nature notes

Marigold, did you actually remove the grass and plant your meadow?

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No - we cut it as short as possible in a dry spell over the winter and then used our electric lawn rake to remove as much more grass and other growth, going over it in both directions until it looked like an old worn-out carpet. Ideally you are supposed to completely strip the grass but we didn’t have the strength to do that and anyway, our lawn has always been full of what we used to call weeds, eg daisies and buttercups. Then we seeded it with a wildflower mix. Some of the seeds need stratifying (exposure to frost) to germinate, especially Yellow Rattle, which is parasitic in grass and acts to reduce the strength of its growth. However this is an annual so subsequently it has to be allowed to seed naturally in order to come back the next year.
I also transplanted seedlings of cowslips, primroses, wood anemones, violets etc and when they’d flowered, let them go to seed to increase their colonies, as well as some crocuses and little narcissi fields naturalising. We give it an early cut in Jan-Feb to get the grass as short as possible before the bulbs start appearing and then it’s very pretty in Spring, it changes colour all by itself as the weeks go by. The first summer I grew some desirable plants from seed and popped them in at random over the area, eg creeping thyme, dog daisies, toadflax, viola tricolor (tge tiny wild pansies) etc. We have a problem here on our dry chalky hill with yarrow, a thug which has always run away with itself in the conventional lawn, so I dug out some big patches and either transplanted or re-seeded the areas with a mixture of something else. And from the second year on we began to get a bigger variety of biennial and perennial plants in flower - yesterday I noticed our first marsh orchid, probably seeded itself from the edge of the pond. Being quite a small area, it’s not really a classic meadow because I do manage it for variety, and I do try to deadhead seeding dandelions, beautiful though they are, because they are such a pain when they seed off into the cracks between the stones on the rockery areas.
We found that keeping paths cut in the grass is quite easy to do and improves access and also gives contrast in height to the taller flowers and grasses. Of course it does need strimming and raking off in August- September, so if the area were larger I think we might have to get someone to come and do this for us, but we are managing so far, bit by bit.
 
Its my favourite way of showing off wild flower meadows, by cutting a path, because you get the contrast and I think appreciate what you are seeing a bit more - as well as the obvious practical benefits! I am always surprised by meadow flower mixes which manage to look very attractive (often sown in France I have noticed) because they have so many colours and flower forms, whereas natural meadows tend to revert to yellow, perhaps with seasonal washes of poppies or other strong growers for that particular locale. Its interesting what you say about some things needing stratifying and I think its incredibly useful that you have shared in detail what you did, because for many people, trying to grow a meadow just doesn't seem to work. I have to admit to being the same as you about pulling up dandelions, even though I know they are good for bees, I just cannot abide them, but I have so many other wild flowers/weeds I don't beat myself up about it.
 
It's beautiful. A meadow is on my list. But I'm trying not to feel like I need to catch up on years of neglect NOW! I've got quite a lot done this year. My lawns are being cut very regularly, and haven't looked so neat in years! I've got my vegetables in and growing, the old chicken pen strimmed and raked off (the grass was literally up to my waist!) and the large deck and timber bench and picnic table cleaned and ready for a few coats of decking oil. However, it's been very showery the last few days, so I haven't got the oil on yet.
Today I'm having a quiet day with a book, because I woke with a slight headache, which turned into a migraine. I took my medication early, so it's cleared now, except for a feeling of fragility. I was supposed to go for a long walk, but my washing machine was making such a horrible, squealing noise that I didn't dare leave it alone! I sent a recording of it to my brother and he said it sounded like the bearings were gone, so it wouldn't be economic to repair it, as it's 8 or 9 years old. So, I've just been online and ordered a new one. :( At least I won't be watching it wondering if it's going to kick the bucket mid wash! I'm always a little nervous of washing machines, having once had the drum break loose mid spin! I've never heard anything like it, the noise of it walloping its way around the inside of the machine was absolutely terrifying!

Fingers crossed, it looks like it's shaping up to be a good year for apples. I haven't checked the plum trees or the pears, but can see a few of the apple trees from my bedroom window. The cherries, which are not ripe yet, are, as usual, being stripped by birds!
 
You’ve really done well this year, LadyA, and your garden sounds lovely. Congratulations on your new washing machine as well - I expect it will be more economical tgst your old one, as well as giving you confidence in its abilities not to do anything awful whilst you leave it to get on with the job.
 
A good year for gooseberries, picked 10lb from two bushes and still more left on them. All topped and tailed now as well
 

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Gooseberry crumble and jam is what these will be turned into. Gooseberry jam is hard to find as well, you have to go to a farm shop. I noticed you don't see gooseberries in a lot of supermarkets. Not in vogue I suppose.
We are both stunned when little punnets of blackberries appear in the supermarkets at a huge price
 
Marigold said:
It comes in all sorts of lovely colours as well as pink. See https://www.artificialgrass-london.com/shop-c1/rainbow-p40
Click to expand...

But sad to say, whatever colour you choose, they’re no longer allowed to say it purifies the air as well as trees do.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jun/08/adverts-claiming-evergreens-plastic-grass-eco-friendly-asa
 
I couldn't sign up for that app. I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to report having sighted a "seagull" :mrgreen:

BYM will get that. Apologies to everyone else...
 
You would send it in as " gull species" that would get everyone wondering as to what you had seen. We have Birdguides App, it's great for keeping up with what's about locally, and you can have "alerts" set for any County you wish so you get a message when anything appears. Handy on days out or holiday.

We have bee eater on our garden list, as a flock flew around with swallows in 2020. We also saw the breeding Durham group and the Nottingham birds. Love the way they catch bees/insects and throw them in the air before swallowing
 
Our family of robins fledged this morning. I've been putting out saucers of dried mealworms, rehydrated with boiling water (letting them cool first of course). Mr Robin's had me wrapped around his little claw for the last couple of weeks, hopping up pointedly if his family's breakfast wasn't delivered promptly. It's been lovely to support our little "family " even though they're not rare or exotic. Today I got to watch the youngsters having a preen on the lawn & having their first bath. Aahhh!
 
Wonderful. They’re important BECAUSE they’re not rare or exotic, I think - it’s good to do anything that keeps them in that category.
We have hedgehogs visiting every evening. Two youngsters in particular arrive around 9.00 to munch away at the bowl of hedgehog pellets on the paving under our living room window. Poppy takes up her precarious station on the arm of my chair at about 8.00 and peers intently out until the time comes for her excited squeals and rushing around when they finally appear. Yesterday the first one was eating away when a cat appeared and seemed to be investigating the bowl, so for once Poppy was allowed out to chase it away. Despite all the mayhem going on around, the little hedgehog just carried on eating!
 
Oh what a blessing. I can't remember when I last saw a live hedgehog. And I've only seen one squashed one in the last couple of years too...
 
Some here who are keen birders are anti hedgehog because they eat the eggs of ground nesting birds. In fact one will deliberately swerve if he spots one on the road to deliberately run it over. Certainly they are introduced here and out with their natural environment. However most of us are relaxed about their presence and like to see them snuffling about at night. Also they are appreciated because of their control of garden pests. They are certainly not common and only survive in small numbers. The long, cold winters are not ideal for them. Some feed them. Those crunchy cat food biscuits are often used here. The greatest losses here are due to falling into cattle grids. The modern ones now have hedgehog escape ramps but one or two old ones are still here and several dead or dying hedgehogs can be found.
 
We don't have them in Lewis but they were introduced to South Uist some years ago, can't remember why, slugs I think. When the hogs started on the eggs of the ground-nesting birds a removal programme was started. Luckily the people doing it don't kill them but relocate them to the mainland.
 
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