Good morning H,
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my Winter Flowering Hedera. It can be brutally cropped and seems to enjoy the violence
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You made me laugh imagining that in action. I trim our ivy with a pair of secateurs. Am I being too gentle with it? I'm a pathetic gardener as I can't bear killing things, so it takes me an age in relocations to an adjoining field.
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Of course, it also attracts Wasps, but as I have a Hornets nest in there somewhere too the Wasps prefer to visit and not set up home.
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I like wasps, so attracting them isn't a problem. They don't hurt me and I never harm them. Your ivy is beginning to sound like a fascinating small forest. Will hornets defend a nest if you go near it, or only if you disturb it?
I like the idea of Winter Flowering Hedera very much, and I know it's best for wildlife, but it's not much loved by the neighbours on t'other side of fence. However, I'm doing my bit on the opposite side as the wild kind rambles at will over the drystone walls and through the other neighbours' gloriously undisciplined 10 ft tall x 8 ft wide Eleagnus ( x ebbingei ) hedge, weaving about with the brambles and holly. That's all crammed full of nesting birds come spring. Now I need to bring some life to that sterile fence, although it makes a great perch and provides nesting materials.
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a Robin and a Dunnock who seem to be in a perpetual feud over the disputed territory around the Grill, sundry Blackbirds, Woodies pretending to be Tits, hanging head down to get at the fruits,
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There's no feud between our robin and dunnock - the latter never disputes anything. Just sits there, when the robin comes, in abject anticipation of defeat. It seems to get up before the robin and comes to our back door tseeting for its breakfast every morning. And I've watched Woodies stuffing themselves with ivy berries. Ours fall off a lot though. Inexplicably they seem to have no knowledge of the laws of physics
I agree with your 'letting nature take its course' philosophy, so (taking note of what's suitable for the conditions here) I'll probably plant out a selection from all the suggestions, and whatever survives deserves to be there.
And really, I've searched and searched, but I can't come up with the translation of your signature. Norwegian, is it? I know you must have been asked this many times, but do put me out of my misery and let me know what it means
(I know. I’ll have to rein myself in, really I will. Keeping on topic is going to be a trial for me, but it’s so good to finally meet people who have similar interests
Andestine