Cats who bring home presents!

Hecate is not a born hunter killer, in fact I doubt she has ever caught anything larger than the occasional spider. However, this does not stop her giving it a try, even if it is probably just a show to impress her human.

Sadly, Mili is prone to bringing back the occasional present, although this is usually confined to just a single annual event because the telling off and raised voices are most definitely not the reward she undoubtedly hopes for.

Some cats that hunt prey will bring their owners the dead (or sometimes still alive) animals in order to show off their prized catch, possibly for  later consumption or as a teaching aid, or as a gift. Cats want to share their bounty with their family, in their own way, naturally passing on their hunting and eating knowledge.

This is especially true of female cats who would normally teach their young how to hunt and eat.

This means when a cat brings home an animal or bird that they have caught it is likely because they consider you a part of their family. Their instincts are telling them this is what they need to do to survive and that they need to pass these important, life-saving skills onto their family. Given that Mili was rescued from a rubbish skip in early "kitten-hood" it is possible her mother had the need to teach her survival skills at a very tender age.

The upper pond looking rather nice at the end of last week 

Philosophy behind the blog

I have been asked by the few fellow gardeners who know that I write a blog "why do you do it?"

The rationale behind these musings are really quite simple, writing about the cats and the garden serves to keep me out of too much mischief. The fact the blog needs new entries  serves to prompt me into outside activity. It also helps to drive me on to try and make a half decent job of it all. However, the direct reasons I write the blog are twofold
1. For Mum, who rarely gets the chance to visit in person but via the blog she can keep up to date with progress
2. For my records, so the changes can be documented and importantly to help me to organize a proper gardening calendar.
(when I review old pictures of how the garden used to look, it reminds me how nice it is to keep a record to refer back to; see the blog entries on evolution)

While it is tempting to say there are also more altruistic motives, that my blog entries might help other gardeners who face similar challenges, I am realistic enough to realize that barely anyone will find their way here. However, when they do it does give me a little fillip. I have been amazed that people from other countries have even read the blog on occasions, to date they include USA, Ireland, The Netherlands, Mexico, Poland and South Korea. As an ex geography teacher this global reach is rather exciting and I will not pretend that I don't really enjoy it when a new country appears on the audience statistics. Sadly, the number of comments is really very small. It would be nice to get a little feedback and perhaps suggestions as what other people are most interested in.

In 2015 the garden was clearly more enclosed

Daffodils

It is now past mid April and the daffodils are out; at least most are at the time of writing. It is a measure of how harsh the weather has been at the start of spring and the Pennine altitude that they are so late this year.

While St. David's day is at the start of March and is traditionally associated with the daffodil, it seems quite strange just how far behind we are in this part of the UK.

As you can see from the photograph the daffodils have been planted in the lawn at the front of the house. When they are finished the grass will be mown around the remaining leaves because the bulbs will benefit from the growth afforded by the leaves being left. Deadheading removes the seed pods and keeps the lawn a little bit tidier. However, they will not  flower next year if the bulbs have been starved of the energy from their leaves. They must be left until the leaves start to turn yellow.

Birds, insects, amphibians and mammals

Last night was a bumper wildlife viewing experience. From a warm vantage point inside the house, with lights turned out, I was  able to view in the space of a mere 10 minutes,
~ two adolescent badgers
~ a pair of mating frogs
~ a indeterminate number of scampering mice
~ a spider by the window
~ and the haunting sound of the owls calling to each other
It is a warming thought that wildlife can find a use for the garden as well as we all can. Providing we take just a little care it is amazing how much good all our diverse garden spaces can do for the wildlife and the broad ecology of our neighborhoods.

It is a little bit of a pity that the weather was not more conducive to photography but this is a picture, taken from the same viewing point.

Repotting Water Lilies

The water lilies have been a feature of the garden for decades. Although it is somewhat of a lottery whether they will produce many flowers in any given year, they do seem to quite like the ponds. This is a little surprising given that the lower pond is shaded by the patio and according to the literature is not an ideal location for these aquatics.

Every few years it is necessary to lift the lilies and repot them into a fresh medium, primarily because they will outgrow the container. The divisions will also provide you with new plants. Earlier this week I managed to tackle the lilies in the upper pond.

1. The lily has been removed from the water and the rhizome divided to make two plants. The old basket can be seen to be clearly damaged by the strength of the roots.

2. One of the divisions. The growing tips can be easily identified, even at this early stage of the year, and some roots can be trimmed a little.

3. Using aquatic water baskets the lilies are ready to be repotted, I would also recommend a light sprinkling of proprietary feed.

4. The lily is firmed into the basket with either special aquatic compost, or as I use, some of the heavier unimproved clay from the top of the garden.

5. Finally, the potted lily section is covered with prewashed grit or pea gravel. The washing avoids clouding the pond water with dust and the gravel holds the soil in place when the plant is resubmerged.

Of course, all of this is that little bit easier if you have a bit of help, thanks Mili,

 .....and hopefully the lilies will survive to flower again in the summer, as this lovely pair did last year.

Renovations

Repair work to the upper pond has been carried out and the small fountain is operational once again. Although only switched on occasionally it is a relaxing feature of the upper garden. A new filter and replacement waterproof connector have been installed but not before some of the armoured cable had been dug out and now needs disguising once again. Water features are such a delight in a garden of any scale and surprisingly labour saving for the time hungry!

This pond has the appearance of a well, it is now weathered nicely and fits comfortably next to the seating area. The depth of water in the centre is ample for a variety of water lilies which have been temporarily removed and will be split and re-potted in the next few days. The depth near the edges is much less and has submerged and disguised material to allow wildlife easy access into and out of the water. So while it might appear like a well it is in fact much more interesting and wildlife friendly

This is an area of the garden for which I have some major plans this year. The companion seat needs to be replaced (despite rigorous treatment and covering up every winter!), the neighboring beds will be replanted and the area which serves as the hospital area for ailing specimens will have to be relocated. Is it only me (a penny conscious Yorkshire man) who has a hospital bed that seems to be way out of proportion to the rest of the garden? 

Snow Again

The long term trend in the UK seems to be that of a blurring of the seasons. For a decade or more, the winters have been mild and wet, the spring little different, summer unremarkable with less than average sunshine hours and autumn mild, damp but pleasant. However 2018 is bucking the trend, winter has been as severe as I can remember since the early 1980's and spring seems loath to arrive. The garden has been blanketed in snow yet again but this time the spring bulbs that have had the temerity to bloom have been pummeled with rain, winds and large amounts of snow.

 

The fact that nature and the garden can recover is simply remarkable. Thank goodness the irises have been able to come through largely unscathed. Definitely my plant of the month.

 

The urge to get outside is becoming overwhelming so fingers crossed the weather will turn soon. Similarly, let us hope for a proper summer season and a further bucking of the recent trend.