Everything outside from gardens and gardening to nature, wildlife, the countryside, sea and sky.
No, I haven’t been watching the LinkedIn feed or Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’ve been cleaning out our shed gutter, emptying our fifth water butt and cleaning it out: old-fashioned husbandry which everyone used to complete to maintain their homes and gardens. I do find it quite refreshing. The sludge in the gutter and butt … Read more
There are leaves everywhere. Nuisance or resource? This morning we swept them up from paths, steps and all over the garden. The rain makes them slippery underfoot so they have to be removed, but I would remove them anyway. We pile them on our raised beds and vegetable borders where worms and woodlice chomp away … Read more
When we moved into our current home, large areas of garden were buried under plant-suppressing plastic sheeting, paving or concrete – they were dead. The previous owner said it wouldn’t support a lawn or plants. We immediately ripped up the plastic and pulled up the paving. We sifted the dead soil in the front garden … Read more
My trusty lawn rake must be 29 years old. My Dad gave it to me, I think, as a birthday present the year Mrs Z and I moved into our first house, which had a garden some 50 feet long by 11 feet wide. To me, this was paradise. The house I was born in … Read more
Spring is always full of promise as plants shoot and flowers come into bud. Then plants bloom and mature before dying away again. Summer has passed, the clocks go back and the days shorten. I’m always sorry to see spring and summer pass, but then reminded that autumn is just as wonderful. The views on the clear … Read more
I’ve got so much to do over the next few days that I don’t have much time, but before rushing to my office this morning I remembered the seeds I had planted. I had to take a look. Sure enough, the runner bean and tomato seedlings are sprouting. What a wonderful feeling. What makes it … Read more
There’s so much wildlife to see around Ilfracombe, North Devon.
The bluebells on the north and east sides of Hillsborough, Ilfracombe, North Devon are astounding at the moment.
After our first batch of runner bean seeds failed to germinate (we did use last year’s seeds), I bought new seeds and they are just now starting to raise their heads above the compost.
I looked over the fence and saw a mother duck and her fleet of ducklings. Unfortunately, there were three male ducks trying to mate with her, explaining the noise as she fought them off.
Our blackcurrant bushes certainly seem to have set the ladybirds going
This morning I spotted quite a few ladybirds on our two blackcurrant bushes.
This morning the apple blossom opened up . . .
This morning I saw bluebells flowering in Bicclescombe Park in Ilfracombe, North Devon . . .
It’s that time of the year when you have to look now or you’ll miss something in the garden.
This pigeon landed in a tree in Bicclescombe Park in Ilfracombe, North Devon, looking very pleased with himself. He had a twig or something similar in his beak, possibly nesting material.
It’s the time when primroses, the county flower, cover North Devon.
Our first sunflower seedling has woken up on this glorious spring morning, although still has its hat on . . .
Not a day goes by without some new development in the garden.
The daffodils in Bicclescombe Park just get better each day and I couldn’t resist taking a few close-up photos.