HIGHER MORWELL GARDEN DIARY
7th July 2016
Local wildlife has been an eye-opener for us both. We’ve seen the devastation caused by first the squirrels last year, now this year the rabbits and deer. They aren’t all we see though, the variety of birds that visit the feeders and fly around the local woodlands and above us are remarkable. It’s a long list but special this year is the pair of swallows that took up residence in the garage and built a new nest in the rafters.
We can’t be sure how many small swallows there are but they really can make a mess on the car - when parked the windscreen is just below the nest so… The great tits and coal tits regularly comb the darker recesses of the garage for bugs but the swallows now chase them out in full protection mode. Another established family, but away from the garage, are pied wagtails. I didn’t realise how aggressive they are, they look so innocuous hopping about but woe betide any of the finches and tits around the feeding stations if the wagtails want in!
Work has concentrated on the polytunnel since it was erected and now the basic setup is about complete. Lesley is working on sieving the dug soil to remove all the stones and I have finished the wood framing and path slabs for the beds apart from the last piece at the front, where we need to rotavate the bed. It is so warm and humid working in here, routinely near 40°C when the sun is out, which currently isn’t that often. And it’s biting flies season. They are slow but vicious and are armed in numbers. If we don’t open the polytunnel doors there are no pollinating insects, so damned if you do and… They are on the wane, if last year was typical they rampage for three to four weeks. Nearly there.
Finally a mention of the potatoes. The whole Desiree crop has succumbed to the blight, although we did slow its progression down by cutting off the affected foliage. But underneath are some spuds! Bit small but bet they taste good. And good news - the Maris Peer earlies are still unaffected and will be ready to harvest very soon.