Snow was falling over my garden this morning making a Desert Island Plant Challenge definitely one for the imagination. Yes, I’ll suggest no limits to growing conditions whatsoever in this challenge! Purely for fun this one. Let’s assume that there is food on the Island – will that make it easier I wonder.Would you like… Read More Plant & Bird Challenges
It’s the 15th of the month. It’s time to browse the garden for flowering plants. Fortunately it wasn’t too cold today and the snow of last night didn’t come to anything. My lunchtime browse was a more like a full blown search… not much out there this January. Mm… the official flower count was a… Read More Garden Bloom Day January 2009
… or should I say a clean memory card on my camera. It’s about time too. Already, we are almost half way through January and I still have photos to share and stories to tell from last year! I have kept these photos on my card deliberately to remind myself about them every time I… Read More A clean slate…
Tomorrow I hope to finish off some bulb planting (crocus) in my lawn. I have noticed that some in another area are starting to appear through already! I have a few overdue gardening jobs. Bird feeder cleaning is also on the cards. I don’t know if anyone has put up new feeders recently and had… Read More A quiet night in
I’m thinking red – especially apples. How about orange – but not an orange? Ah… I’m on a roll now. How about a chestnut brown but… yep you’ve guessed it – not a chestnut! Just as light came up this morning our overnight frost got a gentle dusting of snow on top. It transformed the… Read More What goes with white?
A curious post title for some visitors perhaps but I am guessing others will know exactly who (not what) I am talking about! I won’t keep you guessing for this one though. Nope… my camera was sitting in the right place for a second consecutive day. Gosh… my pond is a popular drinking hole too.… Read More Ball-and-stick
No, not my age but my count from the garden for “the number of different species seen or heard in the wild, in Britain, between 00.00 on 25th December (i.e. midnight on Christmas Eve) and 24.00 on 1st January (i.e midnight at the end of New Year’s Day). Escapes, cagebirds, birds in a zoo, the… Read More Twenty-one +
As 2008 comes to a close I wonder what you will see in and around your gardens in 2009. This past year I have found myself enjoying more aspects of birds and wildlife than I expected. Highlights? Mm… tricky. Favourite visit of the year has to be Pensthorpe for the birds, butterflies & damselflies –… Read More What will you see?
Be it a wonderful bouquet of flowers from a dear friend or a family meal I would like to wish you all special moments this holiday season. I gave some bouquets of flowers as gifts this year so it was especially nice to receive one myself this evening. I’d like to share it with all… Read More Christmas wishes
On the morning of my 2nd Blogaversary (Nov 19th) I received a surprise email. I was thrilled that BBC Countryfile Magazine had chosen shirls gardenwatch as their ‘Blog of the Month’ for their January issue. They asked if I could supply 3-4 photos from my garden specifically Blackbirds and Robins. I was delighted to be… Read More Thanks, without you…