Despite the cold weather there are still a few cold-bloodied creatures that are active in the garden. Whilst tidying up around the edge of the pond today I found a young smooth newt (Triturus vulgaris). I’m not sure if they’re called Efts after they’ve left the pond but this newt was only 3cm long so will definitely have been one of this year’s brood. I’ve also been noticing a few other young newts remaining within... Read on
I took advantage of a bit of fine weather to do a bit of a tidy up in the veg patch ready for winter. This essentially entailed clearing some of the old veg and putting the plants on the compost heap. I also cut back all the old wood on the raspberry canes since they won’t fruit again. I was quite surprised how few old canes there were given how much fruit we had! There... Read on
I’ve done it…. finally ordered my greenhouse! I’ve ordered an Eden Highline 8×8. It’s almost square (8′ 5″ by 8′ 6″) and has high eaves (so I don’t bang my head). I’ve opted for polycarbonate glazing as I suspect it will be a lot safer. I bought the greenhouse through Taylors Garden Buildings, who’ve been exceptionally helpful and answered all my questions about the greenhouse really quickly – I’ve been very impressed by them. It... Read on
Today I found this fantastic Grey dagger moth caterpillar (Acronicta psi) on the small-leaved lime tree in the garden. These caterpillars eat leaves on many different trees and shrubs including birch, hawthorn and lime (two of which we have in the garden). Grey dagger moth caterpillar (Acronicta psi) Read on
Today I found this hatchling slow worm (Anguis fragilis) on our patio. It can’t be very old because it’s less than 100mm in length, it’s strong evidence that the adult slow worms we see in the garden are breeding. Young slow worms develop inside the female and when they are born they are enclosed in a thin membrane. They quickly break free from the membrane and are fully mobile. The edge of my lens cap... Read on
