And this year's winner is: "Mary Queen of Scots", whose first flowers opened last weekend. She's usually the first rose to get going. Other late spring flowers are coming along: the lily of the valley is mostly past now, the wisteria just starting, the aquilegias on the point of coming out. The first Welsh poppy flowered yesterday. The path alongside the hedge is looking bright, with the last of the doronicums, the honesty and the pulmonaria all in flower, with the smilacina (I think that's what it is) just coming out too. (I've been looking for a replacement for the pulmonaria, a rather wishy-washy and far too rampant thing which I tolerate because it's good ground cover; a nice blue one has self-seeded alongside the garage and I've managed to pot it up. Now to rip out some of the boring one to make room for it!)
The little orange species tulips at the bottom of the garden - I can never remember their proper name - are up and quite prolific this year. Must plant more tulips for next year. The ones in pots haven't done too well this year; "Tres Chic" was indeed chic but only three blooms came out (the rest killed by the cold?). I did like "Sherwood Gardens", a sturdy but graceful tulip with a nice oval shape and a colour just the lilac side of pink.
Some of the best colour combinations are the accidental ones. The pale orange geum with the dark-leaved bugle is a good, if unplanned, pairing; it would look good with "Queen of Night" tulips, I think. On the other hand, I'm wondering if the new peach-coloured chaenomeles is going to look good with the honeysuckle (which has bounced back amazingly after I butchered it earlier this year). The good news down there is that the clematis (a white viticella) is now sprouting; I hope there's something for it to climb on as I don't want to have to disentangle it from the honeysuckle!
Everything seems to be growing well in spite of the miserable weather. It has continued cold, with temperatures rarely getting far into double figures and all too often in single figures. Last weekend was warmer - a quick lunch outside, though you wouldn't want to linger too long out of the sun - but windy, and today has finished misty and damp - more November than May. The forecast is for this to last the rest of the month. It's bad for butterflies, apparently, and certainly I haven't seen many: an orange-tip last week, and a peacock and a little blue butterfly last weekend, though it's still early up here in the hills for them.
The swallows are here, and the house martins too; no swifts seen yet, though a group of them went screaming overhead in Cirencester last weekend. The baby blackbirds have scattered, although at least one of them succumbed (a window strike, we think). The littlest one hung around until the middle of this week, when it disappeared; I hope it just decided to move on, though it was still quite immature and I'm not hopeful. The sparrows and starlings are taking food into their nests in the various parts of the roof, but no fledgelings have appeared yet. The thrushes and greenfinches are still about, also dunnocks; and we think we've seen blue tits going to and from the nestbox at the bottom of the garden. The two partridges are still around a lot and getting fairly trusting, but the pheasant has been about very little; I assume he's now off doing whatever it is he does in summer.
The most interesting bird sightings have been little and large. A very small, acrobatic bird with a sharp pointed beak was hanging around the ash tree on the drive last weekend; I could only see a silhouette, but it looked very much like a goldcrest. And the weekend before last we had a visit from the red kite (the same one we saw in February?) over the field behind us - quite an impressive sighting!
Meanwhile, down in the cellar, the mouse has been dealt with. Not by the humane trap - which failed completely (though it is a very small trap and quite a large mouse so maybe it simply couldn't get in). In the end we just opened the outside door through which it originally came in - and it went out. Simple really.
Friday, 18 May 2012
Thursday, 3 May 2012
April showers
Well, we certainly got the rain. It's supposed to have been the wettest April on record, although it didn't feel quite that bad here. Early April saw showers and chilly sunshine; last week it turned distinctly wet and it has been much like that since. Still rather cold; the T-shirts have stayed firmly in the drawer and are only allowed out in the company of a cardi. We had a few frosts overnight earlier in the month; fingers crossed for the plum tree, although the blossom seemed to last well enough. More night frosts are forecast for the coming weekend. Last weekend was also very windy and there are still ash twigs all over the garden.
The daffodils are now past (must get round to deadheading them), and the last of the tulips in flower. The blue camassias are also out. The new chaenomeles is blooming well; I was a bit doubtful about the colour (peach) but it's quite pretty. The clematis I planted with it as a companion doesn't seem to be doing anything, though. That may not be a bad thing as the chaenomeles is still very small! The deciduous viburnum (carlcephalum) is coming out, or at least the back part of it is; I had to cut off a branch last year as it was diseased, and another branch is going the same way this year. The disease, whatever it is, seems to be based right at the bottom, so the whole thing is probably not long for this world. Must take cuttings once it has flowered. On the plus side, the apple cordons are flowering well; the freestanding trees, having been rather hard-pruned rather late, are still thinking about it.
Coming along nicely are the wisteria, which will be in flower soon, and the aquilegias. Still waiting for the lily of the valley to flower - can't be long now.
The veg plot is well behind schedule - it has been either too dry or too cold and wet to do much. Last year's broccoli plants have been mostly eaten by the birds; I thought it was the pheasant until I spotted a pair of wood pigeons balanced precariously on top of two of the remaining plants. Obviously strong stems aren't necessarily a good thing!
The wildlife interest lately has been the antics of the baby blackbirds (3) and thrushes (2). One baby thrush was spotted chasing a male blackbird in the hope of being fed, until its parents took it in hand. There are still a few of last year's apples in the garage and the damaged ones have been much appreciated by the harrassed parents as a quick snack to keep the youngsters quiet, and the rain has helped them a lot too - much easier to find worms and snails.
The pheasant has been less in evidence in the past week or so; he has been gradually becoming less agressive as his ladies have peeled off to nest or whatever they do, although he still tries to show off to me from time to time. The two partridges are still around; no sign of her going off to nest yet.
Otherwise it's the usual birds, though the goldfinches have been more in evidence this month. The first sightings of a couple of swallows at the end of the month; they must be finding it a bit chilly.
The other wildlife event is indoors; a mouse has got into the cellar, probably while the cellar door was open for ventilation. A humane trap has been put down, although it isn't having any effect yet!
The daffodils are now past (must get round to deadheading them), and the last of the tulips in flower. The blue camassias are also out. The new chaenomeles is blooming well; I was a bit doubtful about the colour (peach) but it's quite pretty. The clematis I planted with it as a companion doesn't seem to be doing anything, though. That may not be a bad thing as the chaenomeles is still very small! The deciduous viburnum (carlcephalum) is coming out, or at least the back part of it is; I had to cut off a branch last year as it was diseased, and another branch is going the same way this year. The disease, whatever it is, seems to be based right at the bottom, so the whole thing is probably not long for this world. Must take cuttings once it has flowered. On the plus side, the apple cordons are flowering well; the freestanding trees, having been rather hard-pruned rather late, are still thinking about it.
Coming along nicely are the wisteria, which will be in flower soon, and the aquilegias. Still waiting for the lily of the valley to flower - can't be long now.
The veg plot is well behind schedule - it has been either too dry or too cold and wet to do much. Last year's broccoli plants have been mostly eaten by the birds; I thought it was the pheasant until I spotted a pair of wood pigeons balanced precariously on top of two of the remaining plants. Obviously strong stems aren't necessarily a good thing!
The wildlife interest lately has been the antics of the baby blackbirds (3) and thrushes (2). One baby thrush was spotted chasing a male blackbird in the hope of being fed, until its parents took it in hand. There are still a few of last year's apples in the garage and the damaged ones have been much appreciated by the harrassed parents as a quick snack to keep the youngsters quiet, and the rain has helped them a lot too - much easier to find worms and snails.
The pheasant has been less in evidence in the past week or so; he has been gradually becoming less agressive as his ladies have peeled off to nest or whatever they do, although he still tries to show off to me from time to time. The two partridges are still around; no sign of her going off to nest yet.
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| Who's a pretty boy then? - The pheasant trying to impress me |
The other wildlife event is indoors; a mouse has got into the cellar, probably while the cellar door was open for ventilation. A humane trap has been put down, although it isn't having any effect yet!
Monday, 2 April 2012
Hot and cold
The warm weather lasted until Friday; on Saturday the T-shirts were replaced by jumpers again as a chilly breeze kicked in, and the central heating, which had been switched off all week, was put back on. Still no rain though. However there's a forecast of a snowfall on Wednesday ....
Growth continues apace in the garden. The plum tree is just starting to flower (just in time to be caught by the snow ...). The early daffs are fading and the late, scented ones are coming out. The yellow tulips came out at the start of the week, but are smaller this year - perhaps because it's so dry? - they do look good with the brunnera. The new tulips in the pots suddenly appeared almost from nowhere - probably because it suddenly occurred to me to water them! There are some nice pink ones, and a single "Tres Chic" all by itself (they were supposed to flower with the forget-me-nots, but they haven't managed to coordinate their timescales properly. Maybe the other TCs will come later?). Some white fritillaries which I bought last year as end-of-season bargains are doing nicely in their shallow pot, and one of the epimediums is giving a burst of yellow over near the hedge. Of the shrubs, the osmanthus - both of them (osmanthuses?) - are in full flow. In the lawn, the cowslips have been joined by a couple of other primulas, one bright yellow, one red - don't know where they came from!
Other plants are stirring, too - the first hosta shoots poking out of their compost, and the lily-of-the-valley is already showing spikes of buds.
The blackbird has been collecting food for nestlings; we seem to have a number of blackbirds around, which results in a few scraps. The thrushes are still about, though no signs yet of them feeding young. We also have greenfinches around again, after a couple of years without them. Some of the sparrows have worked out the new peanut feeder, though they prefer the seed container as it's easier for them; the peanuts have been lasting a lot longer than in the old container! The woodpecker came, took one look at the new feeder and flew off again, but the ever-resourceful squirrel has transferred his attentions to the seeds on at least one occasion. Meanwhile, down below, the pheasant, one or more of his ladies and the pair of partridges who are still around scratch about picking up the bits that the smaller birds drop. We also had a pair of ducks one morning, probably on an outing from the Big House's pond. I'm sure they'd like some rain, too.
Growth continues apace in the garden. The plum tree is just starting to flower (just in time to be caught by the snow ...). The early daffs are fading and the late, scented ones are coming out. The yellow tulips came out at the start of the week, but are smaller this year - perhaps because it's so dry? - they do look good with the brunnera. The new tulips in the pots suddenly appeared almost from nowhere - probably because it suddenly occurred to me to water them! There are some nice pink ones, and a single "Tres Chic" all by itself (they were supposed to flower with the forget-me-nots, but they haven't managed to coordinate their timescales properly. Maybe the other TCs will come later?). Some white fritillaries which I bought last year as end-of-season bargains are doing nicely in their shallow pot, and one of the epimediums is giving a burst of yellow over near the hedge. Of the shrubs, the osmanthus - both of them (osmanthuses?) - are in full flow. In the lawn, the cowslips have been joined by a couple of other primulas, one bright yellow, one red - don't know where they came from!
Other plants are stirring, too - the first hosta shoots poking out of their compost, and the lily-of-the-valley is already showing spikes of buds.
The blackbird has been collecting food for nestlings; we seem to have a number of blackbirds around, which results in a few scraps. The thrushes are still about, though no signs yet of them feeding young. We also have greenfinches around again, after a couple of years without them. Some of the sparrows have worked out the new peanut feeder, though they prefer the seed container as it's easier for them; the peanuts have been lasting a lot longer than in the old container! The woodpecker came, took one look at the new feeder and flew off again, but the ever-resourceful squirrel has transferred his attentions to the seeds on at least one occasion. Meanwhile, down below, the pheasant, one or more of his ladies and the pair of partridges who are still around scratch about picking up the bits that the smaller birds drop. We also had a pair of ducks one morning, probably on an outing from the Big House's pond. I'm sure they'd like some rain, too.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Another sunny weekend
March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, but this March feels more like May. It has been a dry and mostly pleasant week, and this weekend has been sunny and warm. Although we had some rain last Sunday, there hasn't been much this month, and hosepipe bans are in the offing (though I don't use a hose except to top up the pond). The cold snap that often comes round here in mid-March didn't materialise, and - remarkably - there have been no strong winds since New Year. While the warm weather is very welcome, especially as it allows me to get outside and do some of the many jobs that need doing, it all feels very odd; and a bit of rain in this dry garden would be very useful.
The mid-season daffodils are in full bloom and look very cheerful. The first of the tulips are in bud; they're a clump of lovely creamy yellow tulips near the house windows, and I always look forward to them. The brunnera is coming out and the erythroniums are also in bud. The big damson at the bottom of the garden is showing its first flowers, while the buds on the plum tree are just starting to show green. More widely out and about, the blackthorn is in bloom and I spotted clumps of white violets alongside the back road out of the village.
One thing mostly missing in the garden this year is crocuses. I think they must have been swamped by the weeds, and I miss them. Memo to self: must plant more, especially my favourites Blue Pearl and Cream Beauty. The Whitewell Purples, planted last autumn, have done quite well, or would have if the pheasant weren't so fond of eating the flowers. The anemone blanda, planted at the same time, are also in bud; I hope he leaves them alone!
The birds' peanut container has been emptying rather quickly recently, and one morning I realised why. The squirrel is back. He was spotted one breakfast-time, hanging upside-down along the container and having his fill. Having just bought a new box of peanuts and having gulped at the price - when did they get so expensive? -, I decided it would be a good economy to buy a squirrel-proof container to replace the old (chewed) one. The blue tits have got the hang of it, but I haven't yet seen any great tits, sparrows or finches on there - perhaps the mesh is too small for them. The woodpecker won't be pleased, but maybe I'll put the old container out from time to time for him!
The mid-season daffodils are in full bloom and look very cheerful. The first of the tulips are in bud; they're a clump of lovely creamy yellow tulips near the house windows, and I always look forward to them. The brunnera is coming out and the erythroniums are also in bud. The big damson at the bottom of the garden is showing its first flowers, while the buds on the plum tree are just starting to show green. More widely out and about, the blackthorn is in bloom and I spotted clumps of white violets alongside the back road out of the village.
One thing mostly missing in the garden this year is crocuses. I think they must have been swamped by the weeds, and I miss them. Memo to self: must plant more, especially my favourites Blue Pearl and Cream Beauty. The Whitewell Purples, planted last autumn, have done quite well, or would have if the pheasant weren't so fond of eating the flowers. The anemone blanda, planted at the same time, are also in bud; I hope he leaves them alone!
The birds' peanut container has been emptying rather quickly recently, and one morning I realised why. The squirrel is back. He was spotted one breakfast-time, hanging upside-down along the container and having his fill. Having just bought a new box of peanuts and having gulped at the price - when did they get so expensive? -, I decided it would be a good economy to buy a squirrel-proof container to replace the old (chewed) one. The blue tits have got the hang of it, but I haven't yet seen any great tits, sparrows or finches on there - perhaps the mesh is too small for them. The woodpecker won't be pleased, but maybe I'll put the old container out from time to time for him!
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
February, and March so far ...
February continued as January had ended, with very cold - but mostly dry - weather. There were a couple of snowfalls, but in these parts at least they weren't very significant - an inch or two at most - though ice towards the end of the cold spell did restrict travel for a day. Temperatures down to minus 6C in the daytime saw off the last of the flowers that had lingered on from autumn, and brought the birds into the garden in force. Things started to turn milder by the middle of the month.
We were away from home for the second half of February, and returned on 1 March to a much more springlike garden; the first impression on stepping out of the car was the thrush singing. His mate turned out to be busy nesting in the hedge. The snowdrops were past their best, but the daffodils started coming out after a few days (they're late up here on the windy Wolds), the hellebores were doing well and the bergenia was out. The cowslips are also back in flower. It also means that the weeds are growing!
The first warm(-ish) days came with the second weekend of the month; warm enough for lunch outside on the bench. There's a lot of weeding to be done, but also the winter pruning that was delayed by the cold before we went away. So much to do, so little time ....
The partridges are still around, though now in a smaller group of 8 or so. The pheasant has decided that he owns the garden and I am an interloper that needs to be seen off, so he's being given short shrift when he appears; he has started bringing three lady pheasants with him and clearly doesn't want me around. The warmer weather has brought other signs of spring: the first butterfly of the year (a peacock), and the first bat seen one evening in the village. The most remarkable sighting, though, was up on the main road, where a red kite was hunting along the verge - we've never seen one in Gloucestershire before!
We were away from home for the second half of February, and returned on 1 March to a much more springlike garden; the first impression on stepping out of the car was the thrush singing. His mate turned out to be busy nesting in the hedge. The snowdrops were past their best, but the daffodils started coming out after a few days (they're late up here on the windy Wolds), the hellebores were doing well and the bergenia was out. The cowslips are also back in flower. It also means that the weeds are growing!
The first warm(-ish) days came with the second weekend of the month; warm enough for lunch outside on the bench. There's a lot of weeding to be done, but also the winter pruning that was delayed by the cold before we went away. So much to do, so little time ....
The partridges are still around, though now in a smaller group of 8 or so. The pheasant has decided that he owns the garden and I am an interloper that needs to be seen off, so he's being given short shrift when he appears; he has started bringing three lady pheasants with him and clearly doesn't want me around. The warmer weather has brought other signs of spring: the first butterfly of the year (a peacock), and the first bat seen one evening in the village. The most remarkable sighting, though, was up on the main road, where a red kite was hunting along the verge - we've never seen one in Gloucestershire before!
Sunday, 18 March 2012
January, belatedly ....
As a New Year resolution, I thought it would be a good idea to re-start the diary I used to keep of what goes on in the garden - plants, wildlife, weather etc. An even better idea would be to do it online, so that friends and family can read it too. If anybody else out there is interested enough to read on: welcome!
It's taken a little while to get started. I have two-and-a-half months to catch up, so this is the January instalment.
We came back from our New Year travels to find the garden's half-tame pheasant waiting for us at the gate, very put out that no one had been feeding him during our absence. He hadn't much cause for complaint; it had been relatively mild, if windy. In fact the mild autumn meant that there was still quite a lot going on in the garden. The usual suspects were in flower - winter viburnums, winter jasmine, winter honeysuckle - as were the plants that flower sporadically in mild winters such as violas and wallflowers. The earliest snowdrops were already out; not only Galanthus atkinsii, which is always the first to flower, but also G. elwesii. So too was the biggest hellebore (is it H. argutifolius? I can never remember). But there were also other things in unseasonable bloom: some rosebuds (which were realistically never going to open), a few tatty borage flowers, and the cowslips in the lawn, which have been going since October. The wildlife was also thinking it was spring, with a blackbird singing quietly and a little huddle of four ladybirds enjoying the sun.
A few chilly nights saw off the borage and dampened the enthusiasm of the cowslips. The later snowdrops (the doubles, then the singles), and the winter aconites, were out by the middle of the month, but otherwise things were slowed down by the colder weather. The birds came more frequently to the feeders, and the windfall apples attracted not only the blackbirds and fieldfares but regular visits by a green woodpecker. The Garden Birdwatch count this year was good - both the green and gt spotted woodpeckers, and four types of tit including the marsh tit. And the red-legged partridges (common around here, they're bred for shooting) turned up regularly too; one morning we had 22 on the lawn!
It was the last week of the month before we had a real cold spell, with light snowfall on 26 Jan and temperatures below zero in the daytime as well. Much feeding of birds - particularly the pheasant, who considers my only function in life is to supply him with peanuts. Winter at last!
It's taken a little while to get started. I have two-and-a-half months to catch up, so this is the January instalment.
We came back from our New Year travels to find the garden's half-tame pheasant waiting for us at the gate, very put out that no one had been feeding him during our absence. He hadn't much cause for complaint; it had been relatively mild, if windy. In fact the mild autumn meant that there was still quite a lot going on in the garden. The usual suspects were in flower - winter viburnums, winter jasmine, winter honeysuckle - as were the plants that flower sporadically in mild winters such as violas and wallflowers. The earliest snowdrops were already out; not only Galanthus atkinsii, which is always the first to flower, but also G. elwesii. So too was the biggest hellebore (is it H. argutifolius? I can never remember). But there were also other things in unseasonable bloom: some rosebuds (which were realistically never going to open), a few tatty borage flowers, and the cowslips in the lawn, which have been going since October. The wildlife was also thinking it was spring, with a blackbird singing quietly and a little huddle of four ladybirds enjoying the sun.
A few chilly nights saw off the borage and dampened the enthusiasm of the cowslips. The later snowdrops (the doubles, then the singles), and the winter aconites, were out by the middle of the month, but otherwise things were slowed down by the colder weather. The birds came more frequently to the feeders, and the windfall apples attracted not only the blackbirds and fieldfares but regular visits by a green woodpecker. The Garden Birdwatch count this year was good - both the green and gt spotted woodpeckers, and four types of tit including the marsh tit. And the red-legged partridges (common around here, they're bred for shooting) turned up regularly too; one morning we had 22 on the lawn!
It was the last week of the month before we had a real cold spell, with light snowfall on 26 Jan and temperatures below zero in the daytime as well. Much feeding of birds - particularly the pheasant, who considers my only function in life is to supply him with peanuts. Winter at last!
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