The Meadow Mid April

This  is how the meadow looks today on the 15th April sides and islands defined and the central section mowed but not a lot of colour yet 

Lovely Carder Bee topping up on nectar I think we have 4 different Bumble Bees that visit or reside in my meadow .I'll have to take a really careful look this year . 

 This tiny little flower could have been so easily overlooked the flower itself being only 7mm across with such beautiful markings on the inside.A little treasure.

 Another tiny beauty but its deep violet flowers won't let this one be overlooked

This Purple Dead Nettle comes in several shades in my meadow and garden so pretty

Now that most of the meadow has been sown and the perennial plants established the only way to add to the diversity is for me to grow additional plants in plugs in the greenhouse and then add them in groups . This tool is my best friend it removes a neat plug quickly, easily and efficiently with the minimum of effort. I bought it as a bulb planter but soon realised it would be perfect for adding plug grown plants.Its called LITTLE PLUGGER I bought it on line but can't find the manufacturer now otherwise I would have added a web site to go with it .

Jackdaws

Jackdaw

This is one of the Jackdaws nesting in the wall of the old Granary for the second year, They are quite tame now and I'm sure they know I mean them no harm.They are quite bold in as much as the are  slow to fly away when approached. I'm sure this fellow thinks he's king of all he surveys 

Swallows arrived today

Blackthorn

Fritillary Alba

I can't believe Its almost mid April already .The first pair of Swallows arrived today . Over a week earlier than last year. It always gives me a huge buzz when the Swallows arrive I really feel summer is not far away

The end of March

View across the meadow

It The weather has turned unseasonably hot we are having temperatures of around 22 degrees centigrade , Here On Anglesey this is the kind of temperatures we would expect to have  during a warm spell in the middle of the summer.This has caused the early demise of the Daffodils and pushing on other flowers .

The plums are starting into flower. This is the first time for some of these trees .I really hope the weather doesn’t turn very cold or frosty again  as this would kill the flowers and put paid to my plum crop  for another year.

I have a small clump of Primroses that I planted last year they look so pretty I must sow some more under the hawthorn hedge.

I got half of the new shrubs planted in the stony patch at the bottom of the meadow . and I took a chance and transplanted a large Ceanothus. I think I may have killed it. This spell of hot weather has taken its toll despite watering with  copious amounts of water. All the shrubs have been mulched with last years hay. This will help keep the soil moist underneath and aid them to establish 

The fritillaries are flowering this is the first time I have ever grown this pretty little flower ,I love its nodding little bells

Mid March 2012

Daffodils

The grass has had its first cut off the year and I have redefined the island beds .There are a few shrubs arriving in the next couple of days to be planted in the rough stony piece at the bottom .I have realized it will be too stony to use the mower in this section.  The best option is transplant some flowering shrubs from the garden and add them to the rough border along with the new shrubs.

Daffodils along the hedge
I am so pleased with the meadow already so far this year . The Daffodils are amazing so bright and vibrant and its only their second year.

View across the field Misty Morning

 The new Cow Slips have started to flower I was sure I’d see nothing of them until 2013 at the earliest .I also have a further 70 of these to plant out as plugs but these are very tiny at the moment.


So pleased that a deep orange is among the seedlings.

 The Anenome Blanda are looking far better than I expected them to look this year, I thought it would have been more like this next year. Terrestrial Tulips   are starting to show in-between the Anenome Blanda, I know tulips aren’t native meadow  flowers but I wanted an early source of pollen and nectar for the bees.

 Snowdrops in the green arrived yesterday from Ebay. These were a really good buy large bulbs and far more than the 100 bulbs I ordered ,plus they are full of seed pods that will mature and spread.

 Today I received Bluebell bulbs in the green from my brother Fred from his garden .He sent them as I was so disappointed with the ones I bought on Ebay .This supplier had been very parsimonious with his Bluebells they were poor quality very very small bulbs, in fact when I complained he refunded me 85 pence knowing he had supplied short measure.  My grand daughter Dora aged  9 and I planted them all out this afternoon when she came home from school . The project for her and her sister Nicola aged 10  for this year is to photograph as much wildlife as they can in the meadow  for the blog

 

Early march in the meadow

 I spent the afternoon planting out wild flowers that I had grown in the greenhouse over the winter.These included Primula Vulgaris ,Primula Candelabra Rainbows. White Campions 
Euphorbia and the variegated form of Hesperis Matronalis.
After collecting the seed for this Agrimony when I was on holiday in Ireland in the autumn I then dropped most of them this solo seedling is being carefully cosseted in the hope of planting it out later in the year.

This is theHesperis Matonalis  I planted I have had it growing in a pot in the greenhouse for almost 2 years not knowing what it was until it was identified for me this week by a member of the Plant Porn Group on Face Book.
The Daffodils are opening all the way down the field its their second year of flowering and they are a real joy to see.
I have ordered 100 more snowdrops to complete the border on the other side of the meadow.  I have also ordered 100 bluebells these I am thinking will complement the new shrubs that will be planted in a couple of weeks time,

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