Still Not Really Winter

Despite a couple of nights where the temperature did actually get below zero, it’s been pretty mild since the last post. It’s around 10degC today for instance, though quite windy. We have had a reasonable amount of rain though, enough to curtail work outside on several days.

I have managed to get out and work a few days since the last post – so now six out of the eleven raised beds are clear, and two and a half are seeded with winter green manure – though only one is showing seedlings at the moment.

Green manure sprouting

All the crop plants from inside the greenhouse are now being composted, so what’s left in the greenhouse now are the winter bedding plants from a plant supplier, at various stages.

Speaking of the bedding plants, I did get round to planting some of them out today into containers – all of which are underplanted with bulbs as well so now there are some pansies, bellis and sweet williams learning how to cope with the weather outside the greenhouse.

I have been puling up some of the dead and dying annual flower plants from the borders as well as I spot them, though the way the weather has been they’ve hung on rather longer than they should.

Wildlife

No a lot to report really, I’ve had trail cameras at the bottom of the garden and watching the bird feeders. The first has shown that the hedgehog(s) have probably gone into hibernation as there weren’t any sightings in November, the only thing of not beside the multiple cats was a visit from the fox we’ve seen before (it has a rather non-bushy and ‘bent’ tail).

The bird feeder camera revealed visits from green-finches and long-tailed tits as well as the frequent great tit and robin visits as well as some desperate attempts by magpies to hang onto the fat block feeder. The speed that a great tit can land on the feeder with sunflower seeds, grab a seed and fly off has to be seen to be believed! The feeder needs refilling at least once a week as a result.