Category: nature

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RHS Wisley; January 2020

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I celebrated the start of a new year by visiting RHS Wisley. It was a lovely way to end my holiday, as I walked round the winter garden, knot garden, herbaceous borders, Enchanted Botanical Christmas in The Glasshouse and the evening event Glow 2019.

The Winter garden was full of life, colour and perfume. Some plants I noticed were:

– Helleborus Walberton’s Rosemary = ‘Walhero’

– Helleborus ‘Verboom Beauty’

– Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Red Dragon’

– Cornus sanguinea ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’

– Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Harry’

– Pinus mugo ‘Winter Gold’

– Iris lazica

– Galanthus ‘Magnet’

– Daphne bholua ‘Hazel Edwards’

–Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’

– Erica carnea

Along with plants, there were some birds in the garden too. I saw Robins (Erithacus rubecula)

and a couple of Pied Wagtails (Motacilla alba).

Between the winter garden and herbaceous borders is the knot garden containing evergreen and deciduous shrubs as possible replacements for Buxus as topiary and small hedges (see below). The RHS are investigating alternatives to box because of the loss of Buxus through Box blight and Box tree Caterpillar.

I was also interested in seeing the herbaceous borders at RHS Wisley. Obviously the Perennials have died back by winters arrival but I was glad to see that they hadn’t been tidied or ‘put to bed’ . Instead, the perennials had been left for the insects and birds; to be cut back in spring. I think the borders looked beautiful and the seedheads very architectural.

Lastly I have included a couple of highlights from the glasshouse and glow exhibits.

Inside the glasshouse.
It was clear enough to see some stars and Venus.
Posted in Bookworm review, nature

Bookworm Review- The Wild Remedy (How Nature Mends Us~ A Diary) by Emma Mitchell

Posted on by BITM

I have wanted to read this book for a while. As somebody who seeks solace in nature, especially when my depression and anxiety worsen, I am always interested in reading about other peoples experiences.

A long time sufferer of depression Emma describes her ‘Grey Slug’ through the seasons and she uses nature to improve her mental well-being along with conventional help. She lives in the Cambridgeshire fens and sees a variety of wildlife from insects to mammals and wild flowers such as the Bee Orchid as she explores her local area.

Even during her darkest days, when she is unable to go out of the house to emerse herself in nature, she relies on watching birds in her garden.

This lovely book is soothing and inspirational. Her writing transports you to the world around her, while her beautiful illustrations and photographs are a joy to look at. This book is proof that nature can help mend us.

Posted in nature

One Day of Christmas

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Having time off has allowed me to catch up on some reading, listening to the birds as I do so. In the mornings I usually notice Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), Great tits, (Parus major), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), Blackbird (Turdus merula) and Magpie (Pica pica) until eventually a Pigeon (Columba palumbus) wakes up and joins in with the chorus. Although it has been nice to relax, it isn’t long before cabin fever kicks in and I need to be outdoors.

As I went for a walk last week, my mood was elevated. I noticed a red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) pecking at food along a path.

For a ground dwelling bird, that prefers to run than fly (in short bursts) when danger is near, it was no surprise that it wasn’t in a pear tree. However seeing this bird did feel appropriately festive.

I also saw some Winter jasmine (Jasminum sieboldianum) blooming; bringing a welcome burst of yellow at this time of year.

Upon my return home I caught the lovely sweet scent Sarcococca confusa too.

The small flowers are insignificant amongst the evergreen foliage but they have an intoxicating aroma that I love. I hope the birds find the black berries to eat.

My other winter flowering plants blooming at the moment are;

– Sarcococca hookeriana

– and Witch hazel ‘Diane’

(Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Diane’)

Both of these plants are fragrant too but their scent is more subtle than that of the Sarcococca confusa.

I enjoy the transition between years. I don’t make resolutions but I love the positive feeling of renewal and freshness that occurs at New Year.

I also like to reflect on the previous twelve months. The highlight (rather predictably) was catching sight of some Painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui) after they migrated in large numbers to this shore in the summer.

I have learnt so much about the wildlife that I’ve seen as I have written my blog; it has been a very enjoyable experience. I am grateful for those of you who follow my discoveries, thank you for taking an interest in my ramblings

Best wishes for 2020!

🐝

Posted in nature

Growing Food for Birds

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I saw contrasting images last week which made me think of feeding birds with plants from the garden.
I first observed the Rowan (Sorbus) tree outside, now stripped bare of it’s berries, before noticing some Cotoneaster

and Ivy (Hedera) full of berries. Clearly the pollinators had been busy during the Summer and Autumn months.

Along with supplementary food, on the ground and bird feeders, birds can also rely on trees and other plants in the garden for food in winter. Along with the examples already mentioned there are other berries, fruit, seeds and nuts which are enjoyed by birds.

Some other plants providing fruit and berries are;
Hawthorn (Crataegus)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus)
Dog rose (Rosa canina)
Berberis
Bird cherry (Prunus padus)
Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Pyracantha
Sarcococca hookeriana
Mahonia

Plants providing seeds and nuts include;
Oak (Quercus)
Beech (Fagus)
Hazel (Corylus)
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)
Teasel (Dipsacus)
Sunflower (Helianthus)
Miscanthus
Bergamot (Monarda)
Verbena bonariensis
Lavender (Lavandula)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Asters

Leaving seedheads on perennials not only provides food for birds, they also give shelter to beneficial insects. In fact a little bit of leaf litter also has this affect which in turn helps feed birds who eat the insects.

Common birds to see in winter include;
Redwings (Turdus iliacus)
Waxwings (Bombycilla)
Starlings (Sturnidae
Blackbirds (Turdus merula
Robins (Erithacus rubecula
Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs)
Bramblings (Fringilla)
Goldfinches (Carduelis carduelis)
Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Dunnocks (Prunella modularis)
Goldcrests (Regulus regulus)
Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus)
Coal tits (Periparus ater)
Great tits (Parus major)
Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris)

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which takes place on the 25-27th Jan 2020, has been going for over 40 years. Surveying birds visiting your Garden or local park for one hour is calming and enjoyable. This citizen science continues to give the charity useful information on the numbers of birds in the UK.

Further information on feeding birds can be found in the book, ‘RSPB Pocket Bird Feeder Guide’ by Robert Burton (published by Dorking Kindersley) or on the Gardeners World website.

Posted in nature

First Signs of Snow(drops)

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The cold weather is setting in, days continue to shorten and the gardens seem dorment; it is easy to feel gloomy when the sun isn’t shining. Yet, even at this time of year, life is beginning to break through. Last week Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), Daffodils (Narcissus) and Hellebore flowers (Helleborus) started to show themselves. It is lovely to see these small signs of growth. It is a reminder that even in the darkest days small glimmers of hope can be found if you look carefully.

Snowdrops (the Latin name meaning ‘Milk flower of the snow’) are simple yet elegant. There are 2,500 varieties, the rarest are highly prized. Some gardens have collections of snowdrops which can be visited in February such as
Colesbourne gardens and
Benington Lordship garden.

The substance galantamine (contained in Snowdrops and other plants from the Amaryllidaceae family) has been used in the drug Reminyl for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. A fact I discovered when I visited the Chelsea Physics Garden earlier in the year.

Hellebores complement Snowdrops nicely. The Hellebore traditionally associated with Christmas is the early flowering Christmas Rose (Helleborus Niger). It is referred to as a rose because the flower resembles those of wild roses; it isn’t part of the Rosa genus. Other Hellebores (Helleborus hybridus) begin to flower a little later. There are different varieties of each species. Hellebores have a long flowering season, blooming until March.

Cutting back the old leaves of this perennial from late autumn has two advantages. Firstly it enables you to see the beautiful flowers more clearly and secondly it prevents leaf spot from spreading further.

Hellebores are great for pollinators, like solitary bees which are searching for food in early spring. They can also make lovely cut flowers.

Hellebores have a tendency to cross pollinate and self seed easily, producing increasingly murky colours if left to keep growing on. However, the seeds can be cleared quickly by hoeing or by cutting the flowers off before germination can occur.

If these two plants aren’t enough to bring joy at this time of year then hearing Robins (Erithacus rubecula) sing loudly is wonderfully uplifting. Along with Robins other birds are easy to spot now trees are bare.

I had an unusual sighting last week, that of a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major). It held onto the side of a tree trunk as I entered a garden. I accidentally disturbed it so it crept round to the back of the tree before eventually flying off. It appeared to be feeding. Woodpeckers capture insects or larvae with their long sticky tongues; however during winter they can start eating berries and from bird feeders too.

On route to Wales, at the weekend, I noticed a Kestral (Falco tinnunculus) hovering alongside the motorway. Clearly it was making the most of the brief break in the clouds looking for small mammals, birds, worms or insects.

It was lovely to see the Woodpecker and Kestral last week as I don’t often see these birds.

Posted in nature

National Tree Week (23/11/19-01/12/19)

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Meteorological winter has begun. Rather appropriately Autumn turned wintery yesterday as we had a very cold and frosty start to the morning. Apparently it was the coldest night since February.

National tree week ends today too. Started by the Tree Council in 1975 it’s a time to focus on the importance of tree planting along with celebrate these amazing plants. The week coincides with the best time of year to plant trees. This time round there has been a specific emphasis on promoting the usefulness of trees in combating climate change (by pollution and carbon dioxide absorption).

I have planted many trees in the past, however last week the main job continued to be leaf collection.

A little momento of some beautiful leaves.

While most trees shed leaves consistently over a period of time, in my experience, leaf drop of English/ Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur) and European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) tends to occur in one go at the end of Autumn. This has certainly been true this year, as we collected huge amounts of leaves from large Oak and Beech trees in many gardens; their beautiful rich autumnal colours like carpets on the ground.

Both these deciduous trees are from the Fagaceae family which explains their similarities. Both grow to great heights, have dense canopies and can exhibit marcescence (where some dead leaves are retained on the trees throughout winter).

Both trees are great for wildlife too. Beech nuts are eaten by Deer, Badgers (Meles meles), Grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), Mice, Chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) and Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla). Even the foliage is food for caterpillars of several species of moth like the Barred hook-tip (Drepana cultraria) and Olive crescent (Trisateles emortualis). Beech trees create a vital habitat for butterflies along woodland edges as well; including Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) and Gatekeepers (Pyronia tithonus). Plus ectomycorrhizal truffle fungi grow beneath them. Turned into hedges, Beech can also create a habitat for birds.

As with the European Beech, the Pedunculate Oak supports a variety of fungi, animals, birds- particularly Jays (Garrulus glandarius) and insects such as Stag beetles (Lucanus cervus)
and the Purple hairstreak (Neozephyrus quercus) and Purple emperor (Apatura iris) butterflies. In fact of all the native British trees the Pedunculate Oak supports more wildlife than any other tree. Even its leaf litter and dead wood is full of life. I love these wonderful trees, especially ancient oaks. I enjoy thinking of all the hidden life existing alongside me as I work in the gardens. Also they are wonderful trees to hug. 🌳🤗

Posted in nature

🎵🎶I see a Little Silhouetto of some Squirrels

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There were a few frosty mornings last week. Only Yarrow (Achilles millefolium) was still flowering around the bus stop.

Now the trees across the road are bare I enjoyed watching three grey squirrels run up and down trees, jumping from branch to branch. They ate from bird feeders alongside Magpies (Pica pica). Occasionally the squirrels flicked their tails when they sensed danger; sending a warning to the other squirrels and letting any predators know they’ve been seen.

A Grey squirrel silhouetted amongst trees.

On Monday I finally managed to obtain a photo of a Red kite (Milvus milvus).

It came down low enough for it to be identifiable in the photo above. I have been trying to get a reasonable photo of a Kite for ages so was very happy to capture one of these beautiful birds at last.

Even though winter is on its way there are signs that spring will arrive eventually too. I noticed buds on another of my favourite trees, the Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) on Wednesday.

It will be ready to flower in March before the leaves appear. The Starlike shape of the white or pink flowers gives this tree it’s common name. Native to Japan this small tree fits nicely in a small garden.

Posted in nature

Leaves, Leaves and more Leaves

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Leaf collection was the main job last week, especially on Wednesday through to Friday. It gets the heart pumping and is physically tiring so I definitely felt like I’d had a workout. There are still more leaves to fall so the process will be repeated for a few more weeks yet. At least it will be great for composts or as leaf mould, as well as my health.

One of my favourite trees is still holding onto its autumn colour.
The Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) pictured below in its glorious yellow hue.

The common name, Maidenhair tree, comes from the fan shaped leaves resembling the Maidenhair fern foliage. This national tree of China is also referred to as a living fossil. Fossils dating back to the Jurassic period have been found. It is the only remaining tree classified under the Ginkgophyta division (neither broadleaf nor conifer). This unique and beautiful tree is simply amazing.

Other plants giving interest at this time of year include
Clematis cirrhosis car purpurescens ‘Freckles’. The delicate drooping flowers appear between November and February. It is a lovely Clematis to grow over a walkway where the flowers can be appreciated from the side as well as underneath (where the freckle pattern hides).

As it flowers early in the year it is categorised as a pruning group 1 Clematis so doesn’t require regular pruning. However if you need to reduce its size then it can be pruned immediately after flowering finishes but when the risk of frosts have passed.

Viburnum tinus is also blooming now. The fragrant flowers will be around until April and followed by blueish black berries that are great for birds. This large shrub is evergreen too so it brings a welcome flourish of colour during the winter months.

Thankfully I managed to relax at the weekend after an exhausting week. I completed my handmade Christmas presents and cards, so I am ready for the festive season. As I sat crafting on the sofa I had a great view of my neighbouring Rowan (Sorbus) tree. The Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are getting through the berries quickly; I am not sure there will be any left for the Redwings (Turdus iliacus) when they finally arrive. I do like the iridescent nature of Starling plumage and their ability to mimic sounds so I quite like seeing them. I was excited to see another bird visit the Rowan; my first ever sighting of a Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula). Due to the distance my attempt to photograph it isn’t brilliant but you can just about make out its colourful breast in the photo below.

The pinkish breast colouring means it was female (the males have red breasts). She was snacking on the Rowan berries but they also eat seeds, fruit tree buds and find insects for their young.

Other berries eaten by birds are those on the Pyracantha. This week I noticed that lots of Pyracantha plants were overladen with them. Its common name Firethorn is very appropriate and is given because of the heated, itchy reaction when the thorns pierce the skin. I can testify to this every time I have to cut it back.

I am still seeing fungus appearing in gardens too.

*Once again, please do not use this post as a guide to edible mushrooms.*

My latest find was the Pear-shaped or Stump puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme).

This fungus grows on decaying wood and I found it in a stump.

Posted in nature

Crisp Autumn Mornings

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The clear cold nights and frosty mornings have arrived. I don’t mind crisp starts to the day because eventually the sunshine appears.

As more trees become leafless I find other means of identifying them. I learnt two new trees last week; the first was a Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) and the second was an American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). In both instances the first things I noticed on each was their fruit.
The unripe fruit of the Strawberry tree can be seen below alongside the delicate flowers. The common name, Strawberry tree, comes from the ripe red fruit which look similar to strawberries. The fruit of this evergreen tree will be eaten by birds. It seemed strange to see the fruit, from the pollination of last year’s flowers, appearing at the same time as this years flowers.

The American sweetgum tree also gives interest to gardens at this time of year. The leaves turn a rich mixture of yellow through to orange and red and even purple in autumn.

The spiky looking fruit dangle from the branches at the same time as the leaves turn and fall.

I have started noticing more Robins (Erithacus rubecula) hanging around lately; always eager to gobble up insects and worms that I unwittingly uncover as I work.

Moments after taking this photo another Robin swooped down and a fight over winter territory began.

It is fascinating to observe Robins, who can be relatively social towards humans, eagerly defend their patch of garden against other Robins. It is quite a contrast to the other bird which became more noticeable last week; Ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri) flock together. I saw groups of this social parrot flying overhead throughout the week. They have been breeding in the area for a long time and I often see them but not usually every day.

I still notice the occasional bee and on Wednesday I saw a Buff-tailed (Bombus terrestris) bumblebee (the buff coloured tail enabled me to Identify it as a queen). I observed her walking amongst leaf litter. She could have been a new queen, going into hibernation before starting a nest next spring, or an old queen who will soon die.

More fungi are appearing as autumn continues to take hold.

*Once again, please do not use this post as a guide to edible mushrooms. I have managed to identify some but have placed question marks next to those I am unsure of.*

Those I saw last week are;

-The Bitter oyster (Panellus stipticus) fungus

-Collared earthstar (Geastrum triplex) fungus.

-Grey Spotted Amanita
(Amanita excelsa var. spissa)?

-The prince (Agaricus augustus)?

This is the largest fungus I have seen this autumn; the diameter was almost as long as my size 5 boot. It also had a slightly sweet aroma.
Posted in nature

Sparkling Fireworks on a Damp and Windy Saturday

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The autumnal weather remains mostly damp with brief glimpses of sunshine. Even Saturday was wet and blustery, so it was lovely to see fireworks from the comfort of my sofa. Although I worry about fireworks disturbing wildlife and pets, it is lovely to have light festivals to brighten the spirits once the clocks go back. At this time of year I try to find enjoyment in small things each day to counteract the gloom; the beauty of autumn helps this. My main obsession at the moment continues to be fungi. They are as difficult to identify as moths which adds to the fascination. As with the previous two weeks, I have discovered more fungi as I work.

*Once again, please do not use this post as a guide to edible mushrooms. I have managed to identify some but have placed question marks next to those I am unsure of.*

Last weeks finds were;

– The deceiver (Laccaria laccata)?

– Fried chicken mushrooms (Lyophyllum decastes)

– Suede bolete (Xerocomus subtomentosus)

– Common rustgill (Xerocomus subtomentosus)?

– Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida)

– Wood blewit (Lepista nuda)

– Shaggy scalycap (Pholiota squarrosa)

– Tawney funnel cup (Lepista flaccida)?

Fungi haven’t been the only things I noticed last week. On Monday I saw two Long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) in my neighbouring Rowan (Sorbus) tree. These social birds were eating insects and spiders alongside the regular Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and Coal tit (Periparus ater) visitors.

I was surprised to see a Tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) last week. It was resting in the sunshine on Tuesday morning.

I usually see them between March and July so I relied on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust website to explain this sighting. New queens can be seen feeding through to October before hibernating until February; therefore it was a female bee I saw.

Another insect I saw last week was a Feathered thorn (Colotois pennaria) moth.

Due to the presence of the feathered antenna I was able to identify it as male. The caterpillars of this moth feed on various deciduous trees and shrubs with the moths appearing between September and November.