First Cutting of the Greensward in 2022

We do not have a lawn. There wasn't much of a lawn when we moved here and we quickly decided it had to go and be replaced with trees and plants.Lawns require a level of care and maintenance that far outweighs their usefulness, in our opinion, and they are severely lacking in biodiversity. That...

Hereford Floods - February 2022

After three named storms in a week - Dudley, Eunice and Franklin - the wind subsided and the sun came out. Yesterday, it was time (3 pm, 21/2/22) to get some fresh air with a walk down to the River Wye. Rain in mid-Wales, where the source of the River Wye lies, takes 24-48 hours to work its way downstream...

First Daffodil of Spring

 Continuing on the theme of early spring flowering, this pot of daffodils was blooming on February 10. They may have flowered a few days earlier but were tucked away so not on show. Located on a sunny patio, these are expected to be the first to flower in the garden. The ground-planted daffodils...

View from the Rear Window - January 2022

January 1st 2022 was unseasonably warm with a maximum daytime temperature of 15 oC and a minimum nighttime temperature of 12 oC. Generally quiet in the garden with the winter-flowering cherry still producing and the sweet scent of Sarcococca brought out by the warmth......the...

Storm Eunice

 Yesterday (18 February 2022) was spent hunkered down at home as Storm Eunice approached and passed. The only damage was a shared fence with our next-door neighbours...Unfortunately, our neighbours across the road suffered some roof damage...Our Davis weather station recorded a peak gust of 64...

Common Hill Nature Reserve and the Big Farmland Bird Count

 We have posted previously about Common Hill Nature Reserve, near Fownhope, Herefordshire. The voluntary Warden asked if we could do an avian survey as part of the Big Farmland Bird Count. This is a good time of the year for spotting as the birds have nowhere to hide in the, largely, leafless trees....

Phenology - Real Time Observation of a Warming Planet

Phenology is the study of cyclic/seasonal phenomena in the natural world; e.g. the emergence of leaves, buds, flowers & fruits in plants, the first cuckoo call of Spring and the appearance of frogspawn in the garden pond. Variations in the timings of these natural events are used as proxies for...

Making a beeline for...

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝...the Sarcococca bush.It was the same warm sunny February day. The air was filled with an intense sweet-smelling fragrance and there was a definite buzz in the garden. My olfactory and aural senses led me to this Sarcococca bush tucked away in a corner...

Raspberries and Strawberries

 A warm sunny February day (maximum temperature 15 oC) and a few jobs to do in the garden.First, check the HotBin composter temperatures. Doing nicely at 55 oC so add 6 litres of shredded garden waste, 2 litres of kitchen waste and 120 g of biochar. Mix. Check again tomorrow.Second,...

Make Your Own Wedding Place Cards

This is a guest post from my daughter who trades as The Merry Giraffe selling cards and stationery. Her Etsy shop is here raising funds for the Oxford Heart Centre and the Royal Berks Cardiac Unit. This post describes how to make your own place cards for weddings, parties, etc. If you would prefer...