This and that ...

Well, the snow certainly put paid to any gardening or nursery activities for a couple of weeks.  However, it has practically all gone now so maybe things can get back to normal a bit more now as we head towards spring.  However, things did look magical for a time, covered in white.  Even the most mundane hedge looked beautiful.

This hedge is mainly Hawthorn and you can see on the right hand side the fluffy seedheads of Wild Clematis winding its way through it.  Even the wildflowers still lurking through winter look brilliant in the snow (Teasels):

The birds have been a-twittering like mad in the mornings now and we have had many on the feeders, usually bluetits, chaffinches, great tits plus the usual motley crew of robins and blackbirds.  We have a number of feeders around the garden and nursery and they are well populated with birds.  Have just started seeing the odd Blackcap and Bullfinch too coming to visit.  Woodpeckers are always on the peanuts!

The top feeder was made from an old log we found in the shed which had an interesting shape and hammered into the ground near the conservatory.  However, this then had to be moved a few days later because birds kept flying into the conservatory!  This many-branched feeder is a shop bought one placed near the hedge so that the birds feel safe and they are constantly flitting between the hedge and the feeders.

Lovely little blue tit caught with a sunflower seed propping open his beak!

Aside from the birds we also make sure that any lizards or aquatic wildlife from the pond has a bit of shelter and we have a couple of log piles dotted around the pond area to provide a bit of shelter.


The mason bees and other insects are also well provided for with a number of next boxes placed on various walls around the garden and nursery:

This insect shelter has drilled logs and hollow bamboo to encourage mason bees to nest.  Some of the holes have been filled by them last year but they didn't seem to find this box for quite a while and by then had filled up all the purpose-built nest tubes fixed up elsewhere.  Hopefully more will discover this box this year.  The rest of the box has pine cones and bark for all sorts of other insects to crawl into and live.

It doesn't cost a lot to set up a haven for wildlife in your garden and you will be rewarded with hours of splendidness watching the birds, bees, butterflies and whatever else decides to come and visit your garden!