I like growing poppies and from my Mum I got some of the real english-type seeds, I planted some in the front last summer and they were lovely (see photos).
Last year we were really waiting to see what grew and where - lots of chrysanthemums and the like - not my thing really - so they have got moved to the front now! We also collected some twigs that fall from a nearby silver birch tree and leave them in a little pile, as a habitat, perhaps for insects or perhaps for sheltering mammals or birds. Will be interesting to see how the back garden develops, some of the plants take a few years to get established. There is plenty of blank canvas there for me! Having the bird boxes and the insect flowers will really help. We may also grow some leeks next year.
We only mowed bits in the middle of the lawn, to have a sort of variety of grass lengths - on the picture I have drawn I did this in a different colour of green.
We get doves in the garden,We took some photos last summer. And greenfinches, there is a good picture of one on a feeder. We get goldfinches, greenfinches, chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, blackbirds, wren, long tailed tits, robin, collared doves, wood pigeons, crows, dunnocks, sparrow, starlings. We had a few goldcrests a few weeks ago. In the field at the back we have seen a buzzard and even a sparrow hawk one day. We know there are bats around as we borrowed an echo-locator last summer.
Found some fat balls in the shed on saturday (lovely weather) that a mouse had been eating, so put the rest up in the tree. Just as well the weather is still frosty as the birds can make good use of it! Have to dig the compost out soon.
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Bog garden update
Thought i would add a bit more about the garden blog.
We have taken delivery of the many parcels of plants (first time I have ever ordered plants online!) and been enjoying getting them in the ground and watering them. The water butt is going down fast! Quite a good indicator of the dry spring!
Also seeds. We had ordered some bog garden and insect garden seeds from Emorsgate. Here are some photos of us planting them. So far keeping them warm and wet, some have germinated upstairs already,
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We had been thinking about this idea (bog garden or pond) for about 2 years now, and had already got a liner from a shop one day (in the sales). Springwatch did a feature on bog gardens the other year, so that got us thinking again, that is might be a better habitat to aim for, rather than a pond. So, having read a few books and websites, we got to laying out the liner and planning the shape (one book recommends going for a beer at this point!) We opted for an L-shape.
Firstly, good advice would be don't underestimate the amount of digging to be done. We didn't think we had a big area, but when you are trying to go about 45cm down, it gets hard work raising the earth above the banks. Secondly, it is good to have a big tarpaulin or rubble bag, to lay the soil on as you work - this makes scraping it back easier. Then it is dig dig dig. And dig some more. Then imagine you are a victorian grave-digger as you dig some more.
As we dug, we found some tree roots and managed to preserve the bigger ones. We read about the need to bury a pipe, to ensure air can percolate really as plants won't like stagnant conditions - we had found an old piece of pipe the week before and so prompty put it to good use with rubble to support it. As we put the earth back the books recommend mixing in some compost in, which we did. We banked up the turf round the edge, that will provide some nice shady bits too! The earth has settled a bit since, so it is a good idea to leave it a few weeks before really getting going with the planting. I'm going to re-jig the shed guttering so that it automatically falls on the bog garden.
Then to the plants. Last year I had been given a Gunnera Mantica plant - and had looked after it in a pot wondering what it was. Low and behold, one of these websites showed Alan T planting a Gunnera Mantica in his bog garden! What luck! The plant is the first one in position - and it will grow quite big too. We found a few more of the plants we were looking for in the local garden centre.
For the rest, we have had to send away for seeds, that will no doubt be the next chapter in the blog!!!
Can't wait to see if we get any interesting insects, or even a frog or a toad enjoying the view, later in the summer!
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