Our Curious Squirrel Visitor

Look at this little guy! He is adorable and he visited our garden.

 It's getting cold here now and I think this little one was looking to increase his store of food before the real winter sets in and thought our garden may have some hidden treasures no other squirrel had found. 

He is a grey squirrel, not native to the UK but originally from America and certainly successful in colonising many areas and finding opportunities for food and shelter. 

Our native squirrel is a Red Squirrel, smaller and much more reddish in colour than a Grey Squirrel,  but we do not see those anymore here, the nearest to us are in Northumberland and Scotland.




We don't very often get squirrels in our garden, they seem to prefer the woodland nearby and the cemetery where there are huge mature trees with a good supply of nuts. This one however decided to try his luck. 

 

Cute Squirrel Mug by RaintreeDesigns

Order custom mugs on zazzle.

We do not encourage squirrels, mainly because there are a number of houses here and if a squirrel took up residence in a loft space and started chewing through any electrical wiring there could be a disaster for many homes! So if they visit, they do, but we do not feed them deliberately.  Still, it is lovely to see them visit occasionally.


Well, this guy or gal (I am not sure) took a good look around. He was not very afraid of me and seemed very curious, foraging for a while near me then looking directly at me as I stood really still. He seemed to almost  "pose" for a few photos before he dashed off at great speed again flicking his tail and scampering away to the big trees...


 

It was a lovely half hour he stayed and I was freezing cold, not having anticipated being out that long with my camera, but it was all good and I am thawing out now :) 


Cute Squirrel Keychain by RaintreeDesigns
Look at Zazzle Keychains


I even made a few gifts with squirrels photos which I hope you enjoy. 

I have a feeling this little guy may be featuring on more designs if people like him :)

Woodpigeons Eating Berries In Abundance !

Berries Abound In Abundance! 

Berries abound on the Cotoneaster and in the hedgerow. I wonder as there are so many berries what the winter will be like.

 It is often said around here that if there are many berries that it will be a severe winter.

 I don't know about that. It is perhaps that we had such a good spring and summer and the trees and shrubs produced more berries.

 I guess only time will tell as we go through winter. 

The birds have started to notice the berries now and are eating a few already as they ripen.

Many birds visit for the berries. In particular large pigeons sit on our garage roof savoring the tasty berries. Often they will simply sit in the Cotoneaster eating berries within their reach! Our visiting Woodpigeons are looking quite plump now!

Of course, birds are one of the main distributors of berries and it works well. The birds get their food and the berries get distributed far and wide and of those that land on the favorable ground, some will grow. 

We know how well it works as in the Spring quite often I find new young plants growing up in places I certainly did not plant them.  Sometimes it is a very nice surprise and we get a brand new plant for free! 

Other plants start to close down for winter, they will not flower again until the spring or summer. They conserve their energy now. It is beginning to be the time of the berries.

A quietness is in the garden at the moment.

The birds sing but it is not the frantic activity of Spring. It is quieter, calmer they need all their energy for the cold, harsh time to come. 

They spend time looking for food and I see them resting in the hedgerow and eating what they find.

 Such is the time of Autumn...


Do you find the birds eating berries in your garden?




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Virginia Creeper Stunning In Autumn

Our Virginia creeper comes into its own just now, in Autumn. It shines a stunning vibrant red. We value it as much as the Daffodils in Spring. 

Most of the year it is hardly noticed but now it shouts out and is beautiful. A plant swan song before it too loses its leaves completely here. 

I love its rich red shiny leaves at this time of year. The way it trails up and over structures and other sturdy plants and shows off its amazing colour.

On a bright sunny day, the leaves seem to shine and I think they look very beautiful. Even dark, dull rainy days are brightened up by its glorious display shining out for us to see. The vibrant red giving us a boost at a time many of us start to slow and slumber.  

Virginia creeper is quite an easy plant to grow. It likes sun or shade and is not fussy about soil type either, wet or dry it does not worry it, it can even grow in slightly alkaline soils. A lovely plant to have in the garden.

Obviously, in a very dry spell it is advisable to water it and in its first year especially keep a close eye on it but it really is easy to look after. 

Being a vine it likes to creep and crawl and grow up structures or along the ground. The stems attach themselves onto surfaces with like small feet structures. It climbs by means of aerial roots. It can provide a lovely vertical feature in the garden.

 I would certainly not advise planting it too near guttering or important structural features as it can become quite heavy and may break the guttering or structure. 

The trick is to plant in the right place and keep it under control before it gets to that point, which is quite easy with simple pruning.

Do watch for the little feet getting into and breaking away in between weak crevices.  To be on the safe side we do keep ours away from the house. We have not found it a problem anywhere.

Most of the year it has green leaves and flowers in summer with tiny green flowers. It is in Autumn that it reveals its true beauty with its vibrant reds and what a beauty!  So bear in mind when you are planting, it is not for spring or summer colour.

I have found that as long as it is in the right place, i.e. away from sensitive structures and happy, it needs little if any care. I simply prune it back if it gets too big and removes any dead or dying shoots.

 

It can can grow over fifty feet so it's a good idea to give it a bit of pruning each year just to keep control but it is not difficult and the plant is very forgiving in my experience. Early Spring is the best time to prune. 

The little fruits it produces after flowering can be toxic so bear that in mind if you have children. The fruits can be simply cut off if it's an issue- but if you are happy to leave them the birds like them and is a welcome added food source for them. 

There are several types of Virginia Creeper, the links here are to plants available on Amazon. As we inherited our plant I do not know its specific type so it may not be not exactly the same that I have in my garden.

Do You Like Virginia Creeper?

Protective Parent Swans

OK so this is not in my garden, it is nowhere near big enough to have swans! However,  I really wanted to share this video with you.

 It shows the rescue of a baby swan that has got stuck in a fence. The video also highlights just how protective parent Swans are.

I do think this video demonstrates the very valuable work of the Wildlife Trust. 

Organisations like this and the hardworking people who conduct the rescues really help our wildlife, when they find themselves in trouble, wherever they may be.

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Do You Have a Bird Bath In Your Garden?

I wonder how many of us see a birdbath as an essential item in the garden? 

I know many of my neighbours do not have one yet and even though they feed the birds and some put up nest boxes and allow hedges to grow they do not see the need for a birdbath.

However I feel that it is an essential item in any garden, be it a wild one or not. 

When we got ours a few years ago I had no idea how much it would be used! 

It took a few days but it wasn't long before we had a lot of inquisitive visitors and took them no time at all to be drinking and bathing :)  We have ours on our patio close to the house but they do not seem to mind this at all and it gives us a close view of them. 

It is essential for birds to be able to drink and to be able to bathe and preen their feathers, their very lives depend upon it. So a clean safe source of water is of vital importance to them.

All year round they use our birdbath. Just yesterday when I was talking to a friend on Facebook there were twenty birds all jostling for a space in the bath! I am seriously considering getting a second birdbath! 

In Spring it is in constant use from first light. There is much bathing and preening going on. In summer I think they find it a respite from the heat, as many seem to simply sit in the water for quite a long time. I am often replacing the water at this time of year to keep it clean and fresh.

In Autumn and Winter, the baths are certainly shorter but they still visit -usually early morning and just before dusk.  

We have many different bird species visiting depending on the time of year, but the most regular ones are the sparrows who visit in small flocks and flutter about quite prettily in the water, while others seem to be keeping a lookout. 

Then the blackbirds who especially the males seem to like to bathe alone and chase off any others! We have two doves who are residents of the area who come and so sweet they often bathe together... so romantic! 

Then we have the big wood pigeons who always come every day and so huge when they bathe they displace nearly all the water!   

Occasionally we have our migrant birds and more exotic visitors who find our birdbath and partake for a drink and a bathe which is lovely to watch. 

So for very little effort and time and only the cost of a birdbath we can really help these birds with a safe, clean source of water so vital to them. In return, we get an amazing show and insight into their lives and it does attract more birds to your garden regardless of what else you do.

Birdbaths vary enormously in styles and prices so it really is what you want in your garden and how much or little you want to spend. There is a birdbath for pretty much any style of garden and almost any budget. 

From simple birdbaths to stylish,  hanging birdbaths, glazed or solar and even heated. Having a birdbath helps so many birds. Do you have one in your garden? 
 

Are We Too Tidy In Our Gardens?

I was thinking about this, are we too tidy in our gardens?

I love to see a beautifully neat and tidy garden, everything with a place and everything in its place. I have a friend whose garden is like this and I have to say it is very restful - for people.

You can walk across the lawn- not grass- a proper lawn, and even barefoot you would not sting yourself on a rogue nettle sapling, or hope to meet with a bee or wasp. 

Each flower is in its place and as soon as it fades the seed head is plucked off and replaced by another beautiful flower. My friend loves her garden and I love her garden...but the wildlife... they don't love it so much.... We discuss this and well the debate is ongoing!

I also have to say my garden is, somewhat sadly, not like that! It is not by design it is just the sort of garden that does not lend itself to over tidiness, it would not look or feel right. It is intrinsically for the wildlife and it is theirs.  

We have left some of the leaves that fell when we did some pruning, they are lying on the ground near and under the shrub. Beetles and all manner of little insects have already moved in. When I turn a leaf there is a whole colony of critters there. 

Worms come up and pull down some of the leaf litter while others munch across the top. In turn, birds find a worm or other creature for lunch. We often see blackbirds kicking up the leaves to see what they can find underneath. Our resident Robin eagerly watches the ground for signs of breakfast. 

We have a small nettle patch- for the butterflies to lay their eggs. We avoid it as it is certainly not comfortable for people and we contain it best we can to that one area. For our small sacrifice, we have lots of colourful butterflies!  

Our grass-not lawn- is scattered with an assortment of other plants -some call them weeds- yet the bees and wasps seem to appreciate them and the clover and daisies look so pretty when in flower. My husband does a valiant job of mowing every week, yet the native plants somehow always spring back.

 In spring and summer, we do have to be careful about bees, who coast across the top looking for nectar. We hear their gentle humming noise and they sound content. 

We have a small log pile in one corner, mostly out of sight, a few leaves and sticks around it. It is a wonderful shelter for bugs and woodlice and also for the hedgehogs who grace our garden sometimes. We think we are so lucky to see hedgehogs. Maybe it's not everyone's idea of a garden feature but they like it and so do we. 

It saddens me to see more paving going down instead of grass or plants in some neighbours homes - the paving is for easy maintenance. One person told me recently they are laying artificial grass so no more mowing!

 If we continue like that where will the worms and bugs and bees and birds and hedgehogs live and feed? Thank goodness our immediate neighbours love birds and wildlife too so at least we have a small corridor for them to roam.

Yes we have our nice patio area and our beautiful pots of flowers and we keep things there and nearer the house very tidy. It is quite possible to have a wildlife-friendly garden that also looks quite nice.

You may have to bear a little more untidiness than you would otherwise, especially in the Autumn/Fall but in my opinion, the rewards are tenfold. 

For me, I do want a beautiful garden, certainly,  but never at the expense of the wildlife who love our garden so much. 

If we don't make a place for nature, where will nature live? 


What is your view, are we too tidy in our gardens, do we need to accept wildlife more or is a neat pristine garden better? 


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As The Leaves Fall...

So we have now in mid-October reached Autumn or Fall. 

I cannot believe how fast this year has progressed. I do love the month of October though as we lose the occasionally fierce heat of summer and cooler weather gently or not so gently sometimes takes over.  

We have had a beautiful warm and sunny summer and a fairly mild September and just now we feel the hint of autumn's influence upon the garden.

I can look out now and see the once-green trees turning into the reds and golds and bronze colours so typical of this time of year. I love these autumnal colours, they are the most wonderful, rich and interesting for the year and so beautiful. All the more so as we know they will not be here very long before winter takes a hold of the landscape. 

The winds are starting to grow stronger now and the trees bow majestically to their great force. The ones that are flexible and gracefully moving with the wind, the survivors in this. Sadly the rigid that brace against the wind, often succumb to its force at this time of year, snapping off the great branches. 

Big leaves start to fall to the ground making a colourful carpet of crunchy, rustling underfoot of a beautiful carpet of colour.

In the high winds some all bunch together and rise high in the air dancing a whirling quickstep, until they fall clustered together. 

The sound these leaves make is a wonderful orchestra of rustling magic.

 I never tire of walking through leaves... 

From a very young child, I would walk through the leaves with my parents, looking at the colours and feeling the stems and leave patterns, learning about nature. It was a special time I now treasure so much. 

Nights are drawing in now and there is no more gardening after dinner. Time to savor what we can during the daytime when I am here. 

Do you love the Autumn or Fall leaves?