Category Archives: Wildlife

A walk along Ripon Canal

Posted on September 7, 2020 by

I was recently introduced to wetlands near Ripon, a small city in North Yorkshire. In spite of going to nearby Old Sleningford Farm for six years, I still don’t know the area terribly well, because we have largely driven to … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Another wire to trip us up!

Posted on August 15, 2020 by

I’ve just read a blogpost about how even plants sold with a ‘Good for Pollinators’ label could still be harmful. This is because they may have been grown with insecticides which kill the pollinators they have attracted. In other words, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Wildlife | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Some vigour at last!

Posted on July 7, 2020 by

The information I gleaned about my dwarf water lily (Nymphoides peltata) was that it was a vigorous plant, so much so that it could be invasive. However, last year it showed no such characteristic. Then of course it died down … Continue reading →

Posted in Pond and bog garden, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

The closest I’ve been

Posted on June 26, 2020 by

I got a surprise this morning when I got in the car to go and collect my provisions from the local organic farm. She’d been sitting there while I’d been doing my usual inspection of the front garden as I … Continue reading →

Posted in forest garden, Wildlife | Tagged , | 6 Comments

‘Be kind. Be compassionate. Have patience.’

Posted on June 18, 2020 by

How have you been doing for exercise recently? At my end, things have been decidedly poor. A couple of weeks ago, I therefore realised I had to take myself in hand and find ways to incorporate more walking into my … Continue reading →

Posted in Wildlife, Days out | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Taking shelter

Posted on June 11, 2020 by

Well, we’ve gone from impending drought to a bout of extended rain. Not that the garden is complaining. For example, after a hiatus of a few weeks, the rhubarb is starting to poke its head above ground again. And I … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Wildlife | Tagged , | 9 Comments

GCSE Natural History Consultation Hub

Posted on June 8, 2020 by

I’d love to be able to contribute to the consultation below but don’t feel I have the necessary background. However, I’m pleased that the government is planning a GCSE in Natural History. Wouldn’t this have been great to study at … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Social, Wildlife | Tagged | 10 Comments

Fairburn Ings in summer

Posted on June 1, 2020 by

Years ago, a friend invited me to have a look round Fairburn Ings, an RSPB site just over the border in North Yorkshire. At that point, I was suffering from a major depression and it didn’t clock with me where … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

An elaborate bird table

Posted on May 25, 2020 by

This morning, I noticed that the birds had been fussing with the straw over the beans I’d sown yesterday. I wasn’t sure if they were after the one or the other, but as we were off out I kicked the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Permaculture, Social, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Baby rhubarb

Posted on May 22, 2020 by

I can’t believe it is a month ago since I last volunteered at my local organic farm. And here I was once again, this time first potting up basil seedlings, followed by rhubarb transplants. I’d always wondered why the farm … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, forest garden, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments