Digging & Dreaming

Blackbird On The Fence

I love the blackbirds in my garden. Not flashy or flamboyant but beautiful none the less in their simplicity. They are ground feeders so are particularly attracted by the bugs and worms that they find in my rather overgrown garden. At the moment there are a couple of young ones on the scene who are eagerly taking in the world around them and learning to fend for themselves before they have to head out and establish their own territory in somebody else's garden. What luck for the owner of the plot where they decide to take residence.

Pond's Eye View

As part of the Permaculture design course that I started last month I have been doing a lot of reading on the subject. At the moment I'm reading the wonderful Sepp Holzer's Permaculture. Sepp Holzer is an inspirational farmer and grower who lives high on the mountainside of the slopes of Mount Schwarzenberg in Austria on a farm that extends to 45 hectares and which is all between 1100 and 1500 metres above sea level. The book is a great read - it's really accessible and gives a fascinating insight into the way that Sepp has managed to profitably cultivate areas of land in a way that others told him would be impossible. And how's he done this? In short, by developing a process of cultivation that observes and responds to local natural ecological systems in order to get the very best out of the available land in a way that bears no resemblance to the typical mono-cultures that we are more used to seeing in modern agriculture.

A particularly interesting section of the book is about the use and management of water on Sepp's land and the fact that doing this sensitively is crucial to developing a growing environment that works well. This inspired me to have a closer look at the pond that we've got on our allotment. Although this pond's essential function is an aesthetic one rather than anything else it still plays an important part on our plot. It's very much a natural environment, as you can see from the picture, and can pretty much be left to its own devices. All we really need to do to it is to make sure no plants become too much of a bully and remove leaves if an excess fall into the water in autumn and winter. And what benefits do we get back in exchange?

Well, the pond is a haven for newts in particular but is also well used by toads and frogs who love the shady beds of rhubarb and comfrey that are right next to the water. There is also a shallow area at one end that the birds love to drink from and splash around in during the summer months. The water is a great attraction for certain types of insects like dragonflies that flit and flutter around the plot on long hot days and lay their eggs on the reeds and other plants at the waters edge. The waters edge is also a popular place for plants like rushes and irises that thrive there in abundance, alongside the glorious waterlilies that keep the water cool and shaded on sunny days. In fact, all in all, it's amazing how many species thrive around such a small body of water.

And the disadvantages of having a pond? Well, none that I can think of except if you have children, in which case the pond needs to be securely fenced to keep them out of harm's way. And I would personally go for a fenced pond over a netted one any day as it keeps the pond safe but also means that the creatures that benefit from the water still have full access it.

Fantastic Mr Fox

Okay... I admit it... This isn't the most inspiring picture that I have ever posted on this blog but I've posted it because the dullness of the image is no reflection of the great drama and tension that it represents.

The picture is taken right at the top of my allotment where there is a fence to separate our plots from the neighbouring park. If you squint carefully at the middle of the image you should be just about able to make out a neatly dug hole going under the fence. When I first spotted this my gut instinct was to block it back up - we've had problems with rabbits on our plot in the past so I suspected they may be using the hole as a way of getting in and out of the allotments. However, the other morning footprints on a freshly raked bed on my plot suggested otherwise... Instead of the distinctive prints of a rabbit there were the prints of an adult fox with, what looked like, the prints of a litter of fox cubs playing alongside her. It is these prints and nothing else that have saved the hole under the fence for now...

As I mentioned before, we have had problems with rabbits in the past. They are an absolute nuisance and cause terrible chaos on any veg plot. This is why the hint that foxes are around is great news. The best way to deter Bugs Bunny and his pals is to have a resident fox patrolling your site and making sure no unwelcome bunnies help themselves to your hard grown crops. So for now the hole under the fence is safe and I've got everything crossed that the foxes will decide to stick around, keeping the rabbits at bay.

Autumn in the Air

The last couple of mornings have felt really autumnal to me. Suddenly the air is a bit crisper and it takes that much longer for the sun to get going and warm things up. The allotment is starting to feel distinctly seasonal as well. This is great because it means we're heading right into the harvesting frenzy that September usually is, but it also means that it's time to start tidying up on the plot and begin packing things away for the winter.

That's certainly the idea that this big, fat toad had who I found all tucked up and cosy in one of our compost bins today. And seeing him there was a great reminder to me that now is the time of year when we can really do our bit to make the winter much easier for our wild friends. For example, it's good to have a tidy plot or garden but try and leave a couple of weedy corners so there's somewhere safe and untouched for little creatures to hide. It can also be a good idea to build a twig pile (it really is as simple as it sounds!) which is the perfect hiding place for all creatures great and small from frogs and toads to beetles and ladybirds.

The other thing to remember is that, if you do want to move compost heaps and wood piles around, now is the right time to do it. This because in the next couple of weeks wildlife will start looking for somewhere safe to hibernate and, if you move things around too late, you're almost sure to disturb any creatures who have found shelter on your plot. This may all sound like a bit of a fiddle just for the sake of a few bugs and beetles but remember, these little creatures are every veg grower's friend and the better care you take care of them over the winter months, the harder they'll be able to work for you next spring keeping pests at bay.

Make Room For Dandelions

Dandelions can be a real nuisance in the garden. They pop up everywhere and can be a real pain to get rid of - if you are digging them out they will keep on coming back again and again unless you remove every single bit of their root. Even though they can be a pain it's really worthwhile to try and find a corner for them to grow in during Spring. Dandelion blooms mark the start of the honey bee season and provide an invaluable source of food for them when there is little else for them to feed on.

It is best to get rid of them before they go to seed though, and spread themselves all over your plot. The seed heads may be very beautiful, but they do do a very effective job at continuing their species sending seeds all over the place with each gust of wind!

Vanishing of the Bees

Last night I went to see Vanishing of the Bees a new film that has been supported by the Co-operative. The film investigates the plight of the bee with particular focus on colony collapse disorder that has decimated bee communities across the United States. Worryingly similar symptoms are also being detected in bee hives all over the world, including here in the UK. The film is beautifully made but also terrifying at the prospect of what will happen if we don't do something to protect out bees. What the film really showed me is how important gardeners and allotment holders now are to help save the bee. Providing that we haven't left it too late to halt this devastating collapse in their communities....

The film made me really sad at the mess that we are making of our planet, and that many people seem determined to continue making, but it also prompted me to have a think of what we can all do to make the world into the kind of place that bees are able to live a happy and prosperous life. Here are some things that I will be doing to help them and I hope you will be able to do some of them too:

• Only buy food that is seasonal - the pesticides and industrial farming used to grow crops out of season are bad news for the health of bees (and probably for our own health too)
• Buy food from local farmers where possible to support a diverse plant ecology that bees love and to support your local farming infrastructure.
• Only buy British honey to support our beekeepers.
• Buy organic were possible and campaign for better research into pesticides and the effects that they have on eco-systems.
• Try and have flowers in your garden as much of the year as possible so that bees always have something to eat. Here's a list of what they really like.
• Think about keeping bees yourself.

And what's the significance of the picture? Bees are the emblem of my city (Manchester) so it seemed an apt place to use a snap of one of the beautiful bee mosaics that are featured all over Manchester Town Hall.

A Welcome Visitor

Just in case you haven't come across one of these little guys before let me explain what it is...

This peculiar little thing is a ladybird larvae and is every gardener's best friend. Each one is only about 1cm long but they have a huge appetite for greenfly, whitefly and a whole host of other garden nasties. In terms of their appetite to eat aphids, ladybirds and their offspring are only just beaten into second place by hoverflies who should be another welcome guest to any gardener. You can buy ladybird larvae to release into your garden or greenhouse but the best way to attract them is to make you garden a wildlife haven so that as many ladybirds take up residence there as possible. We've got hundreds of them all over the plot, so much so that I often spend more time moving them to safety than weeding when I'm supposed to be tidying up!

Ladybird adults like to take nectar or pollen from Alliums, dill and yarrow, which are the same plants that hoverfly and lacewings adore. The other good way to encourage them into your garden is to make sure there is plenty of tempting food for them. If you grow plants that are laden with aphids like nettles and honeysuckles you will soon create a healthy community of ladybirds who will keep on top of aphids all over your plot. It is also good to provide a home for ladybirds and lacewings in the winter. They are happy to hibernate in conifers, evergreen hedges and dense herbs but it is possible to make nest boxes from hollow stems for them as well. Just make sure you leave the stems in a nice dry place. Ladybirds will also make a home for themselves inside garden canes in the autumn so, if you haven't tidied them away by autumn, it's best to leave them until the following spring so that these amazing little creatures who have taken up residence don't get disturbed.

The More the Merrier

Yesterday was the perfect weather to be out on the allotment so I took full advantage of it and spent the whole day down there. As well as other plot holders getting on with jobs I soon discovered that I wasn't on my own...

Gardening organically it has always been my aim to create a space that produces as much fruit and veg as possible, looks beautiful but also that offers a chemical free safe haven for local wildlife. This is not a purely altruistic aim because most of the creatures that visit my plot also play an essential part in fighting pests and diseases.

Yesterday on the plot I saw frogs, plenty of lady birds, foxes (not them but their footprints so I know they've been there), bumble bees, birds a plenty and more newts than ever in our little pond. That means there's an awful lot of bug eating, rabbit scaring, ant nibbling and slug scoffing going on on the plot that can only make my job easier.

Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me yesterday to take a snap of any of these welcome visitors so I've used this picture of cowslips from my garden instead. They have been a wonderful sight for the last couple of weeks when I look out my kitchen window!

The Humble Bumble

If you asked me to choose my favourite animal the humble bee would be in there with a very strong chance of winning. I love the way that they're tiny little insects without whom our eco-systems would simply collapse. I also think it's great that, in terms of physics, the bumble bee shouldn't really be able to fly but fly they do! It's so reassuring to see them buzzing from plant to plant on the plot, and there are plenty to watch because I do everything I can to encourage as many of them to visit as possible. Bees love the flowers on comfrey and also on calendula so I make as much room for them as possible. Calendula also has edible flowers which look amazing in salads and comfrey, as you probably know, is an essential tool for the organic gardener.

My bee obsession is such that, when I see a tired bumble bee unable to fly on the floor I pick them up and try my hardest to help them recuperate. Often bees end up in this predicament when they fly too far from home and all they need is a sugar boost to power them up for their return journey. If I'm at home it's best to sit them on the edge of a spoon of honey, jam or sugar water and leave them in peace until they feel ready to go. If I'm at the plot and that isn't to hand I pick them up and find a pollen rich flower to sit them on - that's what had happened to the little bee on the picture which is why he was sitting still enough to be photographed. If they aren't buzzing it means they're extremely unlikely to sting you so and it's even possible, if you're very gentle, to give them a stroke on their back and see just how soft they actually are - who ever said animals need fur to be cute and fluffy was telling a lie!

A Welcome Visitor

I've got a little pond on my allotment and I'm lucky enough to have newts as regular visitors. I saw them loads last spring and summer, normally basking on the surface of the water around dusk. I was really looking forward to their return this year and, sure as anything, they started to appear again in spring. I've never seen them out of the water though...until now.

I had to lift a piece of old carpet that's down on one of the paths to pull some weeds and I found this little guy, and left him uncovered just long enough to take a quick picture. I'm always amazed by wildlife (life is so satisfying when you're as easily please as me!) and newts are a more than welcome addition to the menagerie on the plot.