The season of Mellow Fruitfulness & Pooh Sticks.

08 Saturday Sep 2018

Posted by Brian Skeys in General Interest, Landscapes, Photography, Plantlife, Treelife, Wildlife

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The end of the summer holiday saw us, with the grandchildren, visiting the Knapp and Paper-mill reserve of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. Link The reserve lies in the Teme valley and the Malvern Hills area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

After a picnic at the entrance to the site, where we were watched by a cheeky Robin, we set off to explore, our youngest granddaughter could remember visiting with her school, they do have an educational facility on site. You come first to the old orchard, where some of the trees were laden with apples, which I assume previously belonged to Knapp House…

You can venture down to the stream at several different places with a willow hide at one, placed specifically for viewing Kingfishers.

Leigh Brook

The Knapp weir was originally used to divert water to the watermill.

There are meadows…

…and steep wooded banks.

The hedgerows were bearing clusters of autumn fruit, which I am sure the bird life will appreciate later in the year.

The Elderberry has long been a favourite for making into wine. We made some many years ago, I have to record it was a nice but powerful drink.

Sambucus nigra

The GuelderRose was looking spectacular, already developing its wonderful autumn leaf colour. The berries contain one seed which is distributed by the birds.

Viburnum opulus

Wild Hops gracefully covered many of the hedgerows and trees. It is of course cultivated for the flavouring of beer. (There is an alcoholic theme developing here!) There are male and female hop plants, the female grows the flowers that we associate with beer brewing while the male has catkins. Worcestershire and Herefordshire was historically an important hop producing area along with Kent.

Humulus lupulus

Also covering the trees and hedgerows was ‘Old Man’s Beard’, this is the country name given to the wild Clematis when it is covered with its whispery seed heads.

Clematis vitalba

Standing on a small bridge over the steam the girls decided to play Pooh Sticks…

…The only problem was we could not tell which stick belonged to who, so they both claimed to have won!

The visit made a fitting end to the summer holidays, reminding us that autumn is on its way and like nature we should be filling the store cupboard. (Not least with wine to fight the winter chills!)

Drought Busters July 2018.

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by Brian Skeys in Gardening, Our Garden@19, Photography, Plantlife

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Alliums, Birds, Drought, Plants, Selfseeders, Wildlife

Those of you living and gardening in the UK do not need me to tell you that we are ‘enjoying’ one of the hottest June/July periods for some time, with day time temperatures reaching 30c. Whilst for many of you reading this in other parts of the world this may not be unusual, but here it is , testing both the gardener and their plants.

These plants featured are the drought busters in Our Garden@19. Interestingly I originally grew them all from seed, except for the allium, also some of them have since self seeded around the garden.

The wild chicory towers above almost every thing in the garden, here in the herb bed, growing through the standard gooseberry. It is a beautiful shade of light blue.

Cichorium intybus. Wild Chicory.

Also towering above everything else are the teasels, this is the first year I have grown them. Listening to a talk by Fergus Garrett inspired me to plant them and they allow them to self seed around Great Dixter. They are good for wild life especially the pollinators and the seeds are said to be loved by Goldfinches in winter. I have only planted two in the garden, they can dominate if left to their own devices.

Dipsacus fullonum Common Teasel.

Dipsacus fullonum
Common Teasel.

The ‘thistle-like’ plants always do well in dry conditions, here Echinops ritro, is yet to bloom…

Echinops ritro.

…also ‘Miss Willmotts Ghost’, I do like this spiky plant. It is I think, a little like the lady it was named after. Especially if you worked for her.

Eryngium giganteum ‘Miss Willmotts Ghost’.

The wild carrot has seeded itself around the garden including here between two paving slabs, thus preventing anyone from sitting on this chair!

Daucus carota ‘Dara’.

Similarly the Lychnis of both colours have seeded in the gravel…

Lychnis coronaria alba.

Lychnis coronaria

…and the Linaria seeds around everywhere!

Linaria purpurea.

In a sunny spot by the banana bench and in the alpine boxes on the south side of the house, is Dianthus carthusianorum, with its clusters of diminutive deep pink flowers.

Dianthus carthusianorum.

I am ending with this single Allium ‘Red Mohican’. I wish I had more!

Allium ‘Red Mohican’.

An interesting fact about these plants is that several of them were for sale during our open weekend and very few of them sold, because, I guess, they were not in flower at that time.

I wonder if they would sell now?

Do you have any ‘Drought Busters’ in your garden?

New Winter Visitor.

18 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by Brian Skeys in General Interest, Photography, Wildlife

≈ 25 Comments

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Birds, Wildlife, Winter

Today’s snow brought a new visitor to the garden, for this winter, the Pied Wagtail.

From the RSPB website:

“The pied wagtail, Motacilla alba, is a delightful small, long-tailed and rather sprightly black and white bird. When not standing and frantically wagging its tail up and down it can be seen dashing about over lawns or car parks in search of food.”
You can read more at the RSPB Website.

Pied Wagtail.

Pied Wagtail.

Enjoying dried meal worms.

With a Black Bird friend eyeing up the pear on the feeder.

Has the snow brought you any new winter visitors?

Feed the Birds. March 2018.

02 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by Brian Skeys in General Interest, Photography, Wildlife

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Birds, feeding time, Wildlife, Winter

The snow has brought on extra demand around the bird feeding stations with the arrival of the Thrush family, most notably the Fieldfares and the Redwings. they come in search of any berries on the holly bushes and remaining crab apples. I usually add to this natural supply with cut up apples.