Birds, flowers and Pergolas

Despite the wind today I got the pergola finished. I didn't get the trellis up as well though because I came across a problem that could see me damaging a pipe that I would really rather not damage, so I'm going to have to think it through first.
Here's the finished pergola though

I'm not sure what to do with the sides yet (if anything), I'll make a decision once the trellis is up.

Remember those Bamboo plants that my daughter saved for me from work, the ones that were in the skip? The ones that were about 15ft tall and we had to transport them home in a car? Well it seems that not even Homebase can kill Golden bamboo - a bit of repotting, feed, lots of water and some TLC and they're paying me back

I'm so pleased they survived even though they looked just about had it, I now have £120.00 worth of bamboo for free.

I've never grown Verbena but I picked up 3 plants on sale at a garden centre earlier in the year. The 3 plants are still in pots and growing well but a week ago I thought I'd snip the tops off, bung them in some compost and put them in the heated propagator.
I'm not the best cutting taker and 99% of what I cut usually dies but lookit

Only a week old and they're shooting up. Think I'm going to take some more!

Finally can anyone name this plant, I got it from my mums old garden and left it in a pot just to see what it does. I'd love to know what it is.

Oh, one more thing. After 3 years absence look what has come back to the new feeding station in my garden

Siskins - I think!

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Veggie season is finally here!

Veggies are finally growing on the plot, albeit in the polytunnel because the weather is still too unpredictable to put anything out.
The second sowing of Sweetcorn 'Incredible' (to replace the first sowing that all died) were well rooted in their root trainers and ready to go into their bottomless pots

Sweetcorn usually do very well growing this way in the polytunnel. The centre bed I grow them in is closest to the door so the breeze that comes through does a great job of pollinating them - plus I always give them a gentle shake at the correct time. We usually get 2 cobs per plant growing them this way and the difference from supermarket bought ones is unbelievable.

The Onions 'Stuttgart' are romping away too - this is the first time I've had even this amount of success growing Onions so needless to say I'm quite excited about this.

The Cauli's, Broccolli, Cabbage and Swede are all going through the hardening off stage so hopefully they'll be able to go out very soon - fingers crossed.
The Leeks won't be able to go out for a while and I can't sow the Parsnips yet because the ground is still too cold. I think I'll get some plastic tunnels erected this week to warm the soil up and then I should be able to sow the Parsnip sooner than if I don't use the tunnels.
The Climbing French Beans are really ready to get planted out but I just can't risk it yet, I just hope they don't suffer a check in growth or sulk because they're ready already.
The Courgettes are planted in the tunnel but the outdoor ones will have to wait a little longer and the Cucumbers will remain in their current pots until their roots a little stronger.
Veggie season is finally upon us!


I also got round to building the bird feeding station on the back garden. So far I've only seen Sparrows on it and although I built the feeder in a corner to prevent the Rooks wanting to eat all the food, as I type this I can see huge shadows flying around the feeder - I daren't go and look!

A while ago Mr TG came home with a surprise for me - we all love surprises right? I loved, loved loved this surprise.
2 of these

They are huuuuuge and I can't really decide what to grow in them because they're going to need something big or they'll just look silly.
I thought maybe a Gunnera in one of them as I have one in a pot that really needs to be re-potted this year and this container would certainly be adequate.
Maybe a Rhododendron for the second one? I have some that will grow to 3 metres or so and would provide an evergreen structure for the patio.

They've moved in

We may have just entered British summer Time with the leaping forward of our clocks at the weekend but for me the sound of Spring has only just arrived.
I anticipate the sound every year without actually realising until I hear it that I've been waiting (if that makes sense?). So what is this Spring announcing sound that I wait for every year? Well it's the birdsong of the Curlew

RSPB

I haven't seen the Curlew yet but I hear them daily now in the pasture field at the back of us. Every year they arrive and make their nests on the ground in the field and this year I will endeavour to capture the birds on camera.

Blue Tits and Coal Tits are pretty much an all year round sight for us here in Caithness and so I try to accommodate them as much as I can with food and nest boxes.
Blue Tits have got to be my favourite garden bird of all time, they're energetic, tenacious tiny little birds and have got to be one of the most tolerant species of humans that I've come across.
They regularly make nests in my home made nest boxes and never seem to mind me perched on a chair outside quietly snapping away with my camera.
Today, I noticed a pair of Blue Tits eyeing up a nest box and while I'm unsure as to whether they were checking out a potential new home or have actually got it up and running with eggs inside, I think it's safe to say they've moved in:-

First she scouts the outside and checks out da hood.

Next she checks out the interior

Yup, this will do nicely, thank you.

Time for a cleanup though (maybe there's even chicks in there?)

See what I mean about these Blue Tits being very tolerant. A couple of years ago I got to watch her flying in and out feeding the chicks, it was so cute to hear them cheeping away.

Garden therapy & frozen earth.

I bet I'm not the only one who stares out the window on these cold, rainy, windy days eager for the Spring to arrive so that I can get out there to carry out some of the many plans for the garden I have rattling around in my head!
Honestly I have so many new and exciting ideas for next years gardening that if I don't start some of them soon my blinkin head will explode and I'm adding fresh ideas every day because time I would have spent in the garden is now time spent on the laptop reading every gardening article and blog I can find.
Yesterday the wind had dropped to literally nothing and I had planned to forget about housework and spend all day outside on the land with the dogs gardening to my hearts content - garden therapy and I was so looking forward to it.
The problem turned out to be not the wind or rain but frozen earth! Any kind of digging, plant replacement or garden clearing was out of the question and with nothing doing in the Polytunnel or the green house my only job was to replenish the bird table - so much for garden therapy.
I'm sure the birds appreciated the feast I served them up though

This feast includes crushed fat balls, regular bird seed, crushed peanuts, koi food, mealworms, fat pellets, pinhead oatmeal, fruit and niger seed.

I also make my own lard cakes into half coconut shells that hang up for the birds. I have to be careful what I hang up though cos the Rooks take everything. I've even had to mesh the birdtable so that anything bigger than a Starling can't get in.
I'm in the process of making another birdtable cos this one is way round at the veggie area and we'd like one that is near the house patio doors so that we can watch them from indoors. We mainly get Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Robins, Greenfinches etc to the table but I'm going to add hangers to entice the Waxwings and other birds that I've seen up the lane at someone elses feeders. I just hope it doesn't encourage the Rooks as well.