Hellebores

I treated myself to this Hellebore or Lenten Rose just before Christmas - it was half price in a sale of garden plants at Baddesley Clinton

Its still waiting in the porch to be planted out. I feel a bit pessimistic about its chances as this is the 3rd hellebore I have bought - the other two disappeared without trace! For some reason, perhaps the type of soil?, certain winter/spring plants don't thrive in our garden. Winter aconites, cyclamen and snowdrops have all been planted several times in the past but none have survived.

WEDNESDAY, 7TH JANUARY

"Matilda"

TUESDAY, 6TH JANUARY

Seedheads


Although we cut down plants and seedheads in the mini wildflower meadow,

we leave seedheads until late Winter in the herbaceous border and scattered elswhere throughout the garden.

The seedheads provide birds with a valuable source of food during the cold winter months and the dead plant stems are used by hibernating insects.

In addition, they provide structure and form to the garden and look exceedingly pretty when coated with snow or frost.

MONDAY, 5TH JANUARY

Miniature Worlds

Moss growing on a sundial - a tiny beautiful ecosystem

SUNDAY, 4TH JANUARY

Cold and frosty start to the day - beech leaves

Birds came flocking to the feeders. Five new species added to the Garden 2015 List today:

Coal Tit

Goldfinch

Stock Dove

plus Great Tit. A flock of Long-tailed Tits passed through foraging amongst the silver birch tree tops.

SATURDAY, 3RD JANUARY

Great Spotted Woodpecker added to the 2015 Garden Bird List today.

Have now moved the new feeder with the apple on it as it was far too close to the fat-filled half coconut so loved by the Woodpeckers.

FRIDAY 2ND JANUARY

Wild primrose (Primula vulgaris) leaves are starting to emerge and

the Camelias are developing buds.

First mammal spotted in the garden in 2015 was a Grey Squirrel (in fact a pair of them frolicking around the garden today).

THURSDAY 1ST JANUARY 2015

When I first started my "Ragged Robin's Nature Notes" blog I intended initially to write just about our wildlife garden but over time the blog evolved to include accounts of visits to nature reserves, days out at National Trust properties etc., and holidays. So for 2015 I have decided to create a new blog which will just contain accounts of wildlife (moths, butterflies, birds, amphibians, mammals, flowers, bees, hoverflies etc.) in the garden we have created to try and attract wildlife. To be honest its a bit of a self indulgent exercise which is meant to supplement the nature journal I have always kept but I do hope that a few people will find it interesting and that it may encourage some to look more closely at their gardens and the variety of wildlife attracted to them.


I counted the plants flowering in the garden today at the start of 2015.

Primula

Winter Jasmine

Chrysanthemum - a few flowers have escaped the recent frosts

Lobelia - self seeded on the patio under the hanging baskets

Valerian

Bergenia

Scabiosa - "Ace of Spades"

Groundsel - the only wildflower I could find

plus a plant I always call "strawberries and cream" - I've looked at loads of websites and gardening books and have still failed to identify it but it is similar to a type of pelargonium and I will try and post a photo on the off chance someone can help with id.

The Garden Bird List for 2015 got off to a slow start today. Maximum temperature was 12 degrees centigrade and there weren't many birds on the feeders.

Carrion Crow
House Sparrow
Robin
Blackbird
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Blue Tit
Dunnock