18th February 2011

The newly planted Daffodils are showing buds and hopefully will be in flower for St Davids  Day.

 I was bought 4 large pots of snowdrops on Valentines Day these will be planted in the meadow under the Rosa Rugosa hedge on the right of the meadow . I will also replant some from the garden to  see it I can make they stretch the full length of the hedge .They will be transplanted while still in flower to give them the best chance of taking 

The First Flowers

Dead Nettle

Dandelion

Groundsel  Weed

Despite the  frost, snow  and unusually cold weather of December and January the wild flower meadow

seems keen to start producing flowers as soon as it can .I was surprised to find these little beauties in a sheltered spot enjoying the warming February sunshine.

Euphorbia lathyris (Caper Spurge) the Mole Plant

When I first started my wild flower meadow sowed Euphorbia  lathyris (Caper Spurge) known as a mole repellant . For 5 years the garden has been mole free .  Since the  very hard frosts this winter the garden and meadow has masses of mole hills .

The plants which are Bi annual  are growing away well but just not working. I am wondering if the cold weather prevents them from releasing the strong scent they are supposed to release from their roots ,and that moles detest so much. In the old gardening books I have they say that these plants deter moles for 60 yards in each direction.

Maybe not during hard frosts though.

Albino Hedgehog

Although this is not a recent photo ,I actually took it in 2002  I thought he is special enough to include in My Meadow Blog . The dogs found him wandering in the yard one summer evening and I let him go into the garden . Needless to say I never saw him again.

Hedgehog

This is the Juvenile Hedgehog I found wondering in the snow  just before Christmas I fed him and put him in a cardboard box covered in straw I don't know if he lived or not I'll just have to wait and see.

 Walked down the meadow this morning to see if I could see any signs of the daffodils I planted in November, but no signs yet.
As the daffodil is the National flower of Wales I had to include them within the meadow,I could not find where to purchase the wild form so I picked just a plain daffodil.

I loved the look of the frost on these dead leaves and the grass