are little Blue Stars growing at the end of the Globe. It has nice spiky architectural leaves.
This plant was bought from Wilkos for a pound, but has taken two more seasons to grow its first flower.
It is perennial and is much loved by Bee's.
I topped up all the birds food today. Replenishing the Nijer seed, Sunflower hearts, bird seed mix, fatballs, and Suet treat in a new rectangular cage.
The cool grey days are getting shorter again. The Sun is rising later, and setting earlier. The Garden looks raggedy and needs my green fingers when im off work to tidy up.
The Pond and the Bird feeding station are still attracting lots of wildlife. I spend a lot of time just watching the comings and goings.
The first bags of Spring Bulbs have been bought and are sat in the Shed outside waiting for the garden to be cleared so I can work out where to plant the bulbs.
I hope this Echinops has more growth over the winter and that it flowers even more beautifully next year. The virgin garden has been planted with lots of perennials. They should increase in size and vigour. I have some compost in the bin which will hopefully be ready soon. This will be dug into the sunken border, and will hopefully increase the soils fertility.

Hot Day And Garden Therapy

The Song Thrush is a regular visitor to our garden now. He guards the suet treats and chases off all comers, especially the Starlings.
I have enjoyed a few days off from work. I went to the allotment today but it was so hot that I left around midday. The 27 degrees centigrade sun cooked me, and made the sweat pour down my brow into my glasses.
I decided on the way back from the plot that the pond needed a few more aquatic plants. I walked to Hampsons via a public footpath that runs through Fields of Wheat, and a luscious Wildflower meadow. It was extremely peacefull except for little brown birds singing in the small trees.
The pond has taken the new plants from Hampsons. Once the muddy waters have settled down I will photograph it. I spend a good deal of time now staring at the still waters trying to see if there are bugs and beasties in the water, or skating around on top of it. It started off sterile and lifeless, but has developed life over the week or so it has been in existence.
I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to pond building, aquatic plants, and water gardening in general. My ups and downs will be recorded here on the blog.
I'm hoping that the days at work bring Rain. It has been a very dry period recently. The allotment has been baked dry in places. The garden, the Wild flower pond side bed, and the allotment all need rain..
After we lost the football i immersed myself back into the garden. My green therapy.

Bleeding Heart And Aphid

This little Aphid was sat on the Dicentra's new heart shaped flower. The plant has bedded in well and had developed new growth including new flower buds. The buds start off as small flat hearts, but gradually expand as they develop. I love the jewel like moisture inside the white pockets of the flower.
The garden is full today of feeding birds. The newest bird species to the garden is a pink breasted Bullfinch and its fledgling. The pair of them keep visiting our garden.
A few days ago I saw House Sparrows flying in and out of my Roses. They were feeding on all the Aphids that were attacking the Rose bushes. Its the first time I have seen birds eating aphids.
My day always starts when im off with going outside to top up the birds food, and replace all the water so its clean. I have two bird station waterbowls, the plastic birdbath, and a floor ceramic bird bath. Fresh water is as important as the food. It is used for drinking, bathing, and preening.
It was been raining earlier today, so I am just relaxing at the kitchen table watching the garden through the french doors. Its cloudy but dry now. The birds are singing away outside. I can watch them and plan the rest of the garden.

Clematis And Blackbird

The Clematis Angelique is in bloom now. I loved the soft violet coloured petals of the flower, and the ornate centre where the seed head will form later on. I wanted to grow this is a tub up a frame. Cats idea is to grow it from a pot up the brick wall behind the kitchen door. An arched trellis would support its climbing habit and covered the brick work with pretty flowers in the Spring.

I covered the soil with my bark chippings. I read that Clematis like Sun on their flowers and leaves, but cool, damp root systems. There is even a pruning guide on the plant label. I thought if I can get a winter flowering Clematis to grow alongside Angelique then we could have flowers most of the year round. This Clematis flowers from June to October. The greenhouse it grew in obviously forced it to flower in May.

Tonight sees the return of Springwatch on BBC 2. It is a live wildlife program being broadcast from Pensthorpe in Norfolk, with reporters in several other locations around the UK. It follows animals and birds that are living in Britain. It encourages people to get out and actively search for wildlife to observe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/uk/
The average British garden has a vast array of wildlife in it and around it. Sometimes things are so common that they become invisible. Springwatch makes the spectacle of nature exhilirating and exciting following the life stories of various species of birds and animals. For example a family of Blue Tits, a Wren family, and a nesting Avocet are being broadcast live on Webcam. It is on Tv in the evening for 3 weeks.
In the garden today this Blackbird was posing on our fence. He had his eye on some Suet feed on the bird table. I love the golden beak contrasting to the black body feathers.

When I bought the suet/seed mix in a plastic tub nothing went near it for a few days. I noticed then that it has a few peck marks in it. Now after two weeks the tub is nearly empty. Song Thrushes, and Blackbirds are flocking to eat the fatty snack, and to take it away to feed hungry fledglings.
The garden is full of birds now that are attracted to the new feeders. They are displaying their natural behaviour. I have seen aggression, courtship, and even mating (Cat blushed at the antics of the Collared Doves on our fence. I always thought they were quite virginal, not exhibitionists!).
Fledgling House Sparrows sit on the feeders beating their little wings, chirping at their parents to feed them. I have seen Blue Tits on my Monkey Puzzle Tree, Woodpigeons fighting on the path, House Sparrows drinking from the water bowls, Starlings bathing in the birdbath, Bee's pollinating my Raspberry and Strawberry flowers, and just now typing this House Sparrows rolling around my Strawberry bed having a dust bath!
All this activity has happened within the confines of our garden, in the middle of an urban estate. The bird song is frenetic from early morning starting with the Dawn Chorus, until the Dusk makes the birds go to roost. As the sun sets it triggers the release of the Bats into the still twilight air. The first night we stayed in this house we heard Owls twit-a-wooing in some nearby trees somewhere.I have not heard them since. I heard a Cuckoo when I went to work one morning in the deciduous woodland across the road from our house.
A new mystery from today is that something has been digging my planter boxes out, on the concrete path. Soil has been dug and thrown onto the concrete that the planters are on. leaving holes in the soil!I will try to observe it to see who has been digging. They have not eaten the plants. I think they were interested in insects beneath the bark chippings in the compost.
The garden is slowly attracting all manner of wildlife. Making the garden attractive to wildlife is one of the priorities on my list of what I want from the garden. I think i have started off well on that road.
Springwatch is always one of the highlights of the year for me. As a post Chelsea RHS flower show Tonic Kate Humble and Chris Packham are brilliant.

Hitch And Home

We are finally settling into the new house, and one of our favourite visitors to the garden is a Nuthatch (named Hitch by Cat). He is the image of this daily telegraph photo. He flys upto the Sunflower hearts, takes one, then batters the heart on the fence with a solid crack of his beak on the wood.
After long days and nights I have four days off to do some gardening, and seeing whats growing up at the allotment. We are due to have internet put on tomorrow which means I can finally blog my before garden photos which are on the other laptop.
I have spent the time here so far making up hanging baskets, observing where the sun rises, and how it crosses the sky in relation to the garden. Watching the wildlife, and planning the garden.
The bird feeders are a hive of activity, and you can while away an hour just watching the garden birds like Hitch.
I took Cat to Hampsons today to buy new plants for the new garden. I have bought Paeony, Aquilegias, Stipa grasses, Hollyhocks, a new Dicentra Bleeding hearts, Heuchera, Lupins, and a Butterfly Bush ready for clearing, digging, and planting tomorrow. I bought three bags of top soil ready to be dug into the first bed.
The boxes are finally getting unpacked and the house is becoming more homely. We had our large American Fridge/Freezer delivered today too.

Blackbird And Baskets

We woke this morning to a hung parliament which means nobody has complete control of the country. Its like having three head gardeners all squabbling about the lawn, or what goes in the flower beds, or when to prune the Clematis. Its much better to have one leader.
This Blackbird was captured mid hop running alongside the planter boxes. He is only bothered about worms and eating food.
Yesterday I planted two hanging baskets and one planter box at the new house. I used the mixed Lobellia, and plants from the hanging basket mix to fill them.
We had wardrobe problems when they only delivered one half of a pack of two. A few phone calls later I had to go to the shop to pick up box one of two! The second Wardrobe still needs putting together.
I have put up a fancy new feeder at the new garden. It has four hooks, a seed bowl, a water bowl, and a hook for fat snacks to hang on. I recycled some Strawberry plants into the raised bed.
We are both working the next three nights. I will blog again on Monday after a sleep. Have a good weekend wherever you are.

Show And Stars

This is the Cactus in flower at the new house. The pink star glows yellow in the middle, like a burning coal fire. Cat bought this from the Harrogate Spring Flower show a week ago, and it has flowered since we brought it back. Its May now which means The RHS Chelsea flower show is only a mere three weeks away (the 25th-29th May).


This is the biggest flower show in the world from a horticultural excellence point of view. I will be watching the show from the comfort of our front room as all tickets have sold out. My dream is one year to go to the RHS Chelsea flower show..
Talking of Stars I have to say that if you are lucky enough to have tickets for Chelsea go to see the Growing World Class Talent garden at RHW43. It is being built now by a team of young landscape gardeners. There is an organisation called UK Skills that helps young people compete in high standard competitions against competitors from around the world, in a variety of skills such as landscape gardening, bricklaying, electrical installation, cabinet making, floristry, and stonemasonry. These young people have competed (or want to win a place) at World Skills, the largest skills competition in the world. 1200 people from fifty countries will compete in front of 150,00 visitors It is a biennial competition. The next one is in London in 2011.
I have been asked to mention members of the team building the garden. Keith Chapman, William Gadd, and Grant Finch. There is no bigger stage for you to show your stuff off. Good luck guys! I hope that you get a medal, but im sure the experience will be priceless..
The garden has been designed by Paul Green , and will be constructed under the guidance of Harry Turner, lecturer at Askham Bryan college. I hope that Alan Titchmarsh and Co show this garden off on the tv. It will have a pond, wall, Apple Tree, Fescue grassed area,and lots of wild flowers. It will be wildlife friendly.
The RHS link to this garden is: http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2010/Gardens/A-to-Z/Growing-World-Class-Talent

My Chaffinch finally came back and I got his photo at about half past seven on monday night. He is very handsome with his blue/red feathers and black/white wings. He enjoys the new seeds I bought from Wilkos. He prefers there seed mix.
He is a star of our garden, reclusive, shy, but spectacular when he appears.

Snow Bliss

The garden has this shrub in it from the previous owners. Its white bell like flowers are totally covering the green leaves. It has the look of an Azalea or Rhodadendron.
The photo shows how white the flowers look, like fallen snow in April after my second night shift.
I'm working nights so today's post was after a walk around the garden, pure bliss. The Tulips are forming buds, and the Aliums. The Roses are growing beautifully in the pots ready for moving.
The fruit trees are growing their leaves now, ready for the mass of sweet smelling blossom soon.
Even the Peach Tree is growing gorgeous pink flowers. The sunshine has made everything grow on..
The dawn chorus is playing outside the patio doors as I write this on the laptop. I have just watched three Greenfinches on the feeder. That's the most I have seen in one sitting..my regular Goldfinches are dining on niger seeds.
All these things seen will help me sleep, and look forward to my days off when i can explore the garden with my camera.

Conifer Chorus

Its Easter Monday today and I'm finally off work for two days. The weather is typical for a bank holiday, wet and windy.
This bird was sat in the conifers singing away.I think he is a very musical Dunnock. He stays away from the bird feeders and prefers to dine on insects. He is singing now as I write this on the dining room table by the patio windows.
The RSPB released their big garden watch bird count results from January. It showed that the cold weather had effected the smaller birds like the Long Tailed Tits and Goldcrests .
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/results/
Traditional country birds were seen in gardens eating from garden feeders.
The Goldfinches have found the bird feeder station which I have started to move around the garden to stop a build up of dropped seed. The Narnia lights and left raised border are recovering now. The birds normally find their way to the moved station quite quickly.
What I need to buy once we move is a cast iron Birdbath like the one that the garden has here. The birds all alight to drink and wash in it. The station has a little plastic bowl but the big birds prefer the big one.
Cat spotted a visitor the other day who alighted on a roof across from our house. I will blog about him next time. He has a long beak, long legs, and loves fish...
I hope that the rain stops enough for me to go to the allotment today to prepare the beds for planting. The weather is forecast better for tomorrow.