Gardening with Nature on the Edge of the Atlantic

Tag: robins

  • Caught in the Act

    I have finally admitted defeat in my efforts to have Hosta plants in pots by my back door. These had hardly started to produce leaves this year when the snail attacks started. To my mind this is earlier than usual and if other years are an indication I will soon have no leaves left. I…

  • The Little Picture

    This Vapourer moth caterpillar has picked the perfect background to show off its dramatic coat – you could hardly call it a disguise! It always amazes me that I can find just one of these creatures a year when there must be many more around for the species to survive. This one was on a…

  • As Summer Ends

    I think that this has probably been the best year for butterflies since I first moved here over thirteen years ago. All the usual favourites such as the Red Admiral, Peacock Butterfly, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Speckled Wood are in abundance in the flower garden and copse, but there have also been many more…

  • At Least the Rain has Stopped!

    16 January 2023 The last leaf in the garden against the backdrop of winter heather. It is hard to imagine how this has remained on the tree throughout all the gales but the colour is a bright spot on a dull day. The heather in all of its glory. I still have to look carefully…

  • Small Miracles

    This plant may not look like much, but is a testament to its resilience in the face of human neglect. I have always loved box hedging and the smell instantly transports me back to childhood. In one of my gardens in Scotland, I managed to produce a full hedge from the cuttings of one plant.…

  • Winter Tasks

    The trees on my drive have been given a much-needed trimming to remove dead or dying wood and thin out the crowns so that they do not present a large top-heavy mass of branches at the top of the plant during storms. The branches are perfect for the birds when approaching the feeder and the…

  • In the Absence of Leaves

    Winter has arrived with a bang and in an unusual collaboration with nature I planted my garlic on the day before the first heavy frost and put out all of the bird feeders. So, with any luck I will have plenty of birds throughout the winter and no vampires. Indoors, my newly planted turmeric is…

  • Creating a Miniature
    Woodland Garden

    5 January 2021 For the first year ever, I am finding it had to find work to do in the garden. This is not for lack of trying. I am thwarted by two factors. The temperature has been below zero every night for some time and daytime temperatures are little better. My hands have registered…