WHAT JOBS ARE WE DOING IN THE GARDEN TODAY - 2017

Now you have told us, it wont be a secret garden .

 

Hello Snorky, were your pots expensive? Those Astlibes would have cost me £2.99 for the small ones and £4.99 for the large, Callicarpa £9.99 and the Campanula £4.99, from The Range. That leaves almost £50 for the Edelweiss and 3 pots.

 

Oh! They are the most adorable little things! Thank you so much for sharing some photos. Do you have a hedgehog sanctuary?

Years ago there were hedgehogs around us, and I even remember my dad putting out saucers of bread and milk for them. Run over hedgehogs were also fairly common. I'm not sure why they have disappeared from our area, but it's very sad. They would eat well in my garden judging by the number of slugs around!

It's fantastic that you are caring for these lovely wee creatures. I'm not very interested in my neighbours' new baby, but would give a lot for a snuggle with Clarence.... or Jaye Jaye..... or Poppy....or Eddw.... or....!!

 

The pots were £15,£15 and £10. It's a good local garden centre and the plants are good quality and well looked after....wouldnt know what quality The Range would stock?!

 

Snorky, love your astilbe. Mine has been in bud for almost four weeks now, but has never opened out into that beautiful pink froth

 

Thanks @Irmemac my mum's astilbe has been the same as yours! Surely it will open up soon

 

Aww he must think he is your cat

 

Moved the new hydrangea's from table to polytunnel (took a week that's all) ready to pot into planters.
Stood 20' from this again today.

 

We've been to view a property with 7 acres. Decided that although the house could be restored 7 acres is too much land. What would you do with the 5 acres if you get it?

 

Cutting grass. dead heading, cutting back and removing plants that have finished and then filling gaps with later flowering plants. Watering, feed the tomatoes etc.

Couple of greenhouses, poly tunnel, veg and soft fruit plot. orchard and then fill the rest of it with interesting plants, shrubs and trees. Give up the day job and drop out of society.

 

Yes, have small sanctuary for the rescue, rehabilitation and care of hedgehogs. I am not ' official ' as I suspect I would become inundated if I advertised myself. I can only take 2-3 at a time, although sometimes have more . My vet sends me hedgehogs and members of the public bring them too. I also have my resident hog population in the garden to look after. I am always happy to offer advise to anyone who asks and wrote a short article for a local magazine produced on the island.

Baby hedgehogs are incredibly cuddly . Most of them have lost their mums, which is traumatic in itself, and some are also injured and/or sick. I have to be 'mum'.

Loss of habitat and natural food sources are one of the main reasons hedgehogs are disappearing from gardens. More gardens have been walled or fenced in for privacy and thus locking the hogs out. There are other factors at play as well which are playing a role in the overall decline of hedgehog populations.

Slugs and snails form only 5% of the hedgehogs natural diet. These plus earthworms also host parasites, which can be transferred to the hedgehog. A few parasites pose no problem to a healthy hog but too many can make them extremely ill and can be fatal. Loss of other natural foods can force a hedgehog to eat a lot of slugs/snails. Also, injury, trauma and stress of being hospitalised can cause parasites turn on the host and begin to multiply, eating the hedgehog alive.

Hedgehogs are insectivores, although there is talk of re classifying them as omnivores as its now known they eat a much wider range of foods. Bread and milk should not be offered when leaving food out for hogs. They are lactose intolerant so milk can make them very ill and bread has no nutritional value. Bread also makes them feel full so they don't want to eat other foods.

 

I've already done that - I can highly recommend it .