What's occuring in the backyard?

What pretty birds Rannveig and Patbarr! Makes me want to rush out and get one too :)

Lovely wreath Patbarr, I especially like the use of different foliage to the normal holly.

Pat you are so talented, the wreaths are fantastic!

Such a shame you lost the cockatiels, the ones left must have been scared when they went.

My budgie Joey copies noises too, the squeak of the fridge door, microwave pip, he often only does a thing once then is bored of it. He has his noise which sounds like my high pitched 'yes', it seems like he encourages us to talk sometimes like we do him!

My cat is scared of the budgie, he flew out of his cage yesterday and landed on her cushion about 3" from her. She just sat and looked, I picked him up and she went outside scared. Every time she goes for her food when he's in the kitchen (we bring the cage in the lounge at night) if I'm not there he makes all the noise he can at her.

lol - janet - it is a bit funny that a cat can be scared of a little budgie! One would think it should be the other way around :-) Joey - sounds lika a caracter too - we're really looking forward to getting to know Kiki ....... He's getting more comfortable in his cage everyday ..... and starting to step on to my hand very briefly - I think we're making very good progress.

Pat - your cockatiels are beautiful! Sorry that you've lost two of them.

I've nearly killed the other cockatiels this afternoon and almost set fire to the kitchen too. I thought I had turned the cooker ring on under the pressure cooker base while I went for some potatoes, and then went to look for some picture hooks (like you do). Then I smelled burning and went back into the kitchen to find it full of black smoke, you could hardly see the cockatiel cage it was so thick, so I dragged the cage into the other room and opened all the doors and windows. I had turned the ring on under the pressure cooker lid and the rubber seal had caught fire.

I threw it outside and have tried to clean everything , but the whole house reeks of burning rubber.

The cockatiels seem to be recovering next to the open window.

The most worrying thing is that I had installed a new smoke detector only last month and it didn't go off.

Anyway I didn't burn the house down and the birds seem OK.

Then I moved a packet of pumpkin seeds to get something out of the cupboard and the bottom came undone and the whole kitchen is covered in pumpkin seeds.

Then I tried to close the tilt turn window and it won't close again.

I thought the day hadn't got off to a good start this morning when my washing machine sounded as though it was going to explode, but when the engineer came he couldn't find anything wrong with it.

At least I did a little gardening, I gave all my new herb bed a mulch of compost with lots of sharp sand mixed in for drainage and weeded and cut all the dead bits off. I hope this will protect them from the nasty January and February weather.

I'm going to do some comfort eating/drinking now - sherry trifle with double cream, a chunk of Christmas cake and a glass of single malt whisky - or two. Then next week it is dieting!

Oh dear Pat, I hope the birds haven't suffered from the smoke. You have had a bad day, tomorrow has to be better! If you're not sick from all that comfort eating!

I got some Clivia seeds I was expecting from China today, I got them sown so I feel like I have done some gardening. It wasn't the 11C we were forecast here today, 6C at midday and cold winds but it 'almost' felt like a gardening day. One step closer.

My cat Mitsi is getting old, she's 16 and recently seems to have had a setback with one eye looking blind but has picked up again to scratching the sofa and insisting on going upstairs, downstairs, to the food dish, wants a lap, good games! I have to encourage her gently to go outside or she swears at me now. She can't do both in the cat tray, so after doing no. 1's in the tray if I'm not around no. 2's are done on the floor, good job it's wood there. So after feeding her, she rushing under the table to be sick on the carpet, cleaning up the other on the floor and cat tray, my day seems more normal than yours!

OH Pat - what a scare! Glad the cockatiels and your kitchen are recovering!!! You might want to check the location of the smoke detector ........ I nearly burned the house down about two years ago when my younger one was about 1. I was preparing a party and had absent mindedly put a plastic tray on the stove ...... then I went out of the kitchen to get something and the next thing I know I smell smoke and the kitchen is filled with black smoke. Hildur Eva had turned the stove on and the plastic tray was in flames. I managed to put the fire out and get us out of the house, but had to have the firedepartment come and clear the house of the smoke. The smoke detector didn't go off until after I had noticed the fire and the smoke was really thick since it was placed too far into the hallway away from the kitchen ...... we'd never realised how crucial location can be.....

You certainly deserve a comfort drink .... or two!!!

Feeling a bit more calm today - house still smelly, but the cockatiels are fine. I was really worried about them as they are really sensitive to smoke and fumes.

Thanks for the advice about siting the smoke detector. I will check them all. Fires are so scary. I've still got a very sore throat from the horrible fumes.

I'm glad you like the wreaths, I made them very quickly, more as an experiment than anything. If I make them again I will get some florists wire to fasten them and put more greenery etc. on them. I thought I would share the idea with you as it is so effective and easy and much better than buying them.

I think Kiki should be very tame with all the attention, you have to keep on handling them regularly or they soon get out of the habit and go wild again like mine. They are very entertaining.

It sounds as though your poor old cat is finding life a bit difficult Janet with its toilet problems and a bossy budgie. It is sad when pets get old. I keep thinking about getting another dog, but am enjoying the freedom of not having to be back to take her out, or having to go for a walk no matter what the weather. I miss my little friend though.

Instead of gardening today I audited all my seeds from last year and couldn't believe how many I have. Along with those I have bought this year there are hundreds of packets, including lots I saved myself, and over 40 of which are varieties of tomatoes.

I don't know why, but I am always tempted by the lovely names and descriptions of tomatoes. I must not buy any more until I have used these up - or at least grown a couple of each kind. It will probably take years!

I've also ordered some potatoes - Kestrel and Charlotte to go with the seed potatoes I've saved from last year.

I just need to clean out the propagator ready for sowing the peppers, aubergines - and a few tomatoes.

That's not as many tomato verieties as I have seen some in the US growing, but still a few more than I could cope with. They get hotter summers there and can grow them outside, well so can we if we don't mind getting less or none due to blight.

I managed to sow 8 lots of seeds this afternoon, lilies, and other autumn/winter sowing ones, did 3 a few days ago, got another 12 lined up, plus all the rest. Need to mix more compost first.

Today it didn't rain in the afternoon, for January it was quite a good day. Some tender plants are shooting, most of the fuchsias have remained semi- green. Salvia Black & Blue is supposed to be tender, it still has green stems although leaves are now gone, and it's shooting from the bottom. Hot summers are supposed to help ripen plants so they overwinter better, but it has been mostly mild. Musa sikkimensis which regrew from a stub after the last winter in the greenhouse and is in the ground has 2 not very tall stems which are still OK and have new growth trying to push up.

Now all we need is a really cold snap to stop it all!

What a beautiful day, lovely warm sunshine - not bad for February.

I've had a major seed sowing session this week. Filled the propagator with peppers, aubergines and tomatoes and the border with salady things and some mangetout peas. The peas should be ready before I need the trellis for the melons and cucumber - that is the plan anyway.

I even got round to digging over a couple of beds this afternoon. I always use a fork rather than a spade as I hate cutting worms in half. One bed was teeming with worms and the one next to it only had a few. I haven't checked the Ph, but lots of worms usually indicate that it is OK and lack of worms means it is over acid, so that bed has had a good dressing of lime. I hope it has upset the slugs too as there were hundreds when I lifted the sheet of cardboard I had used as a mulch. I put it on the path and gave it a good stamping before putting it on the compost heap and then felt rather guilty for the mass extermination.

The new hens have been naughty today and two of them have escaped over the fence and couldn't find their way back again. They were getting upset as all the others had gone in to roost. I'll have to clip their wings.

Hi Pat and wallaby :-)

I've been quite busy with seed sowing as well - perennials and annuals. It was really nice last week with temps up to 8°C - really felt like spring since the snow had completely melted. Went outside for a bit, but it really was to soon to do any gardening. Winter's back now, it snowed yesterday and now it's down to -3°C. Still 2 months until spring here .....

A photo from yesterday's snow

Hi rannveig,

we had a few warm days too, getting back to winter now and expecting snow overnight, tomorrow 2C. The nights have been probably -6C the last two nights, it's done the leaves on my Fuchsia boliviana alba which surprisingly had managed to keep them until now, -5C they coped with, Dahlia imperialis young plants in the greenhouse also had their leaves and they have been frosted but should grow from the roots. I have also left my Strelitzias in the greenhouse, the older leaves are looking damaged but the stems and new growth so far is fine. A torch ginger had complete new stem and new leaves, they have drooped too but the stems look OK. So now I know that most of these are OK to -5C but not beyond, but can't bring everything in the house as they get bigger and I get more plants.

Spring should arrive here in March, last year it was mid April! If it is on time then it's only a month away, it is supposed to rise to 8C again in a few days. I have been seed sowing like mad, some things coming up, I have some lilies germinating. I think I have nearly caught up with the winter sowing!

It seems like we are getting similar weather!

Sure sounds like it janet :-) It's -4°C here now. The dahlia seed you sent me has germinated - surprised me how fast it did - I sowed it late last week or this weekend! Very excited to see how they'll turn out :-) Got a lot of stuff growing out in the garage under lights .... everything's frozen in the greenhouse.

Haha, I wonder if the full moon had an influence? I sowed in 2 lots when I grew mine, only a week or two apart, the first ones grew so much more quickly. They were sown at the end of January, they germinate from 3 to 7 days mostly. I'm pleased they are still good.

I had some very nice self sets which had maybe crossed with others. There is even a late growing one in the rose bed which was still green, I don't know if this harder frost has knocked it back but it has taken some hard frosts.

I was cleaning up around the Bishop's Children, I found a tuber had pushed right to the top. It felt hard so I guess it's OK, I know I had some near the surface last winter and it was very cold. Bishop of Llandaff did the same last year, it was dark red and like a stone, I was bashing it with the trowel! I thought I would lift it and move it deeper, but couldn't budge it!

Hope your seedlings are doing OK. The rocket was first to germinate in the greenhouse border, then the Irish Gardeners Delight tomatoes in the propagator. Today there are some lettuce and endive and a few beetroot showing through, but no sign of the sweet peas yet.

We had six inches of snow last night. The trees looked very pretty, but it has been thawing fast today. The snow has stayed on the greenhouse and it is quite dark.

I am thinking about getting some grow lights but can't decide which ones to get. Has anyone any experience of using them and can recommend a good one. I don't want to spend a fortune though - it is only a 4 ft propagator.

Hi Pat,
Just wanted to show you the result my sowing of your welsh poppies.
I sowed them last October as soon as I received the seeds, because I had read somewhere, they don't stay viable for a long time.
I only sowed a few, because I always have to deal with the problem of little space, and I really hate killing or trowing away baby plants.

I think I should give them now their individual pots. I hope they are not so picky like the annual poppies that tolerate transplanting very badly.

Welsh Poppies?

Very easy. Just plant them out now, and stand well back.

One this year will be 100 next year, and 10,000 the year after.

Resin

They look nice healthy plants bonitin, I hope they survive the transplant.

Resin,
I don't have to worry about that, for the simple reason that there is no place for them to spread, every inch is occupied in my tiny place. Also a reason why I don't have to weed.

Today, for the first time since a very long period of dark, rainy days, at last some sunshine.
A peacock butterfly woke up from its winter sleep and shows interest in a nectar drink from the crocus.
First time I ever saw a butterfly so early in the year.

That must be a very rare photograph - a Peacock butterfly on a crocus. I did see some Red Admirals when it was sunny and warm before the snow came. I hope they survived.

wow bonitins - crocus blooming and a butterfly - in february!!! Is it spring already?? What a beauty it is :-) It's 5°C here and partly cloudy with the sun breaking through once in a while - really lovely weather that makes me want spring all that more ....... feel like I should go outside and do something ..... just don't know what at this time of year ;-)

Garden intruders have arrived.
There be microwave snails in a few minutes, anyone wants some? LOL ;o))))

there is 16C at the moment :o))))))

Uggh, I hope they don't explode!

I think they did, it sounded like small pops.
Poor things but they are a nuisance eating everything.

16°C?????????? Is it summer already? I'm still waiting for spring. It's about 7°C and very windy and wet :-(

Isn’t amazing? It caught us by surprise, and it is utterly welcomed.
But now I am in a hurry to plant, many of my bulbs are sprouting.
I will ask the weather god’s to pay you a visit, so you can enjoy a bit of sun as well :o)

Well, I've got all the potatoes in - Charlotte and Red Duke of York are nearly ready for digging up in the greenhouse and the baby potatoes I grew from micro plants last summer were the first to plant outside. These are Shetland Black, Aura, Orion, Arran Comrade and Fortyfold. Hopefully I will get enough to taste some this year. The other varieties I've planted are Desiree, Yukon Gold, Kestrel, Marfona, Record and Sarpo Axona.

We are having an early spring aren't we? The leaves are coming out, and the almond, peach, and plum are all flowering and the quince has leaves and large flower buds already. One of the grape vines in the greenhouse has flower buds and the fig in a pot has leaves and some baby figs on. The mangetout peas in the greenhouse are also getting flower buds on and there are lots of lettuce and endive in the border along with radish, parsley and summer salad mix. I've caught a cut worm grub munching its way along a row of lettuce this week. I wondered why they were keeling over one at a time in a straight line.

I planted some of the tomatoes out in their special bottomless pots in the cold greenhouse too this week, but I may have to resort to fleece and the under soil heating cable if it turns cold again. - I've not had to use it yet. I noticed that the garden sundries places have started selling bottomless pots. Mine are some 9 inch diameter plastic drainage pipes which Dad cut up into 12" lengths years and years ago when he was trying ring culture for his tomatoes. I just sit them on the soil and fill them with a mixture of peat free compost, sieved garden compost and a sprinkle of blood fish and bone and then plant into them.

I'm way behind with sowing seeds and pricking out the things that have already germinated. I've been at the Community garden making the base for our new greenhouse to replace the one destroyed by the gales and spending quite a lot of time in preparation for our town's entry in Yorkshire in Bloom so my garden has been taking a bit of a back seat. The judging is this Thursday, so I should be able to get on with my own again.

Last night I had a slug hunt and caught about 4 lb of slugs and snails. I had been thinking that some of my plants weren't doing very well and no wonder. Their favourites are the lobelia by the pond, irises, garden mint and asparagus.

I was accompanied by a female Tawny owl patrolling and screeching loudly, two young hedgehogs having a very loud fight and a large yellow and black frog. I gave the hedgehogs a handfull of peanuts to make up for taking some of their slugs and they stopped fighting to have a snack.

LOL Pat - must be nice to have company on slug hunts :-) Glad the hedgehogs didn't fight over the snack ;-)

The grass is starting to turn green and some of the trees are about to "leaf out" so things are slowly starting to turn green again - what a welcome change :-) My lawn is in a pretty miserable shape so I'm planning to try and improve it a bit this spring. I'm going to get the moss out and then put a lot of sand over it to even it out and improve drainage .... then sow some seed into the bare spots and hope for the best ..... :-) The soil is too compacted and wet and every spring it becomes more "bumpy" ...... I'm hoping the sand will help a bit. Is moss a universal lawn problem or just up here in the damp and cool north??

Hi Rannveig, Glad your spring is arriving at last. We have had a very early start this year with leaves on the trees and everything flowering several weeks earlier than usual.

My lawn is a mess and needs some attention too, but it has been so dry here that the moss isn't a problem this year. I need to aerate my lawn as the half I had to re-lay after the workmen burried it in all the soil from the conservatory foundations is like concrete and not doing very well at all. I thought I would then add some compost to feed it and help it retain some moisture and a bit of sharp sand to lighten it up. Then I think I will probably sow a bit more seed to thicken it up. That is the plan anyway, but I have so many other gardening jobs to do that it may have to wait its turn.

It is unusual though because like yours it is usually very wet and mossy at this time of the year.

Hi Pat - nice to hear from you :-)

The lawn has been sanded, fertilized and watered and is coming along. Now I just have to wait for the seed in the bare spots to sprout ;-) I managed to finally sow the carrot and lettuce seeds in my very small vegetable garden yesterday - very late again like last year - but hopefully we'll get at least a few baby carrots. Tried 'Puple haze' carrots along with the normal 'early nantes' - it'll be interesting to see if they will grow here - very neat color ;-)

Hi Rannveig, I've never grown different coloured carrots, you will have to let us know if they taste any different.

My first sowing of carrots have germinated, but the later ones are no where to be seen. I'm hoping they are just a bit slow and that they haven't been eaten by slugs.

I've spent all morning watering all the vegetable beds with Nemaslug - the nematodes that kill slugs, so with a bit of luck I won't have so many this summer. I've been gathering hundreds each time I have a night-time slug hunt since the weather has turned wet again. I've been trying to check the Lobelia and Toad Lillies by the pond each night as they are being eaten down to the ground over night if I don't. Also the asparagus is another favourite slug snack. I might have to resort to slug pellets.

My other job today has been putting straw round the Strawberries to keep them off the ground. There are lots on and two are even showing some colour so I may have my first fruits before the end of the month. It is quite an early fruiting French variety called Ciflorette. They are long fruits rather like a large alpine strawberry and last year had a lovely rich sweet flavour. I've noticed that the weather has quite a marked effect on the flavour of most strawberries. They are much sweeter when it is nice and sunny - like most fruits, and when there is a lot of rain the flavour is nowhere near as intense.

I keep taking Ladybirds into the greenhouse to try and get rid of the aphids, but so far the aphids are winning. They are really bad this year and are even on two of the tomato plants which they don't usually touch. I don't use pesticides so I think I'll give them a blast of water in the spray pump. This is brilliant - I bought it on E-bay - one of the old fashioned ones like my father used to have. It has four different sized spray nozzles which screw onto the handle when not in use and all the seals are in good condition. It only cost £7.50 including the postage - a bargain.

Wow Pat - my strawberries are barely out of the ground yet! Ofcourse we're still in refrigerator temps. - it's 7°C today and monday morning we had snowflurries and a dusting of snow on the ground! Hope you can get the slugs under control - they are such a pest ! Since there are no lady bugs here to keep the aphids down I use insecticidal soap on them and just spray the tips when I spot them - don't spray the whole plant .... well not yet anyway. I'm hoping to keep them in check if I spray them as soon as I spot them.

I don't think my fish would be very happy if I had seals.

LOL - Resin and Pat :-)

Well I've picked my first strawberries and had four with cream yesterday for tea. They were still warm from the sunshine and tasted delicious. Aren't fruits much more enjoyable when picked in season than the artificially ripened things they import.

It looks like a good year for all the fruits this year with lots of apples, plums, cherries, gooseberries, currants, and even the pears have lots more on than usual.

It's a good job I've bought a new cookery book - Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook which has recipes for using fruit and veg when they are in season. It even has quite a few recipes for using Elderflowers which should be flowering any time now.

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Yummy!! Sounds like you're in for many treats this summer Pat! You're so right, fruit taste so much better homegrown - well strawberries at least - I wouldn't know with the other kinds ;-)