WILD GARDEN

view from kitchen window, the rest of the garden is behind those big shrubs at the end

I have shown pictures of my HUGE garden before but they were taken when everything in the garden was lovely. The time came, though, when neither Joe nor I could manage the upkeep so, after a lot of thought, we let it run riot. Well, maybe not all of it, just the bottom part that is out of view from the house. Every day I would go down there with birdseed and just toss it on the ground. What the heck, I thought, I can’t see it. We did have one bird table but it wasn’t in good condition. Now there are two tables but it’s a stroke of luck if the birds ever get the food I put out. Why? Because the squirrels get there first.

We did eventually get a gardener but he only came once a fortnight and although he did a good job on the lawn he never bothered with the bottom end. Now I have the services of a father/son company who also come once a fortnight but they have superior equipment and get the job done, including the bottom end, in no time at all.

Now that the garden is beginning to look respectable I have been looking round at the surrounding areas where nature has been allowed in. Those areas where once upon a time were filled with trees and tidy shrubs. The trees and shrubs are still there along with a new growth of wild flowers. Some may think it looks untidy but I love it.

Every day I wander round and thank God for nature having the ability to plant what IT wants. I should have taken pictures when the first blooms came in the Spring but I’ve got a bit lazy about taking photographs – especially since the camera on the new phone isn’t as good as the old one. Still, there’s always the internet where pictures are available without much effort on my part. I have another camera but, honestly, it’s too heavy and too complicated for me to bother with.

Apologies, I am getting away from the topic of gardens.

To resume.

Some days I think of all the work people do to get their gardens looking pretty and there’s me, who does nothing but still gets flowers to delight the senses. Weigela, flowering current, mahonia, rhododendrons, philadelphus, viburnum,

mock orange, deutzia, camellia, wild roses, lilacs, azalea, rhododendron, spirea, and more, all have a place in the garden and in my heart. Bluebells and daffodils bring on the spring, then there’s the lily of the valley, and violets that creep up from cracks in the path, foxgloves that tower over low lying plants, and wild roses that hitch onto fences. There are plenty more with names that elude me … thank goodness the flowers don’t.

I have all that yet don’t lift a finger to provide it … and no hard work either. How lucky can a girl get?

Some may notice that I made no mention of the fish pond and that’s because it has been thoroughly neglected and is now home to a variety of weeds. The system was there when we moved into the house and for many years I tended to it and the Koi carp that swam there. The water was refreshed frequently but as the years went by the system faltered and so did I. I keep wondering about calling in the professionals but if I do that it will still mean lots of work for me, not to mention the cost. There’s always a downside, isn’t there? But still, for what time I have left I still have the flowers and birds to keep me satisfied, and the pond is enclosed by shrubs so is only noticeable to those who know it’s there. It is easy to forget about whilst rejoicing in everything else in the garden and I still say I am lucky to have had the pleasure of it for so long.

UPDATE ON GARDEN AND BIRDS

Apart from messing about with the new camera I was busy in the garden while the sun shone! Don’t get the wrong idea, I haven’t done any actual gardening; by busy I mean surveying and generally wandering about. The rough patch at the bottom of our vast estate, which we started last year (or was it the year before ... I lose track of time), is now overgrown with weeds wild flowers so I keep going down there to see what’s come up next. There are loads of newbie flowers that I don’t know and can’t find in my book on wild-flowers. And you should see the bees feasting on the pollen. It’s a lovely sight especially since there’s a big worry over the decline of bees. I feel I’m doing my bit to help save them.

The birds have no qualms about scoffing all the food I put out. They don’t seem to realise that the more they eat the more it costs. I shall soon have to charge them for eating in our wildlife restaurant. The best of all though is seeing the bluetit babies getting restless in their box. Pretty soon they will leave and the parents will take them far away so I can’t see them anymore. Maybe next year they’ll be the ones inhabiting the box for their babies. The nesting box isn’t a grand affair but the bluetits come every year without fail. I’ve often wondered if it’s the same family all the time. Do bird babies remember where they were born? Do they come back because they were born there? I know wren’s return to their nesting place each year, so why not the bluetits?

We’ve had different birds this year mainly, I think, because of the top rate food. Joe frequently threatens to buy cheaper stuff but I smile nicely and remind him that it’s the right seed mix that attracts the different species in all weathers.

Talking of weather, what on earth is happening to planet earth? The weather here has turned yet again. For a few days it was almost summery, now it feels like we’re back to winter, hot one day, perishing cold the next. I think it would be warmer in Iceland than here. Take today for instance. I put on a warmer jacket to go shopping because I knew full well that if it was cold outside it would feel even colder in the supermarket’s freezer section. What I didn’t reckon on doing was to change from blouse to woollen twin set before lunchtime. It was that cold I could almost hear my teeth chattering. I told them it’s no use complaining to me, get on to the weather people. I hold them personally responsible, you see. Seriously though, who else but mankind can be blamed for the topsy-turvy conditions.

Do you mind if I change the subject... I can’t stand even thinking about cold weather even if it has descended prematurely. Would you like to see some photographs instead?

I am enjoying the new camera IMMENSELY. Here are a few shots to prove it.

I had one second to catch this gorgeous Bentley

Magpie, thinking about....

having a preen before....

feeding her baby!

Woodpigeon, settling down for a rest!