garden

Spiders 2022

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Spider season is here and today added two more to the few I have seen in the last few weeks. We have a resident noble false widow in the bathroom who keeps watch from the corner at the moment, which is nice. Sort of.

And I opened the curtain to this large specimen this morning. I think its going to be a spider year 🕷

(c) K Wicks

April growing

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Despite the cold and overcast days, the berries are coming along. Sprouting and budding a plenty now.

Blueberries
Gooseberry
Redcurrant
Strawberry
Loganberry
Peppers
Beetroot (with a few sneaky peppers I didn’t know were still present)
Cress and salad
Cucumber, zucchini & nasturtiums

There is lots going on and I’m getting better at the whole process of it all. Hopefully there will be tasty things at the end of it 😁

(c) K Wicks

Pond and snails

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I realise I forgot to do a proper post about my new little pond. A spur of the moment idea which is now about a month in, everything has settled and I’m making around the edge look OK with a few bits here and there.

Today I decided to move two of my five pond snails over as they have been doing well since I got them about a month ago now too. Not that easy to photograph, but I have tried. They are awesome to watch.

And today while checking the numbers, I lifted the small solar powered pump in the first tub pond, and what do I find? Small batches of eggs! There may be more snails very soon 😬

Also not so easy to photograph. But these have also been moved to the new pond. They are incredible at cleaning up, and have made the water crystal clear, and have helped clear all the algae that was forming round the growing plants.

These are the relocated two, as you can see, they have their work cut out for them here. Lots of algae there already, that may have come with the plant I moved to start it off though. Hoping for more wildlife, so far the birds have been using it as a bird bath too, so it has their approval, even using the little steps to hop down to the lawn on one occasion!

(c) K Wicks

Hairy bittercress

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This is a new find for me, although not new to my eyes or garden. It’s other name is Cardamine hirsuta, and is edible it turns out. It’s appeared as it does in spring but this year before clearing it all away as a weed, I thought I’d leave it as it has very pretty little white flowers and isn’t doing any harm. Then I thought maybe I should find out what it is.

The leaves are the tasty bit, a bit peppery but not too much like rocket. Just had a salad with some and it was nice. But the star of the show was the little rosemary flowers I picked to go with it. Having only looked them up the other day (as it’s flowering), and turns out they are edible too! Super sweet little bursts of rosemary, just super 👌

(c) K Wicks