Biological control

I've been aware of there being quite a lot of ants in the garden this year, but hadn't noticed too many of them in the greenhouse.  Then on Saturday suddenly there were flying ants swarming over the greenhouse flagstones and taking to the air.  A lot of them had been trapped by spiders (I hadn't noticed the number of spiders, and their webs, either until the webs were full of insects!) which were doing a very effective type of biological control, and the ants wouldn't do any harm anyway, so I left them to it.  Then a little later, passing the greenhouse, I noticed that biological control of a different sort was dealing with the ants ....

Biological control in the greenhouse

I think this is probably the little blackbird that was still being fed by its mum last week; she (I think she's fledging into adult female plumage) has been hanging around the soft fruit bushes which are alongside the greenhouse and she's fairly comfortable with my presence around the place.  Fortunately she was quite clear about where the door was and was able to get out (and later back in again!) without any problem; she seems to understand about glass and wasn't trying to fly through it.  She made no mess and didn't explore the place, just concentrated on picking up an easy meal - a most acceptable guest.  She was there again the next day, but the ants had largely gone by then, so it was back to the raspberry canes for food!

Unfortunately a little sparrow and one of the other little blackbirds weren't as glass-savvy as this little one.  A bang at the window, and when I looked out a baby sparrow was lying quivering on the ground, its dad (probably) hopping around it.  It was only stunned; after a few minutes it pulled itself together, looked about and hopped, then flew, off.  Not so lucky was the blackbird, which I found dead on the path yesterday, looking as if it had broken its neck after hitting the window.  I found a spot between two of the gooseberry bushes to bury it in; appropriate given how many of the fruit it had probably eaten.

Bark from the nuthatch nest

One job this weekend was to clean out the nest-box, now that the tenants have moved out.  Nothing as wimpy as grass and moss for baby nuthatches; they were reared on a bed of bark flakes, apparently gleaned from next door's silver birch.  The mud that the adults used to seal up the nest-box openings took quite a bit of work to remove; they're obviously very effective nest-builders!




The last lot of dwarf French beans, germinated in the cold frame, has gone into the ground and I'm now clearing another bit of the veg patch for the leeks.  The first courgette flowers will open soon.  The broad beans are nearly over; there might be more peas if I'm lucky; otherwise it's lettuce, kale and cabbage at the moment.


The dahlias are mostly doing quite well, though 'Jescot Julie' and 'David Howard' have been eaten by something (why just them?  they're not even next to each other).  'Juliet' and 'Bishop of Auckland' are doing well, and the first 'Blue Bayou' flower has opened.  The roses are mostly going over, but I'm pleased that 'Glamis Castle' has not only survived being dug up and moved (for the second time in its life - this time because of some impending path-widening) but has managed to put out a flower, despite the upheaval and an attack of blackspot.

Dahlia 'Blue Bayou'

Dahlia 'Juliet'

Rose 'Glamis Castle'

This weekend saw some pleasantly warm weather; gardening in T-shirt, and lunch on the bench.  Back to overcast and breezy today, and cooler and windier tomorrow.