Easter Saturday 2015

A gorgeous warm spring day . warm enough not to wear a coat . The daffodils are looking beautiful .I planted an extra 500 over the winter 300 in the meadow 200 in the garden . In the meadow they were planted around the fruit trees .although a little sparse now they will soon double up. 

The Primroses ,Ox slips and Anemone  Blanda are already flowering but the Fritillary are very disappointing I think this is due to  the arrival of the Lily Beetle that was unknown in this area until about 2 years ago now it is a real pest on Lilies and also Fritillery 

Fritillary

While the meadow is a magnet for wildlife ,it also has its unwelcome visitors too . the Moles have been excessively active over the winter .At one time I counted 60 mole hills at the top of the meadow. Today I saw the mole catcher in the adjoining fields . The farmer must have decided to get rid  of any moles in his fields . While the mole is safe in my meadow  as soon as he ventures across the boundary he will be no more.

Mole hills

Another unwelcome guests are Rabbits and huge population of Bank  Voles holes everywhere  but these are the main food source for other animals and birds so I suppose I can expect Stoats Weasels and various birds of prey and Owls . Its interesting to see how the meadow is evolving from year to year.

spring is just around the corner

First cut of the grass

Daffodils all in Bloom

Rosa Rugosa coming into leaf

quince beds bursting

Suddenly the weather has turned and  a few warm sunny days any everything is awake and rearing to go . I have  given the grass its first cut to give the flowers a sporting chance against the grass . and redefined the island beds .In the top island I planted over a 100 assorted Alliums of various stages of maturity so only some of them will flower in 2014.
The daffodils are in full bloom the full length of the meadow  they have filled out really well in the four years since they were planted. 
Anemone Blanda is starting into bloom as is primroses and the main flush of cowslips.wont be far behind . The top bed which I must admit I gave up on last year as thousands of dock seedlings emerged and the bed was over run . So that is the challenge for this year to sort it by hook or by crook.
Although I am thrilled with the meadow attracting wild life I am not thrilled with the arrival of the Rabbits . What I am going to do about this I really dont know . One family has made its home in my garden and has wrecked my strawberry bed.
 The Moles are also quite a problem making huge Mole hills that I have to remove every few days , and the Voles well they seemed to have reached a balance now providing food for other things I suppose .Buds on the Quince tree are starting to break as is the Rosa Rugosa giving a real feeling that spring really is just around the corner.

We have just had the worst storm I have known in the 40 years we have lived here . As i walked down the meadow this afternoon after the storm had passed I was amazed to see this tiny cowslip .Apart from flowering far too early it had stood firm while being battered by 100 mile an hour wind, also the snowdrops not a mark on them .thy look so delicate , but deceivingly tough to survive unscathed.

Cowslip

Snowdrops

Barn Owl to paint

My notepad computer developed a fault part way through my first post so I had to send it away for repair . We are now up and running again  but lots of catch up to do. 
This  post although not directly attached to the meadow ,but is to local wild life. I was brought the most beautiful little Barn Owl just over a week ago . Sadly she was dead but not a mark on her . She had been hit by a vehicle on the A55. The main road that runs through the middle of our beautiful Island of Anglesey
I took lots of photos of her as I intend to paint her to the best of my ability at some point.
She was ringed so her history was known. She was six months old and had  come from a nest outside  Caernarfon on the mainland .
Although quite far by car only 6 miles across the Menai Straits to where she was killed .
I have never seen a Barn Owl up close before and she was so beautiful.. I just had to share.

The Start for 2014

What a contrast  year  the first post for 2013 was the meadow under 8 inches of  snow accompanied by freezing weather .This year we have had constant wind and storms following on one after another. The weather has also been very mild.So many things starting into growth far too early . I hope we now dont get a spell of harsh frosty weather to knock them all back again

Winter Flowering Honeysuckle
Lonicera Fragrantissima
2014 m1
This has been planted right by the gate on dry days
 I cant resist a really good smiff of its fantastic perfume.
it has the ability to brighten an otherwise dull day.

                                                                  

Summer is over in the meadow

Meadow ready for cutting

All to soon the meadow flowers are over and its time to cut and remove all the dead flowers. The lovely sunny weather has suddenly brought all the flowers to an end ,and the also time  to put the meadow to sleep until the spring just the contractor to cut the Hawthorn  hedges.  Even though the flowers are finished there are still things  to see and the meadow is constantly changing through Autumn and into winter . There will be more bulbs to be sourced and buy and plant seeds to buy and plugs to have ready to plant out next spring

All cut ready to collect

Collecting

Nearly done collected into heaps

Flossie quality control  approves the almost finished job 

Early July flowers updated

Birds foot trefoil
Lotus carnicculatus
2013/m26

Comfrey
 symphytum officiale
2013/m27

Tufted Vetch
Vicia cracca
2013/m38

Dog Rose
  rosa canina
2013/m28

Double Welsh Poppy
 meconopsis cambrica
2013/m29

Single Welsh Poppy
meconopsis cambrica
2013/m30

Wild Garlic ramsons
Allium ursinum
2013/31

Common Chicory
 Cicherium intybus 
2013/m32

Greater knapweed
Centaurea scabiosa
2013/33

Meadow Cransbill,
Geranium pratense
2013/m34

Wild carrot 
Daucus carot 
2013/m35

Oriental  Poppy
Papaver Orientale
2013/m36

Candelabra Primula
 Proliferae primula
 2013/m37

Late JuneFlowers

Creeping Buttercup
Ranunculus Repens\
2013M25

Queen Anns Lace
Cow parsley
Anthrisus sylvastris
2013/M23

Crab Apple
Rumax
2013/M22

Common Sorrel
Rumex acetosa
2013/m24

Comfrey
Symphytum officiale
2013/m20

Apple Blossom
Malus Domestica
2013/m23

June didn't let us down

The meadow didnt let us down in June  a gorgeous show although still late individual flowers to follow. A lot of flowers missing this spring maybe just late . grass getting a bit too strong .I will have to plant more yellow rattle for next year

Just a few of the birds who are nesting with us this year

One  of the five pair of swallows that have made our buildings home for the summer  if I can keep the Kestrel from getting inside the buildings there is a good chance  we could have 60 swallows leaving for africa at the end of the summer 

i

This little chap looks too small to be out on his own yet, but Mum  Knew where he was and is feeding him 

Meadow flowering at last

The Meadow is now moving on a pace The 2 weeks of good weather have pushed the flowers on after these following days of rain when we next have a dry spell I'm expecting an explosion of flowers especially the Ox eye daisies .The moles are having a field day most annoying that I have to shovel up all  the mole hills before I can mow the grass