Colour in the Garden

 Sadly not my garden, although things are growing in my planters again, but instead our old family home where my stepfather lives.

This camellia has been growing for many years in the garden, it always gave much joy to my mother for being in flower so much! It only takes a couple of months off every year before coming into bloom again. 

There are no primroses growing in that garden yet, but I'm sure they will soon, they always emerge early there.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.01.23

The Latest from the Library Gardens

 Having heard that work had now properly commenced on the "Stop the Chop" library garden, I went over for a look to see what was going on there.

I'd seen the plans, and thought they were rather overkill - I would have just created a path down the middle and sown the rest with pollinators, with a few of the seats constructed from the downed tree trunk. But evidently they have decided to go further, to create a rainwater driven brook going through the site to attract dragonflies and a few more birds. 

They've landscaped a couple of mounds - which I think look a bit rough at the moment to say the least but we will see how they bed in, and have planted a large number of bulbs. 

The most eye-catching feature is the beautifully painted container, used to store equipment and which also doubles as a big planting rack for herbs. The goldfinch is stunning!

So, now we wait to see how things progress. Hopefully in the spring, the first flowers will start to emerge and we will see how natural the whole thing ends up looking in the fullness of time. 

I look forward to taking a book there and whiling away the time under a shady tree.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.12.22

More Gardening Stuff

 My giant alliums have gone over, but my dwarf alliums are now coming into flower. At least they are in one planter, for some reason the ones in the other planter have not formed flowering heads. 

I suppose these things happen when you are a "gardener" - how hilarious to refer myself as one of those. 

There is action happening now with the rest of my new plantings - my bee and butterfly mix meadows are showing life, my convovulveses are sprouting, the alysium is coming on nicely and I'm wondering when the cornflowers can come out of the mini greenhouse. 

Amazingly, after what feels like weeks in the greenhouse, the poppy seedlings are appearing since I've moved them outside. 

Let's see how things go along. I've got my echinacea to think about planting now.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 22.05.22

My Crocus Babies

 Time to update you with some crocus news!

Well, my little crocuses have been growing away in their planters and pots, and got to the stage when their blooms were in place, but not opened up.

Or so I thought.

It took me having time off work to deal with a big electrical safety test at my flat to realise that on a sunny day, they were very much opening up! And looked absolutely wonderful to boot.

There's two sad things about this though. The first is that I've not noticed any pollinators on them. That doesn't mean they haven't been dropping in, but that I haven't seen them. My sister thinks I need to have them higher up on the wall, but we will see.

The other sad thing is, is that they are already going over their best after only two weeks. Spring is so ephemeral, the glorious crocus carpets in the cemetery have totally disappeared just a week after the ground was like a huge purple and white flag. 

In other news, it took a very long time, but my bird feeders have finally been noticed. The local sparrows keep dropping in on the seed feeder, flapping off whenever I open my door. But I have caught them on it a couple of times!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.03.22

My Little Nursery

 I have written before about the little nursery I have in my garden now, the planters of crocus, giant allium and, er, not-so-giant allium I planted as bulbs in November in a bid to attract more pollinators to my yard.

As we now reach the last days of January, I thought I would give you a little progress update. 

It didn't take long for the first crocus spears to make their way above the surface of the planting compost, but things seemed to have slowed down a bit, although more of them are now starting to peak through. Certainly they will be rather later than the wild crocuses in the cemetery, the earliest of which have now come into flower. 

The giant alliums have also slowed after a strong start, and once again there certainly aren't as many of them as I planted. The not-so-giant alliums have virtually all emerged in one planter, so we will see how they go. These won't come into flower until rather later, May-June time.

It's hardly been labour intensive, but I have found this process, my first ever attempt to grow something from scratch, very rewarding not only from the rubbish gardener perspective, but also from a mental one, even if it does smack incredibly hardly of middle-aged-ness. 

Well I'm still very active, often child like with Tourettes and Autism, and I've been listening to Radio 4 for years.

I'm not sure I'm that bothered.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 25.01.22

Gardening Funs

 So this autumn, I have got hold of some planters, two big bags of potting compost, and have planted my first ever bulbs, the first time I can say I've ever done any "proper" garden.

Of course, I have made sure they are pollinator friendly, and so have put in two planters and a pot of crocuses, and two planters and a pot of various forms of allium. I'm hoping for some vibrant colour and bees and butterflies in my gravel postage stamp of a garden next year!

In spring, I intend to try the same with some wildflower meadow seeds, as apparently that is the best time to plant them. I might even try some food plants too, I've never eaten anything I've grown. Tomatoes maybe. 

My sonetti has decided to make a valiant attempt to come back into flower, but is very slow at it in this cold weather, and I'm wondering if this first cold snap of winter will stop it dead, although we didn't get any snow here. 

The last few days I've been really lazy, especially today where I haven't left the house, so have yet to test my new monocular bought from Millets - I can't go in there without coming out with some silly gadget or other!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 28.11.21

The Bees of Winthorpe Village

 On one of the nicer days earlier in the week I was able to walk into Winthorpe for a look around, it's not far and there are various nice ways of getting there from here. 

As it happened, pleasant stroll though it was, there wasn't a massive amount to see - it feels like life is already starting to ebb away as we enter the last month of summer. 

However, the rudenkia are out in one garden, rather a lot of them, and here the bees were making merry, making the day feel more alive as the dread dead months of October and November begin to loom large in my mind.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.08.21

In Rainbows

Today I visited my stepfather and actually spent time in the family home for the first time in months.

I say "in", rather it was "at" as I went in through the garage and sat in the garden, where a couple of family friends were also sat at socially distanced distance.

Me being me I was totally unused to being around anyone, and it felt very strange until I was able to get into the swing of things by identifiying the song of a loudly calling chaffinch, and badly impersonating a buzzard keening.

The garden is wonderfully wild and colourful, and the neighbours' cats paid us a visit.

Later, I had a walk, and another sharp rain shower brought out one of the more vivid rainbows I've ever seen - you could see the violet part clearer than I've ever seen it before.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.06.20

Helleborine Time

I got a bit stuck today. I had intended to walk to Kelham Hall to see the snowdrops today, but the path was blocked by ploughed field behind the rugby club. Ploughed fields in winter months are no good for walkers, as you end up carrying about half the field with you on your shoes by the time you leave it.

This is a very hatable thing, and I do indeed hate it.

So I just restricted myself by walking around the club and heading back into town, watching the flock of around 200 redwing fly around the ground; they were using the second pitch for feeding and were far too easily spooked to let me get within a mile of them.

Earlier in the day I'd visited the library and was surprised to see no dwarf iris growing in their usual place, but the green and oriental helleborine are in flower. I wonder if it had been a milder day today if any wakeful bees would have been having a feed. It won't be long I'm sure, although we are having a brief cold snap tonight; it is getting very chilly out there, in my garden where the outside bulb has failed and I have taken delivery of a mega plant that was formerly at the parental home.

"Parental" rather than "My Parents". It is so hard to have to write that.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 03.02.2020

Glistening Wet Flowers

I've not had a massive outdoors day today because of cricket net practice; I just went and had a cup of tea at the park while listening to dear old Radio 4 as usual. There's been a fair bit of rain overnight, and the pansies were glittering with droplets, their monkey faces almost drooping with the weight of water.

So yes, I did feel my hip was up to cricketing, and thus I had my first proper bowl of pre-season. I came through ok, although I'm a bit sore now. I was n't exactly going full pelt, but at least I was mainly accurate.

My batting was as usual shaky early on, but better when I could get my feet moving.

To say I walk and run so much, it's odd I can't get my feet moving when I'm batting.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 02.02.20

"Just" a Small Tortoiseshell

I've been all over the place today - a brief call in at work during my time off, shopping, cricket practice - my god my batting was dreadful tonight - and a trip to the park for a cup of tea.

It was there that I spotted a small tortoiseshell feeding amongst the orange flowers a bunch of children planted a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful fresh specimen, and its settling itself on a bright bloom made for a very vivid photo opportunity.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 15.08.19