Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Many thanks for your posts Wurzel and David, it looks like my garden will be a bit tougher to do than I thought, I've never seen as many small stones before in a garden , I think I've got the beach in here. " Press on regardless" is not in it.

I've not seen any Butterflies yet but I have seen a couple of small moths when I was doing some trimming, they were tiny and whiteish in colour, I'm just doing bits each day, age is a wonderful thing Who said it was just a number Goldie

[Goldie M]

Busy in the garden today bird wise, when I filled the Bird feeder the Birds arrived in force the Sun came out briefly so I sat in the conservatory , if I opened the door the Birds flew a way so I'd to take a few shots through the windows, it soon went cold again but I managed a shot of my Neighbours flowering bush, I'm not too well up with the names of Bushes ,this one flowering in February looks really nice, it's hanging over the fence so hope fully any Butterflies will take advantage of it. Goldie

[Matsukaze]

Hi Goldie, the shrub is I think Viburnum tinus, and yes, some early butterflies will nectar on it.

The birds here refuse to feed unless provided with sunflower hearts. Looks like yours are a bit more flexible!

[Wurzel]

Lovely set of shots Goldie, especially the first (action) and penultimate (portrait) shots I'm sure the Brimstones will you a visit any day now

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

I'd be taking a cutting of that viburnum, Goldie. Looks ideal for wandering, early season butterflies to drop in and take a feed from.

[Goldie M]

Many thanks Matsukaze for your post, I've only ever had a Magnolia Tree and Cheery Trees in my last garden , also four Butterfly Bushies and mostly Perennials , so I'll have to keep my eyes open for the early Butterflies on the Viburnum.

Thanks Wurzel, I seem to have mostly Small Birds visiting the Garden, they live in the hedges and I've listened to their chatter every day, ( lovely )
trouble is, when I moved in here in July any Butterfly that visited the garden would have to watch out. I hope I'm doing the right thing putting Perennials in.

I never thought of taking cuttings David but now you've said that, I think it's a great Idea, I'll be out with the cutters now Goldie

[Wurzel]

You'll have to be extra vigilant Goldie as Sparrows do have a penchant for Caterpillars Hopefully they'll be able to use the perennials as cover

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

...I never thought of taking cuttings David but now you've said that, I think it's a great Idea, I'll be out with the cutters now Goldie

Sounds like a plan.

Go do it, Goldie!

[David M]

I'm going to get one myself, Goldie. I quite like the Viburnum tinus 'Lisarose', which flowers through winter:

https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/vibur ... e/t62090TM

I think your neighbour's might be Viburnum davidii:

https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/vibur ... /tka3676TM

[Goldie M]

Hi! Wurzel, I think I'll keep feeding the Birds through the Spring and Summer, if I do that maybe they'll leave any Caterpillars alone

Thanks for your info David, I think I may have got a viburnum in the front Garden on the drive, it's part of the hedge, maybe that's why there's so many Birds nesting there It looks like the Red one in the shots you sent me, I must say I like the one called" Dawn".

I've got some Bushes in the back Garden, so I'm waiting, hoping , they're bushes I like. Goldie

[Wurzel]

"Hi! Wurzel, I think I'll keep feeding the Birds through the Spring and Summer..." sounds like it should work although you might want to add some meal worms into the mix to keep them away from the caterpillars Goldie, some species switch their diet during the spring and eat more insects
Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Padfield]

Hi Goldie. If you do decide to feed the birds in the summer, there's some good advice on what to feed them here:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildl ... den-birds/

Filling up on the wrong foods in summer (not enough protein and chitin, for example, depending on the species) can harm birds and their young.

In the long run, though, feeding the birds summer and winter means you will have more birds, and more predators eating your caterpillars!

Good luck, whatever you do!

Guy

[Goldie M]

Hi! Guy, I only feed them a mixture of seeds which include Black seeds and all different kinds of other seeds, they usually feed in the Morning and come back later in the day. there's so many of them, they empty the feeder by the evening

I have a couple of pear tree's and they enjoyed bits of Pear late in the year last year They tend to drop a lot on the ground and this is usually enjoyed by the Wood Pigeon's and the the Blackbirds

My neighbours on both sides also feed them, is it any wonder they keep coming back My front edge is full of them when I trimmed it late in the year it was full of nests, being near the sea like I am it's a good shelter for them.

I don't think this garden has enough flowers in it to tempt the Butterflies at present when they do come, I plan to change that, I've already got seeds coming through now so I'll wait and see how the land lies ,( has they say)

Thanks for your Post Guy Goldie

[David M]

I tend only to feed the birds in very cold weather, Goldie, so I haven't done so since mid-December until this morning when I put some suet pellets on the log outside my patio door.

The birds must know the weather is changing as by the time I got back from the supermarket they'd eaten it all!!

You may have quite a few visitors over the next few days!

[Goldie M]

Hi! David, I've been here at the bungalow since July and when I arrived I was amazed just how many birds were here I've had lots of Starlings lately and in the evening when they fly off in a group the smaller birds arrive

I had my first Green bin collection today and when I went on the drive to put the bin back I was met by a lovely bird song, I did notice however that a Magpie was starting to nest in the same bushes has the small birds, I'm not sure I like them there because they take the new young birds out of their nests, so hope fully a few bangs of the bin will make them decide not too nest.

Snow forecast for tomorrow, hope fully it won't last long Goldie

[Wurzel]

Good to hear that the signs of spring are are arriving Goldie despite a falling of the white stuff Hopefully the appalling weather now will mean a much more amenable end to March, fingers crossed!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

Hi! wurzel, we didn't see much snow here, yesterday the car was covered with snow but by Lunchtime it was gone, thank goodness, I thought I'd escaped the white stuff

It's rained all day today but I think we've been lucky here with the weather so far, I'll be back in the garden tomorrow hope fully having a dig and spreading the compost Goldie

[Wurzel]

"I'll be back in the garden tomorrow hope fully having a dig "...With the rain that we're forecast Goldie you might want to think about digging a pond

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[David M]

It's rained all day today but I think we've been lucky here with the weather so far, I'll be back in the garden tomorrow hope fully having a dig and spreading the compost..

That extra effort in these grim times will come back to reward you later in the year, Goldie. Keep putting the work in. It can't stay like this forever.

[Goldie M]

Thanks for your posts Wurzel and David, I've got a pond already Wurzel the rain, plus, the rain barrel is keeping it topped up I've also taken charge of a couple of rare Newts which are out of the pond at present so I've been able to clean it up a bit, I keep looking to see if they're back in yet, but no signs of them, no wonder with the weather being so chilly.

Hi! David, I'm quite pleased so far with my efforts , I've found a few primroses , it looks also when I was clearing things up that I've got Lilies coming along nicely. My Sweet Pea seeds are coming through also my Yellow Daisy ones are looking good, I've got top soil and compost every where
I bought some Fox Gloves yesterday for the shady part of the garden because I know the Bee's love these, also bought some Lupins which should look good with the Yellow Daises , and I couldn't resist another Boules Mauve that makes three I've got now next week I'll buy a couple of Lavender for the front of the border and if these flowers don't attract the Butterflies I don't know what will Goldie

A few shots from my previous Garden . Goldie