Archive for March, 2009

More Seeds Planted

March 26, 2009 at 12:20 am · Filed under Beans, Greenhouse, Progress, tomatoes, wildlife

Well I have managed to get a bit more done since the last post. Now there are two lots of tomato seeds in pots – both ‘cherry’ varieties. Also some mixed salad lettuce seed planted a few days ago has started to come through. However, the broad beans planted (or rather replanted after the mouse problem) have not done very well – only about 3 have come through so far, though one or two more may make it – some have been affected by mould though. I’ve planted the remainder of the beans left from last year into some other pots now. As a backup, I’ve planted a double row direct into the soil under one of the cloches (a new packet – a long pod variety).

Aprt from the seeds, I’ve managed to get all the  currant bushes in – either in te ground or into containers. All the blueberry bushes re in containers as well. Some of the currants are sprouting away, but others are worryingly free of any buds – the blueberries all look OK though.

No mor exciting wildlife incidents to report – just regular visit to the nyjer seed by goldfinches, and the odd chaffinch. There have been quite a few visits to the seed dispensers by long-tailed tits as well as the usual great and blue tits. The blackbirds have been very busy in the garden but no sign of them nest building so far.

Just need to get the last section of the garden dug now….

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Nature – Red in beak and claw

March 16, 2009 at 10:24 am · Filed under Greenhouse, Progress, wildlife

No the title doesn’t refer to the sorting out of the mouse problem in the greenhouse. That may have been resolved after 4 mice have been trapped – none for the last couple of days.

What the title refers to is an incident on Sunday in the garden – I was just sorting out some compost at the bottom of the garden when I heard a commotion in the central pear tree. I looked up and saw what I thought initially was a pigeon falling out of the tree. I realised an instant later that it was a sparrowhawk which had just caught a pigeon. I kept very still and was ably to watch the sparrowhawk land by the currant bushes and proceed to pull feathers off the pigeon. I was able to slowly sidle along the path until I was only about 4 or 5 yards away as the hawk started tearing flesh from the pigeon. I tried to move slowly further along the path in the hope of getting to the house and get my camera, but the hawk decided it could find somewhere better to eat the pigeon and flew off – leaving a large pile of feathers. The whole incident must have lasted about 10 minutes, fascinating and I’m not sure how many people get that close to a sparrowhawk kill. We have been aware of a sparrowhawk coming through the garden a couple of time before during the last few years, but this is the first time I think a bird had been caught in our garden.

So that wildlife incident occurred just as I’d finished digging section ‘A’ – now I’ll need to spread some compost over that area and spread out the contents of a few growbags now. I also need to decide exactly what I’m going to grow in there. So section A here we come – mind it still has some celery and leek growing there but the celery is only going to the guinea pig and the leeks aren’t ‘blanched’  so it won’t be a loss to dig them up.

Speaking of growing, now the mouse problem is at least under control, if not cured, I’ve replaced the broad beans – but taken care to put the seed trays on ‘pedestals’ to make it hard for the mice to get at them. Also, I’ve sown a small tray with mixed lettuce to make sure we have some salad at least.

A delivery of plants last week has also presented a bit of a dilemma – some blueberry plants that I’m going to put in containers for now, but I need to get them. Also some new currant plants (black, red and white, 9 altogether), some of which will go at the bottom of the garden but I haven’t decided where the others will go yet. The aim is that they will replace the present bushes which all a bit old and past their best now.

Rather alarmingly the grass is growing and may well need cutting soon…

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There’s a Mouse in the House!

March 7, 2009 at 10:31 pm · Filed under Beans, Progress

Well I just thought I would check on the broad beans in the greenhouse to see if they were shooting.  When I looked at the pots I thought I could see a ‘hole’ in the compost and I thought – ‘I don’t remember poking my finger in there…’ and then checked to see if the beans were shooting – just moving the potting compost away. But as Winnie the Pooh would have said – ‘the more I looked the more it wasn’t there!’ So I looked in other pots – the same story, bar one or two beans. The obvious conclusion – mice! That day I put a trap in the greenhouse – and sure enough the next morning, one dead mouse. Second night – another. We’ll see tomorrow if I’ve got the lot. Once I’m sure I’ve got them I can start planting beans again. Never had mice in the greenhouse before and I’m a bit puzzled how they got in.

On the brighter side I have been able to get on with digging, trying to do a bit eac day. So the bean patch is not only finished but I’ve added compost, lime and raked it over. Now I have two long cloches over it ready for the beans (see below).

Beans section plus cloches

Beans section plus cloches

Not only that but I’ve started on area C, to the North of the greenhouse, more or less half of that area is dug over now, so two or three more days should see that finished. I haven’t really decided what to grow there yet though.

There ’s still a fair amount of tidying up in the garden to do as well.

Meanwhile, the cowslips at the bottom of the garden are just coming out and the primroses are well into flower. The celandines are not too far from flowering either so spring is really coming in.

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