smflyman

Under tree planting

Might you consider some sunken pots of Lily of the Valley for early interest and sunken pots of Crocosmia for later? Also some of the ferns are surprisingly toleant of light and competition with trees/shrubs.

Talkback: Cleaning out bird boxes

Cleaned out our 2 boxes just now. Revealed the tragedy of the sodden Spring and early Summer. The remains of a Blue Tit brood in one and the remains of a Great Tit brood in the other. Not enough caterpillars to keep them alive - the different stages of development at which the chicks died suggesting lack of food and gradual starvation.
What a miserable job - resolved to feed mealworms from first hatching if weather bad next year. IF???????

Talkback: How to lay a decking path

I plan a decking path across a very damp lawn. I will be improving on Monty's plan:
1 Use tanalised ridged timbers for the treads, extra treated with a silicon water shedding product.
2 Open out a roll of chicken wire along the patch and secure with staples. Non-slip guarantee.
3 Ensure a slight fall from one side of treads to the other to allow drainage.
4 Keep up a regular maintenance of brushing leaves and soil from the treads to prevent build-up of detritus that would encourage moss.

Hedge Ideas

How about a mixed hedge? Geen and copper beech, laurel, a prickle-less holly look-alike, Irish yew and  hedging honeysuckle. Get variation in colour, texture and leaf shape.

What DO they put in bags of mixed birdseed?!

Yes - the theory is that each squirrel that eats a garlic bulb will be deterred from the other bulbs. If nothing else you get lots of tasty garlic.

Pigeons will respond briefly to a dummy hawk or owl, but soon learn to ignore it. he pigeon is a big bird, but a Harris Hawk (much more commonly kept by falconers) would happily chase them around and prolong the effect of a dummy (just like at airports and the Millenium Stadium, Cardiff)

Pigeons are also gregarious feeders - where they see one bird having a safe nosh they tend to join in. If all else fails restrict the food that they can access. I find all the species I want can learn to feed from hanging feeders, except the blackbirds and thrushes. Have'nt worked out what to do for them yet.

What DO they put in bags of mixed birdseed?!

Sparrowhawks are too small to attempt an attack on a squirrel - ironically Grey Squirrels prey on the eggs of smaller birds of prey if left unattended. You could try your local Yellow Pages for a falconer, but they charge and squirrels are a numerous pest. You could try a trap to catch them alive and transport them away from your area to a park. The design needs to be strong as squirrels are adept at opening the doors. For extreme niusance there is always the lead option. I have had to squirrel proof all my nest boxes with metal plates, and they even had a go at the sparrow box under the eves!

What DO they put in bags of mixed birdseed?!

Tried a Red-Back hawk? I dont mind the odd squirrel, but when they are so numerous that they dig up bulbs it is time to call in my falconer friend. And before anyone gets all squirrel huggy the bird has to be given leather gaiters because the squirrels bite so savagely.

Try garlic amongst the daffs - once bitten never revisited.

Talkback: Small trees for Chelsea

It will need to be a big greenhouse to bring on the Katsuras into a more green leaf :) Maybe Kew would lodge them? Good luck for Chelsea.

Quick Growing Hedge/Conifers?

Look to the classifieds at the back of GW magazine. There are native hedging mixes working out to less than £2 per plant.

Beech is good - buy the tallest you can afford.

Consider an evergreen like Photinia Red Robin - quick n easy.

As the expert said, all saplings need regular water to establish. Secure to your fence to avoid wind-rock. Consider putting in tubing beween trees to delive water down to root level and plant in square holes

Talkback: Cleaning out bird boxes

Cleaned out our 2 boxes just now. Revealed the tragedy of the sodden Spring and early Summer. The remains of a Blue Tit brood in one and the... 

Talkback: Small trees for Chelsea

It will need to be a big greenhouse to bring on the Katsuras into a more green leaf :) Maybe Kew would lodge them? Good luck for Chelsea.