Where the Wildlings Are

07/07/2024

It's a bit early I know, but I want to treat all my employee to Glastonbury next year!!! So if anyone is wanting to go and wants help in raising the odds of getting tickets, we're in!!!

27/06/2024

May Moths and Murder!!! (Continued)

'The development of certain pesticides and the creation of nerve gases for chemical warfare have gone hand in hand' NY times.

I have found researching the so called 'bug sprays' to be quite a harrowing and shocking education. I had been taught these insect killing chemicals worked by breaking down their exoskeleton; leading to death, I didn't question it. In fact, they work as nerve gas; absorbed into the body, they cause seizures, paralysis and death, an ending perhaps no less gruesome than I had previously imagined, but why are such strong and environmetally detrimental products so readily available, or even sold at all? Lethal conconctions are being sprayed with such flippancy and ignorance, expelled into our gardens, having a terribly detrimental effect there, as well as in the wider landscape. Would they be so prevalent if their development and effects were more acknowledged?

The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the whole world, shameful isn't a strong enough word, there aren't any. Our agricultural industry is responsible for a lot of this, it is obviously the most prolific user of pesticides, it has come to rely on them, it cannot be be turned around overnight, and this is somewhat out of our control, continued government lobbying and a lack of any meaningful funding or investment in this sector mean that destructive and devastating chemcials are used everyday, chemicals sometimes 10000 times stronger than DDT are sprayed onto the very crops we consume.

I believe we can incite change, we can march, we can campaign, we can buy organic, eat local, grow our own, vote, but in our gardens; this is where we hold complete control and the power and can really make a difference now. Not using pesticides is the best thing we can do to aid in nature restoration and increase biodiversity. The best thing we can do to help is to stop, do nothing at all, give nature a chance to recover, our existence depends on it.

24/06/2024

May Moths and Murder!!!

It's no longer May, je sais, but it was, it's when I took this photo, and it was around this time that I found bottles of poison in a select few sheds of some gardens I work in. The title of the post came to me almost instantly, but a solution did not.

Do I walk away, do I have it out with them, do I go into eco warrior mode, do I use my knowledge, anger, disappointment and expertise to help them find alternate solutions? I can do all of these and I will try, but even if I convince them, these products are still readily available to anyone, sold next to the 'plants for pollinators' signs, sold within an ideology that says 'THIS IS HOW YOUR GARDEN SHOULD LOOK AND THIS IS WHO YOU NEED TO KILL TO GET IT'.

I read the back of a bottle, I'm sickened to see the long and deadly list; boasting all the various insects that on contact this liquid will bring to its knees; flies, beetles, caterpillars even bees are at risk if exposed and they won't be safe for the next two weeks once applied. And then come the danger warnings; unapologetically but honestly detailing just how devastating the spray is; poses risks to non target insects and other arthropods, is a danger to bees, with specific warnings not spray where they forage, oh, and is highly toxic to aquatic life and has long lasting, damaging effects.

These danger warnings are not subtle side effects, no 'may cause drowsiness' or 'don't operate heavy machinery' here; these are major and pretty catastrophic risks; may destroy all pollinators, may further deplete bird numbers, may create a hostile dead zone where grows your plant uninterrupted in a sea of poison and corpses.

I've been gardening with wildlife in mind; trying to create a safe haven for insects and other arthropods to live, breed and feed; have I been unknowingly acting as a decoy luring them to their untimely death?

Research into these chemicals I have found to be quite a harrowing and shocking education, but the amount I have written just won't fit into one post. So a TBC I shall instill here.

19/05/2024

Edible oil droplets trap bugs without the harm to people and wildlife that synthetic pesticides can cause

17/02/2024

Winter Wanderings!!!

So these beautiful burning Betulas were supposed to be part of my Happy New Year message, alas, I remain consistent at being inconsistent with this whole social media postage.

'The one that never was' was going to be all about the beauty of Winter, which is fast now disappearing into spring.

I have an ever growing fondness of this cuttingly crisp time, the dramatic scenes caused by a seemingly late rising and early setting, low in the skies sun. It's all so calm and still; the silouettes are often 'stop walking and become mesmerised beautiful'.

But now is now, everyone's slowly coming out of hibernation, sap is rising, the landscape is ready to burst into life once more, there is work to be done.

Without all that crawls, buzzes, slithers, scuttles, hops, pounces, burrows, flutters we're screwed, without us, well they'll thrive, as will all else, if we don't destroy it first.

The statistics and outlook are solemn and scary, but if you are lucky enough to be custodian of any green space, be it a garden, a balcony, a windowbox; you can make a difference, 'it's only one plant pot full of flowers' said 67 million people.

Be mindful and responsible about what you do and buy for your garden, steer clear of plants sold in peat composts, doused in chemicals, detrimental to the very beings that depend on them, unfortunetly that's most of them, don't always trust the 'plants for pollinators' label.
Encourage wildlife, provide spaces where they can live, eat and breed.
Drill holes into wood.
Don't dig, less really is so much more in the garden, leave leaves, make a compost pile, make a pile of sticks.
Mulch.
Stop spraying poison, everything has it's place and is vitally important to maintain a balance, I'm on the fence about our particular species on that one, but am also slightly biased.
Cut a hole in that fence to allow hedgehogs to wander freely.
Wear sunscreen.

On that note Happy 2024 and Happy Wildlife Gardening!

27/01/2024

Just did the Big Garden Birdwatch for the first time, is a very fun and relaxing activity I must say, would recommend you all taking an hour out of your day to just watch the garden and count the birds all in the name of research!

The biggest of it's kind in the whole wide world apparently, an efficient way to get a roundabout record of what birds we have flying and landing about and what has increased or decreased in numbers, so the more that do it the more accurate the numbers are :)

My list was pigeon heavy unsurprisingly, but I've now become familiar with the local flock, there were only ever a maximum of 12 at any one time!

Was above the national average for the bright parakeets, (which tells me not many South Londoners are taking part), also had some magpies, goldfinches and the most loverly little bluetits hopping and hanging about finding goodies high in the oak trees.

Might just make this a regular occurrence and do more surveys on my lonesome, make a little book, I really enjoyed it; so I am hereby spreading the encouragement!!! :D

© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

07/12/2023

Liquidambar Leaves and Leaves!!!

And all the leaves are gone, almost. Those practising the ol' 'marcescence', such as the majestic Beeches, will cling on to theirs, all golden and crispy until the new ones begin to emerge in spring.

As for the rest of the deciduous droppers, who just a few days ago were captivating us at every twist and turn with their 'stop walking and say out loud wooooah' enchantment, now stand peaceful and reverent, a silhouette surrounded by a sea of their fallen fragments

In a forest these leaves fall and remain, they are not removed but used again and again. (Am not meaning to rhyme here... oh dear :/). This is what you should mimic in your garden, what happens out there naturally!

If you can't leave them on your lawn (pun intended), rake them onto the beds, I would discourage too much 'blowing'; imagine t'would be like a tornado uprooting your slumber if you were,say, a frog sleeping amongst all that, be gentle. Or collect and containerise them. Allowing them to degrade in a quiet corner and break down into leaf mould, a delicious and rich substance that can be added to the soil later. Just don't throw away this hugely valuable and free resource, it's sacrilege!

The soil and all its inhabitants, the hibernators, all the plants that are dormant, and all those still awake, will thank you, by using it to overwinter, it will get eaten, slept in, played with, used for warmth and protection and the soil will be a more fertile and richer place as a result!

There is no sympathy here for those so utterly tormented by leaves on their lawn I'm afraid, and I will never understand the frustration, and almost shock and surprise at the fact that again the trees are behaving just as they should. Use this valuable and completely free resource to enhance your garden, and all that lives and grows within it.

The huge eco system below our feet, within that there earth, it knows what to do, it is the absolute expert, so don't challenge it, support and encourage it by doing not much at all, and as much as you can.

18/10/2023

Sea Holly by the Sea!!!

This was actually taken in September, they would have dried out more by now, losing their green and embracing the sandy colours of autumn.

They punctuated the beachline with their crispy prickliness but luckily, for our feet, we didn't step on any.

I was pretty excited to see so many in their natural habitat, I do like them in gardens, but it's here they are at home, they thrive in these pretty harsh conditions. With roots scrambling deeper than a metre and an apparent 'masochistic delight in being buried by an avalanche of sand'.

When I first ever saw these in a garden; I really thought they'd been sprayed with the colour they wore, a kind of twisted Gaudi move, that they'd been sculpted to live amongst the more 'conventional' flowers growing there.

I still find Eryngiums quite strange beings, their ruffled arms outstretched caught still as they twirl through the flower beds. Their sharp, solid irradescant silhouettes stand up and out next to their laid back, actually dancing companions.

Eryngiums are loved by flying pollinators who can bypass their spiky and chemical defenses, you will often see the flower spikes covered in scrambling bees.

Easy to grow and care for these perrenials would make a great addition to any wildlife welcoming space. I've tried to grow them from seed, which isn't quite as easy and haven't had luck as yet, but will try again properly when I have an actual garden to put them in!

14/10/2023

Misty Morning!!!

What happens when you are part of the time we call morning.

07/08/2023

Contrasting Colours!!!

Finding these colour combinations truly scrumdiddily-umpcious I is indeed!

The deep magenta of the Allium sphaerocephalon against the non imposing grey purple of the Salvia yangii compliments each other so well.

The lollipop like Alliums punctuating the translucent haze of the Salvia, well I just bloomin' love it!

And look the bees love it too, both really great plants for the little buzzers.

They will keep coming back harder and stronger each year, both can survive in pretty poor soils, they can take the heat and are drought tolerant.

30/07/2023

Chomping Cinnabars!!!

With their heads stuck right into the flowers of this ragwort, Senecio jacobaea, these little caterpillars you see gorging here are the young of the beautiful and striking Cinabar moth, scientifically named the Tyria jacobaea.

As with other brightly coloured insects both the caterpillar and moth of this species are unappealing to predators, and considering it's main food source is toxic to other animals, apart from certain cuckoos who can stomach the flavour, the predominat reason this caterpillar might not make it to adulthood would be due to lack food. A starving caterpillar can even become cannabilistic.

So efficient at eating their favorite meal they are even imported into countries where they are not native to control ragwort populations.

The red and black moths, that are on the wing both night and day do not feed themselves, their main aim is to mate and lay eggs so the whole process can start again. Their whole life cycle is complete in just under a year, from egg to caterpillar, pupating overground and metamorphosing into it's final winged form.

Sadly as their main foodplant is considered toxic to livestock so much ragwort has been removed as a result of the usual hysteria that surrounds 'poisonous and dangerous' plants and the general negative effects of the way our land is now managed. Numbers of the Cinnabar moth have declined and are declining, a story all too familiar in the insect world.

So in an effort to ensure survival, it's so important that at their various stages they have somewhere to shelter, breed and feed. It's all so simple too, just leave as many native wildplants as you can for all these indispensable creatures. Some ragwort left at the back of a border, a group of nettles hidden at the bottom of a garden, a patch of unmown grass, a few dandelions in a lawn are invaluable to help create an interconnected web of linked habitats.