At last. Three days of fine weather, days that feel like spring. Days for sowing seeds – Tuscan kale, Swiss chard, spinach, carrots, cauliflowers, leeks…
…for digging up the lawn and mowing what’s left of it…
…for tackling the ‘hedge of iniquity’ that runs the length of the back garden, extracting the tangle of ivy, holly, privet, hawthorn, sycamore and ash from the chicken wire that some erstwhile inhabitant has laid along the entire inner perimeter so creating an interweaving thicket of manic vegetable intensity that is impossible to cut properly. Meanwhile, inside the hedge the ivy has grown stems as thick as mooring ropes, looping and leaning, causing the holly to loop and lean too and think it is a creeper…
But I’m dealing with it calmly – one snip at a time. The only problem is my presence hedge-side keeps the sparrows away from their feeding station, and at the moment they are ravenous. I’m giving them a break while I write this post.
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For the last few weeks, through chilling winds, frost, rain and rare bursts of sunshine, we’ve been blessed with cherry blossom. Not our tree, but one growing just over the hedge near the back door. Now, the flowers are fading and falling and when we go outside, we’re sifted with tiny petals. The terrace flagstones too. It looks like confetti.
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But our own small cherry tree has begun to flower. It’s a Japanese variety, Kojo-no-mai, more of a shrub than a tree, and in time growing to around seven feet high and wide. It will be fine in a pot until the garden is finally ready for it. (Which won’t be soon). And while it’s so small, it can best show itself off on the terrace wall, where the honey bees have already found it. In fact as I was busy transplanting a Dame’s Violet (brought from the Wenlock garden) in the bed behind it, I suddenly realised my head was filled with bee-hum. Happy bees.
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As I work in the garden I lose track of time. This is a special Bishops Castle feature, the locals tell us. I hear the Town Hall clock strike the quarters between the hours: one chime for a quarter past, two for half past, three for quarter to. You can see the dilemma.
Sometimes a red kite drifts up and up over the garden. I feel myself lift and drift a little too.
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We’ve become avid sparrow watchers since we set up the bird feeding station. This was created from an existing tall post (of no obvious purpose) that rises from the hedge of iniquity, and seems to belong to the era of the dreaded chicken wire application. Anyway, it’s good for suspending feeders, and we can covertly watch the birds from the kitchen window. I like the way they pop in and out of the hedge.
Mostly, they’re good at taking turns.
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Lately, with the drier weather, dust bathing is the thing. The sunny front garden is a favourite spot. We’ve lifted all the ugly paving slabs that covered the two borders, leaving a skim of loose mortar on the soil. Ideal for synchronous avine plunging and dousing. On Monday, over lunch, we watched four go at once: essence of sparrow-joy as they worked the dirt through all their feathers. Later, as I go out to the shop, I spot the four neat little hollows left behind. There’s an inclination to cup my hands and gather one up. Yes. Sparrow-joy. There’s much to be said for it.
Happy Spring , North-dwellers
P.S. As I write this, scaffolding is going up around the house, a two-day job apparently. Next week the roof is coming off. Heavens!
I’ve a feeling this is going to be one glorious and productive garden. And your post is appropriate today as – who knew? – it’s World Sparrow Day.
Well fancy that, Margaret. World Sparrow Day. Who indeed knew. Thanks for the link. And thanks for the encouragement. Much appreciated. I spent many hours yesterday, picking out ground elder from my to-be vegetable plot. But on the plus side, some overwintered young spinach and kale plants are already leaping into action.
I wonder if that is why the sparrows were extra noisy on Wednesday?!
Bound to have been 😉
“The hedge of inequity” conjures up all sorts of pictures.
🙂 🙂 🙂 I tell you, Thom, it’s pretty evil to deal with – all those holly and hawthorn prickles; to say nothing of the knitted-in fence wire.
Chain mail sleeves might be approptiate.
Now that sounds just the job 🙂
Sounds like you’re really starting to get to grips with the garden, despite the challenges of the hedge of inequity! The cherry blossom looks lovely (we have the same confetti falling from one across the road right now) and isn’t it wonderful to see the bees out and about again?!
Yes, bees. It’s so good to have them buzzing about.
I’m glad you’re out there celebrating the almost return of Spring Tish. And the roof’s coming off?? What’s happening there?
Hello, Anne. It’s a one hundred year old roof that was built without felt under it; also asbestos tiles on the rear that need to be removed and replaced with slate; some beams need treating and the chinmeys may need attention too. So quite a lot of work.
Wow! I guess that comes with buying a sweet old house. Good Luck!
Thanks for that, Anne. All luck much appreciated.
😍
Oh my goodness, quite a lot of work then, Tish!
Yes, indeed, Sue.
Best of luck
Many thanks.
So a dry spell would be appreciated while the roof is done? And you can watch from afar as you tackle the hedge and listen to the birds and bees. Good to be gardening again, Tish. Your natural habitat.
Definitely could do with a dry spell, Jo. It’s still drizzly here – but better than downpours.
A post to savour Trish. With the long awaited arrival of spring, bringing everything to life. Including your burst of activity in the garden. The roof sounds a major undertaking. Good luck with the weather.
Many thanks for the good luck on the weather front, Pauline. Am a bit alarmed about removing the roof.
😳
Welcome spring! Thank you for the beautiful photos. Hearing a town clock strike every quarter hour must be delightful. I hope all goes well with the roof!
Many thanks for the good wishes, Jennie 🙂
You are welcome, Tish. Best to you.
Beautiful sparrows and I love the Japanese blossoms…the buds and promise of springtime coming soon just wonderful. Have a great weekend Tish 😎
Lovely to hear from you. Cheers, Athena.
Great stuff, Tish! Thanks for all the fab photos. Xx
Thanks for dropping in here, Kate. Txx
Always think it is exciting getting to know a new garden and its residents, but oh my about the roof. Fingers crossed it doesn’t rain as much as with you as it is down here in Somerset.
I so appreciate those kind thoughts, Becky. We do look to be in for showers. Tuesday is the day when the asbestos tile removers come. They’re only dealing with the back of the house. Apparently local builder, George Nicholls who built our house in 1922-ish only used Welsh slates on the front where they could be seen! G. tells me we have what is knoawn as a Nell Gwyn house – all show to the front!
I love that description, my old neighbours were Nell Gwyn people too! Will be thinking of you Tuesday, and hoping forecasts are wrong xx
Ha! Becky, we’ve been caught out. We were only expecting the delivery of builders’ port-a-loo today. Instead this morning, before I was dressed, the front roof was being removed. Yikes. Slightly worrying to see a crack of daylight in the gable end of one of the bedrooms. But at least it’s only drizzling at the moment.
Yikes – but also thinking thank goodness the gap isn’t above the bathroom and that it didn’t appear as you were mid shower!!
Hopefully their early arrival means things will progress well. Will be thinking of you lots this week
Cheers, my dear. Tx
I spend hours just watching the birds come and go. They love nesting in hedges so they may mate and breed and you will have your own sparrow acres. Most of our birds now breed in the back hedge and in the front holly tree which was a bush, but is too tall and has become treeish.
You have spring! We have the hope of spring. It’s still cold. We had crocus, but everything else is waiting for the weather to stop dipping below freezing at night. Any day now …
It was good to see your crocus, blooming valiantly. Our spring has reverted to cold, not frost, but biting wind and drizzle, and on such wintery days, it is indeed good to sparrow watch.
Birds are a joy. There were so many sparrows, but we hardly see them now. It is very sad.
Their populations seem to rise and fall. They did fall in the UK, but seem to be recovering now.