I have always had a keen interest in the natural world. Despite this, I'm no leading authortiy on animals, birds or plants. My planting is enthusiastic rather than informed, and invariably, plants suffer strange placements and incorrect soil types. Having said that, everything i plant grows! Maybe there is such a thing as green fingers.
The house i share with John and Jen (my husband and my 20 year old daughter) is situated in a third of an acre, most of which is left as natural as possible. We have lived here for over 16 years.
The gardens teem with a wide variety of wildlife, ranging from bats to butterflies. Generally, we let nature take care of the garden, which she does very well providing she doesn't have to deal with man-made problems, like the bamboo we inherited, which is trying to colonise formby.
I never use chemicals int he garden, which can lead to slight problems. For instance, we once had an epidemic of slugs int he courtyard, but then, along came the frogs. Problem solved! On another occasion, mice began to multiply, but so did owls! when plagues of greenfly appear, they are always closely followed by the wren tits and the ladybirds. So, I've learnt to keep my nose out of natures buisness.
The front and back gardens are fairly wild. The lawns are mowed regulary, (well...ish!) and we try to cut back as much as possible each autumn in attempt to return the wilderness into something loosely resembling a garden. Apart from that, very little cosmetic gardening is done. I grow flowers in the courtyard in pots, I'm always out there so it's easy to care for them and enjoy them.
I've started many a nature diary over the years, only to abandon it as developments in the garden overwhelmed me. Now, with the aid of a digital camera, and a few notes, I'm able to keep up. This blog is simply a record of my observations...
