The weather so far this year has been typically British, i.e. completely unpredictable! Across Oxfordshire, we’ve experienced mild temperatures, big rain storms now personalised with Christian names, and a couple of frosts into the bargain. And, as I type these words, we are warned to expect snow…!
Continuing the theme of attracting birds to the garden, this month’s prize is an attractive bronze-finished bird bath from our friends at The RSPB.
General Maintenance
Although Spring is in sight, we are still experiencing the occasional cold snap and risk of snow, so this month, we’re looking at areas of general maintenance to ensure your trees and shrubs stay in fine fettle until the weather warms up.
In November 2015, we started a project with some unusual challenges. Our client’s recently refurbished energy-efficient Superhome was set back from and raised up above a busy road in central Wallingford.
The brief was to create a front garden with space for parking, a seating area, a swimming pond and wildlife pond, natural planting and wildflower lawn. The clients were very keen to use native species of plants to encourage wildlife, with a further emphasis on reducing road noise whilst affording privacy and security.
There are few more beautiful wild animals in the British countryside than the fox and to spy one during the day moving across an open field is one of life’s pleasures. However, more and more foxes are choosing to share our gardens and whilst most of us would still consider an occasional visit as a treat, some foxes may choose to build their den in your garden.
This weekend, why not join more than half a million people from across the UK and take part in the world’s largest wildlife survey?
As well as encouraging you to support The Big Garden Birdwatch, we’d like to find out what your favourite garden bird is.
We’re asking you to vote for your favourite from the top ten birds that were spotted in UK gardens in 2015. Just visit our Facebook page to cast your vote and you will be automatically entered into the draw to win this beautiful metal sculpture from our friends at Kew Gardens.
Although we’ve had one of the mildest winters, more cold weather is predicted. So, why not head indoors or to the greenhouse and get started sowing seeds now to create a mass of colour in the summer?
We trickled a pebbly stream into a formal slate-faced, stepped water feature to connect our client’s garden to the local environment and give plenty of space for growing vegetables and entertaining friends.
Following on from my earlier blogs on wildlife gardens and ponds you’ll have guessed by now that, allied to my professional interest in gardens and all things horticultural, is a fascination for wildlife and, in particular birds.
