Catlady's Garden - Update 16/01/24

This was the scene on getting up this morning! Taken through window.

Percy and one of his lady friends decided to make their way to the back for food! Also taken through window.

Later on in the morning. Nice to look at but not at the end of April! Taken from front door.

Thats all for now.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • Thanks peewee, we do have a large front lawn, not so much the sides and back, I have to use the push mower round the trees and sides but have a ride on for the main lawn, that is my baby! I think Mr CL has used it twice. I am a bit OCD when it come to the grass and like it just so, neatly cut and no bits missed or clumps lying loose. Think that is why he just leaves it to me! Our wall is coming on a treat, the main part to the fieild is finished and today the top coping stones went on, looks great. Will get some photos on soon.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • It has been a while since I updated my thread. Here are some birdie photos to be going on with. Many years ago we had swallows that built a nest in the overhang at the front porch. They have been about over the years but never nested again, until this year. Several weeks ago, one arrived and was waiting for its mate, it would sit on the electric wires, then both. They flew in and out to the front door but nothing happened for a couple of weeks, next I looked they had started a nest, 4 layers over the few days and it was built. Nothing happened for another couple of weeks, thy kept flying back and forth and sitting on the wires, every night I would open the front door to see if she was sitting in the nest, but no. They were not bothered by me and like other birds, seemed to be used to me being about. I had decided the nest was not going to be used. Well you can imagine my surprise when last week on looking up, I saw movement, thought it was mum on eggs, I could just see the top of 4 heads. She had laid eggs and had sat on them and I never noticed. Over the next week, you could ss the beaks resting on the nest edge, then head and eyes over the top, then a bit of chest and head and finally they looked as if they would fall out, they were hanging out that far. They seemed to grow like mushrooms. I knew they would be out soon. I managed over 3 nights to get some photos. They are flying about now but still came back to the nest at night. What a sight, they were so cute but huge in the wee nest, 1 sat longways on top of the others. Had to hose the steps and bannister every night, what a pooooeeyyy mess!!

    These were taken over 3 nights.

    I have a new baby Robin coming about. I had one years ago that got quite tame, it never hand fed, although I tried. This wee one is very nosey and inquisitive. Over the last few days, it was always about, so today I spent time to see what would happen. I kept speaking and ditting to it, as you to, shaking a wee pot of suet pieces, trying to get it to come nearer. Eventually I got a seat out, sat speaking to it, it came and went, came a bit nearer each time. I threw a trail of suet, the white pieces were the preferred ones and it took each bit. I then sat with the pot in my hand, leaning on the ground and kept shaking it, in the hope it would come and take some. Well I was so chuffed, it would come and stop a foot away, then inches and eventually it came to the pot, took a bit of suet and flew off to eat it, returned straight away and did the same. I have broken down a fat ball and put some with some suet in the wee pot, in the hope that eventually I may get it to hand feed! Here it is when I first saw it this morning, in he trees and on the wall.

    I think he will probably be male, so I am looking for a name for him, suggestions welcome.

    The garden works have come on well and are almost finished, one day, when it is alI finished, I will get photos posted. Above is the rather sad looking Holly bush, it had to be moved, when work started at the side, it was looking okay when I put it there, but sadly died!!

    Watch this space.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • Fab update thanks CL.... How about 'Robin' for a name? Hopefully your swallows will remember going forward!!
  • Lovely update CL....the m babies in the nest are sooo cute...fingers crossed you will be hand feeding Rocky Robin in no time....it his to be Rocky does it no? Lol

    (Pardon the Scottish Accent)

  • As promised in a post this morning, here are a few photos. It was wet sleety rain in the morning, then for a couple of hours, quite heavy snow, now the rain is washing it all away, and fog forcast for later!! High winds again tomorrow, talk about all weather's in 24 hours, all we need now is a blast of sunshine but that is not going to happen anytime soon!

    I have never given a garden update re all the garden works. The new walls are up, you can see the back one in the 3rd photo, the side was all excavated and everything taken away, new wall up, drive entrance widened and new wall post ends put In. About 60 tonnes of new top soil delivered and spread, so now the side is all ground level and not on a gradient up to 6 feet or so. Part of the height and a few feet in width at the back had fo be kept, as we are on very sandy soil [we reckon about 100 tonnes was taken away], otherwise next door's garden would be falling into ours! Fertiliser and new grass seed sewn and in 3 weeks I was cutting the grass. I have kept a 2 foot edge along the new wall, to plant shrubs and flowers in. At the top where we kept the height, the landscape gardener has ordered 30 bare rooted  Rosa rhugosa, we had them there before, but they were years old and a lot had died and gone to dead wood. There's still some to the left, where there is a telegraph pole, the men were not going near that with the big JCB digger! The driveway and a piece of the side which was grassed was supposed to be being tarred and new kerbing put down by the end if summer but as these things go, the company having taken much work on, it was not done, so now off until spring/summer, it better be!!

    Photos to follow sometime.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • Oh you will be excited to get planting next year then CL ;-)
    Hope the weather calms down for you for Xmas day should you need to go out.
    Look forward to seeing the progress of your garden next year ;-)

    (Pardon the Scottish Accent)

  • What tonnage was the excavator?

    (Purely for notes comparison - was yours bigger than the one that visited my old garden a couple of years ago?)
  • Thanks for the update CL, certainly was a humungous project, looking forward to some more pics!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • Looking good, even under the dull heavy grey sheet of cloud. Looking forward to the results of the follow-on planting etc.

  • Morning all, hope you are all safe and snug, with this snowy weather. We had snow the last couple of days but woke to this today. Have updated my thread for 2024, my winter wonder garden today! All taken from inside the house!

    It is exactly a year today, that I posted snowy weather as well!

    The front, Escalonia bush under the window, looks like cotton wool

    Side gable end, don't fancy siting here at the moment

    Water butt has a hat on

    You can't see beyond the far trees, for the snow coming in again

    At the back now from the garage window, birds have had bowls of mixed feed thrown out to them, that's as far as I am going. 

    It will be fun clearing the car and attempting to get into work (10 miles) tomorrow, hope I make it.

    Hope you liked the update (once the drive is finished in the spring/summer, I will put up the renovated garden photos, I promise)!

    Keep safe and warm.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.