Gardener's Friend

Look what I found this afternoon, in the drizzly rain. A very welcome site

 

Lovely! I saw one last night walking down a main road. They are in serious decline now. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2238087.stm

Perhaps the message should go out to all gardeners. Help the hedgehogs and STOP using poisons

 

What a lovely Photo, Can't say it enough..Hornbeam is right NO SLUG PELLETS or we will very soon loose this beautiful creature,

 

Fran, what a perfect piccie!!!

My slugs go flying over the wall to feast in the little field at the back :D Haven't seen my Hedgie for days :(

 

It didn't look all that old, and it worried me that it was out in the middle of the afternoon - they are normally nocturnal. Parts of my garden are very dry (and I garden on clay)- it may be with the long dry period during June, that its getting harder to find its food perhaps.

Whilst there's no hose pipe ban here - I'm loath to turn on the sprinkler or hose, but may have to if we don't get some decent rain. The drizzle yesterday was not enough to do more than dampen the surface.

 

Fran, he[?] does look lovely but it's my experience as well that you only see them in daytime if there's something wrong. I wish I could import some, I'm used to loads in the garden in Cambs., they lived under an enormous honeysuckle by the shed. I cut it back hard once and nearly trod on a nest of babies! I had to take one adult to the shelter as she was out in the daytime coughing and they said she had lungworm. Next day I found the babies out of the nest looking for Mum, and had to take them as well, but got them back safe and sound after treatment.

If anyone has an enclosed garden of suitable size, the hedgehog sanctuaries sometimes have crippled hogs which have lost a leg or eye and cannot manage well enough entirely on their own, but survive nicely with the help of the odd bowl of catfood.
We have now had 3 days of satisfactory rain and all the water butts are topped up again. Still very hot and humid though.

 

Have you seen him/her today Fran? Is he ok?

 

Haven't seen him since during the day. So maybe it was just hunger - he certainly moved OK and was bright eyed. Decided to give the garden a soak with the hose - that should bring a few of his favourite foods out. Hopefully I will hear him snuffling round one evening again.

 

Well my little friend is back. Saw him last night crossing the road as I returned from a meeting, and then as I was watering the garden tonight - he was there again. Seemed to be alert and moving OK - but he looks young. Hopefully he's finding enough food to keep going in this dry spell. Sadly I don't have any cat food I can leave out.

 

I find they even like the dried dog food that you can buy, its much easier than that meat type, and along with a bowl of water, they enjoy it.
Trouble is it brings in cats from miles around, and I suppose it could encourage rats.