But I would love to be more like him. Giotto’s images of this early saint welcoming birds and conflicting animals (sheep and wolves?) are inspiring, not to say tantalising! To have birds feeding from your hands would be amazing – but then I guess back in medieval times birds might have thought so too, asContinue reading “St Francis of Assisi I am not”
Author Archives: anniecj321
No Newts -but Frogspawn a-plenty
I’d been so looking forward to seeing the newts again this February – their orange spotted bellies flashing through and lighting up the dark waters of my square pond again…for their mating season. But it wasn’t to be. Either they haven’t visited or I’ve completely missed them. Either way, quite sad about it. And aContinue reading “No Newts -but Frogspawn a-plenty”
New Year, New Moon
New Beginnings!! Not quite sure what this means exactly – for me, or for the world, but there’s a palpable sense of excitement I’m feeling, for some of the possibilities… Also if I’m honest, for the chance to possibly see those flashing and orange dotted undersides of Smooth Newts again, come February – I can’tContinue reading “New Year, New Moon”
Sheltering Butterflies, Caterpillars and Chrysallises
open door policy Following up on a great suggestion from @save_butterflies I’ve been leaving my shed door open. Sure enough the other day a butterfly was sheltering up against the wooden wall at ground level. It’s no longer there. I didn’t get a photo. But that policy is working. It’s part of a wider planContinue reading “Sheltering Butterflies, Caterpillars and Chrysallises”
The Butterfly Garden is working
It’s not quite the green open space that I’d dreamed of but my little town garden has seen many more butterfly visitors this year… May was too cold, June was quiet but July! In July when the Buddleias finally came into flower, they were covered daily with 4 or 5 Peacocks and Red Admirals. WereContinue reading “The Butterfly Garden is working”
“We do what we can”
Since mentioning in my last blog this government’s allowing lowering of food standards (since break with EU) meaning such awful stuff as chlorinated (and diseased) chicken about to be made available for sale from non European countries (such as USA) I’d like to redress the balance a bit… Despite our Govt’s deliberate failure to protectContinue reading ““We do what we can””
Wildlife Gardening
Wildlife Gardening sounds like a bit of an oxymoron doesn’t it? As in if it’s not wild then it’s gardened – gardening can’t be wild. However as any gardener will know, gardening is as much about what you take out as what you put in, in terms of plants. Lots of work carefully removing floppedContinue reading “Wildlife Gardening”
Connectivity
So haven’t seen any Newts for a while – certainly none I could get a shot of – or so I thought… Haven’t managed to ID the Newts that I have seen here either – they could either be Smooth or Palmate? Certainly not Greater Crested although they do still remind me of small dragons…DefinitelyContinue reading “Connectivity”
Call of the Wild (rewrite)
Call of the Wild (by Annie Macdonald livingthewildlife.garden) Isn’t it strange that it’s really only when you give up on things, completely and utterly, that they happen? I find that it’s like that with trying to connect with Nature, and things emerging from the garden – plants that you thought had died sending up shootsContinue reading “Call of the Wild (rewrite)”
Nature knows best
Recently after a lovely tweet exchange on social media about the benefits of #ForestBathing, I thought I better give it a go in the garden. It’s been pretty cold in the UK hasn’t it? Not exactly optimum conditions for this, especially in the early morning frosty air. This was never likely to be that relaxing!Continue reading “Nature knows best”
