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| Holly enjoying the Spring weather |
The winter, yes the one that simply won't go away, has been spent preparing for the season that once was found between winter and summer, spring! To think that last year it was shorts and t-shirt weather, and
frogs were in a spawning frenzy.
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| No Wheatears, Wagtails or Ring Ouzels, just frost! |
The main tasks have been hedge rejuvenation and planting, border de-nettling (nettles are good, just not everywhere!), nest box installation - gone a bit OTT with 10 boxes for Tree Sparrows, a Swallow cup, a couple of artificial House Martin nests, and an open-fronted box for Robins.
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| Tree Sparrows - large colony here, hopefully to get even larger now :) |
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| Even snow doesn't stop prospective tenants |
Lots of wild flower seed has been sown, and native bulbs planted.
The biggest job, however, has been putting a Green Roof on my container, to create a high rise wild flower meadow, and nesting opportunities for birds within.
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| On top of an 8 x 10 container. |
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| Joisting and boarding Out |
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| Green Roof Substrate |
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| Waterproof liner and Geotex liner down and substrate going on top |
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Gravel drainage around the perimeter, and lashings of tea!
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| Job done! |
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The Green Roof involved joisting out the roof to carry the weight, boarding it out to create a floor, covering with a waterproof pond liner, filling with a substrate (topsoil is too nutrient rich!), and sowing with wild flower seed. The design and construction of this roof, using new materials, worked out at roughly £100 per square metre, inclusive labour. Get in contact if you want one as we have the know how and the expertise.
In between digging, cutting, planting, construction etc. I've added a couple of garden ticks, Short-eared Owl was nice hunting around Fenwick Pit, and Eurasion White-fronted Goose amongst Greylags heading to the flooded fields at East Holywell. And let's not forget the moths that have ventured out on the few nights when the mercury hasn't dip below zero......
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| Pale Brindle Beauty |
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| March Moth |
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| Dotted Border |
Until Spring arrives I'm joining Dill and Holly!
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| Cosy! |
Brilliant thanks Tim...
ReplyDeleteAn impressive and ingenious bit of work re your container.
ReplyDeleteI presume that fire is fed with all the timber you cut too short etc:
anyway keeps the dogs content.
Brian