Diary of a lazy gardener

[guardian]

Originally Posted by pat t

Hi everyone
The moles continue their activities undeterred by attempts to stop them! We have a couple of male pheasants who hang around all winter eating the bird seed put out for the robins, spuggies etc.
Pat T

Hi Pat

I have to know, what are spuggies?

It's so good to know that all over the country there are good things going on, it's been great to read about your visitors.
My next job will be to use the molehills for seed trays, they do turn up some fine soil so I suppose that's one good thing about moles.

regards

Guardian

[smartie]

Originally Posted by guardian

Hi Pat

I have to know, what are spuggies?

Northern (I think - we certainly used it) word for sparrow.

[pat t]

A spuggie is indeed a sparrow.As well as all the usual "bird table" birds we have regular visits from greater spotted woodpeckers. For most of the year we only see them singly but come the breeding season the youngsters are brought along to master the art of the nut hangers. It is lovely to watch them but they are not team players and frighten the other birds away!
Pat T

[guardian]

Morning all,

I've been a bit neglectful of my scribblings lately but the garden has improved instead, so it's not all bad.

The lawn's had its first mow and the beds are cleared for new stuff. I can't get into the potting shed to start everything off as it still has the winter coal in it, he who must be obeyed has decided to have it delivered to the potting shed which severely restricts my activities. Heyho.

Anyway the collared doves have returned in their pairs and Mr Pheasant has paired up with his lady friends and is in fine plummage. The rhubarb is coming up nicely, a week or so will see me harvesting the first stalks.

It's been lovely weather for a while, if windy, but today it's absolutley freezing, not by the thermometer but because the wind is strong and gusting from the north. The weather men have threatened us with wintry conditions over the weekend. It's such a shame the daffs, crocuses and primroses are in full flower only to be broken and frozen to death.

A couple of large deer have wandering through the undergrowth by the river so I expect to see young again this year.

The molehills have been collected for the seedtrays and it looks as though there'll be a bumber crop of ash seedlings to harvest and bring on for planting out in a few years.

Best get on with it then.

Guardian

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

Hi guardian

So you think you have a mole problem ...



Wecome to WAB
Tursiops2

Hello Pat.t and Guardian welcome, everything in control the gardens sound fine and well attended
Molehills as in Tursiops picture can bring in Buzzards sometimes in sizable numbers
for the earthworms

[Crowman]

Originally Posted by Owl-Light

No moles here, but I'd be pleased to see one.

You can have mine for a small fee

[guardian]

Afternoon everybody

Well what a day it can't make up it's mind between sunshine and hailstorms today. This morning I woke to a light covering of slushy snow, the first this year.

We're pretty fortunate most of the time, we seem to have our small weather system so the heavy rains and snowstorms miss us and concentrate on the hills.

Yesterday there was a very high tide, the dunes on the shore were more submerged than I've ever seen them before. The Lossie struggled to empty into the bay.

Have to say I've not been outside today, even the birds are shivering.

Regards

Guardian

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by guardian

Taking the dog for his walk this morning reminded me that not all creatures that fly are on the go, the moles are very active and for some reason they love to dig in my garden leaving their tell-tale hills everywhere; great earth for seed trays but they have an entire field over the fence I'll never know why they choose our garden instead. I don't like to kill anything and I don't really approve of the 'thumper' things you can get, I (probably foolishly) think that it may disturb other creatures and frighten them away, so we will just have to get on together.Guardian

Hello Guardian .

Have you tried wine bottles for your mole problem? No, I'm not suggesting you try to get them drunk then dump them in a remote area . If you put a few wine bottles in the holes with the necks just popping out of the ground, the breeze flowing over the bottle top makes a gentle hum that sends the moles off in the opposite direction.

I can't remember which stately home it is, but one of them definately uses that method successfully because I saw the head gardner talking about it on TV.

Might be worth a go.

[nightshade]

Canes and Taut video tape the humming drives away deer and the
vibration through the canes into the ground annoys the moles

[guardian]

Morning all

My thanks to Gaina and Nightshade for their intrigueing advice, I like the wine bottle idea and of course it will give my partner a perfect excuse for buying wine I'll definitely give it a go.

Last night was, well, what can I say, howling winds, snow, sleet, ho hum I hope March goes out like a lamb

Now the sun is out for 30 seconds and the winter barley is starting to grow, they'll be round soon to spread the muck and nitrates. Not unhappy about the muck spreading but not keen on the artificial fertilizers, a bit concerned the birds might eat it and be poisoned as the stuff comes in tiny pellet form. It's after the fertilizer goes down that there's an almost miraculous increase in growth, you can almost watch it grow, quite creepy really. Just shows what can be done I suppose.
They seem to grow the same crop every year, what happened to crop rotation? I don't suppose the whisky business is complaining though.

Dinas, my golden retreiver is an old man now but he still likes his brush every day and the birds get the benefit this time of year as they collect his balls of hair for their nests. I wonder if they can smell 'doggy' on it and if it puts them off a bit.

Just wondering if I dare brave the outside chills and sleet, I'm not good at being cold and miserable.

Here goes


regards

Guardian