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Well it was a baby magpie and now it is being looked after at a a wildlife home near Chichester. So I am sure it will make it to adulthood. On a gardening note I have been pulling up my spent for-ge-tme-nots and shaking the seed over the borders for self seeding next spring. Tomorrow I am going to trim back the Wisteria tendrels, which will give me more space to walk along a pathway at the side of the house.
Stunning Wisteria
I was working in the garden yesterday when a baby bird fell out of its nest I think it was a baby magpie and was quite large. We looked for the nest but couldn’t find it so I found some snails and tiny slugs and now we know it will take food from us a friend is going to try to keep it alive until it fledges. Lets hope it makes it.
As I turned on the water feature today I didn’t look at what I was doing but I felt something very slimy. It was a snail hiding away in a very cool and shady area. I have also noticed slug trails on the patio so although I have not seen any slugs and snails until today they are still lurking in cool places waiting for the night time so they can come out and eat any new growth when no one is looking.
The reason I wasn’t looking was because I had noticed that the Peonny was flowering and looking so beautiful . In fact there is so much appearing on an hourly basis there is always something new to look at.
Oh by the way my baby blackbirds have flown the nest safely so I can relax.
As I stand here peeling potatoes for our supper, I am watching a Mummy and Daddy blackbird tirelessly feed their young. I had sneaky peak into the nest yesterday and was amazed to see that they have four hungry mouths to feed. I feel like an expectant Mother myself watching out for any Magpies that might also be watching the proud parents. It makes realise why I love gardening so much. It is the continuous interaction with nature watching the seasons change, the fresh air and nurturing the plants in my garden so that I can enjoy a green space surrounded by other creatures that can also enjoy my garden.
Mummy Blackbird
Today is just so lovely, the bees are buzzing and I have seen lots of butterflies flitting around. The Magnolia Stellata in the garden is looking so lovely but I think the sun is going to burn the flowers if the weather stays this warm. Another job that is going to be full on now is to keep the pots watered, the spring flowers are struggling with these temperatures and I have had to move them around so that they re in semi shaded positions.
Dead heading my daffodils seems to be a daily task and weeding is to. I am going to get the hoe out then I can leave the little weeds to frazzle in the sun then pick them up and pop onto the compost heap.
The large compost heap in this garden has hardly rotted down at all so all I can do is wait……… Athough I did read in my foraging book that you can eat Hairy Bittercress. So I have my first salad crop growing. It tasts a bit like watercress, spinach and rocket all rolled into one. It likes open ground so now is the time you see it popping up all over the place.
After the lovely weather we are enjoying here in Surrey, the garden is bursting into bloom on a daily basis. It’s Daffodil time now with their sunny little faces filling every little corner of the garden.
Of course with the warmer days we can get carried away and think Summer is just round the corner. Not only forgetting to take a coat like I did then it rained but by carrying out jobs ie Hydrangea dead heading, only to find a clear frosty night follows a stunning mild day. Mother Nature just likes to keep us on our toes!
Weeds are another sign that the soil is getting warmer. They are popping up everywhere and need to be dealt with before they take hold. I have been doing this with a hoe then the sun can dry them out before I can collect them up and compost them. What I need to do is mulch the borders with thick organic matter. This will feed the plants, help to retain moisture in the dryer weather and cut down on weeding time. There is one giant compost heap in this garden and I am going to investigate to see if any of it is usable. I will let you know how I get on.
The sunny weather has brought me out into the garden to tidy the edges of the grass and the paving stepping stones that lead to the shed that had all but disappeared over the winter. Just by doing these simple tasks make the garden appear so much more tidy. It is a little early to cut our grass as the ground where we are is clay and still really wet. I have also been cutting back straggly shrubs and the blackened leaves from Hellebours which make the beautiful delicate flowers stand out even more. It is so lovely to get out in the fresh air and to have the sun on my face
There only needs to be a little sun and the bulbs seem to grow as you watch them. Last year I planted lots in my pots and had forgotten them completely so it is a lovely surprise to see them faithfully appear and brighten up the garden.
Well we are moving on again and this means moving everything in the garden. So on with the gloves and off I go to empty the pots. Well the really big ones. This seemed a quick job until I encountered the Euphorbia I had planted in the biggest pot. It had been growing really happily for over a year and had taken over the whole pot. I ended up using a pruning saw to the roots and cutting it into quarters. This made it more managable but still took over 2 hours to empty plus I found over 50 Chaffer Grubs living amoungst the roots which I took out and feed to the birds. This done I just had to make sure all the remaining pots were up to the move as this winter I have lost a lot of terracota pots due to the frost and extreme cold weather. I was so careful to protect them with Hessian and move them close to the house, next year I will take them into a potting shed or green house if we have the same bout of cold weather.
Now I must go and continue packing household items Yipee!!
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