topic Re: Summer Flora and Fauna in Off-Topic

Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 09:19:40 GMT

Summer Flora & Fauna

My Summer starts in March!

When my Red Mason Bees are anxious to get out to the pollen and nectar ~

good luck little bees

Red Mason Bee

Summer flowers this year were saved and put out because of Lock-down no shops.

They all seemed to get going ~

Greenhouse & Saved plants Tomatoes seeds in pots Tomatoes just sprouting

Summer Flowers now in Summer Bloom

Begonia Begonia Geraniums

Then look after the fruit trees which came along well ~ difficult in the drought

Conference Pears Victoria Plum Queen Cox Apples

Not able to get new seeds for herbs as all sold out and no shopping ~ so again saved from last year ~

Mint Chives Sungold Tomatoes

In Mid May rescued this tiny little Bird ~ Now he's a lovely confident happy chappy out in the garden

looking after himself ~ I see him from time to time.

Baby Dunnock Baby Dunnock Grown!

Video of Grown up Bird Showing off cleaning feathers

This little Dunnock is my Happiest experience this year ~ so happy to have helped him grow up.

Summer 2020 has been challenging but still a huge amount of birds visited the garden:

Lots of baby birds of all sorts, Baby Robins with spotty chests, Siskins, Dunnocks, Bullfinches, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Siskins, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Wrens, Nuthatches, Tree Creepers, Wood Peckers, Collared Doves and many more all lovely and all welcome to the feeders constantly being refilled ~ and the water for hot days.

Hanging Bird Feeder Water bowl Old Tree Logs kept for bugs

The Garden and all it's Produce, Flora and Fauna have as usual been a very happy experience.

What is your happiest time in the Garden and especially this year?

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

Cleoriff — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 10:33:10 GMT

Lovely topic @TallTrees

From your post, I gather you have a large garden, with fruit trees and also a greenhouse?

So good to see your saved plants doing so well. (The advantage of a greenhouse, as well as growing plants and veg from seeds)

Love the old tree logs for insects.

Great story about the baby Dunnock

My garden is my happy place. Watching the birds at the feeder, the plants growing (even though they were planted earlier than normal) Also listening the the water feature and the bamboo wood chimes.

Really enjoyed reading this topic. Thank you for the pictures as well.

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 11:19:21 GMT

Thank you @Cleoriff for your comments and interest. I tried my best to make it interesting. That little darling Dunnock was a wonderful happy time for us such a sweetie.
Yes very large garden. I love the logs too, see the holes, heaven knows what came ot of those some look very large.
My greenhouse is useful I don't heat it.
Nothing like a garden for keeping a person grounded Cleo!
Heaven definitely is water feature, chimes, birds flowers everything even bugs (perhaps not🙃)
Glad you liked it.

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

Mi-Amigo — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 12:05:25 GMT

Lovely interesting topic @TallTrees

I`m probably the Community`s worse gardener. I don`t do anything not only because not fit enough but if I tried any planting or tendering plants etc they would probably die.

But do appreciate a well-maintained garden and those who work hard in theirs and make a difference.

Also it was great to see the pictures and read about the rescue of Dunnock.

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 16:36:56 GMT

Hi there @Mi-Amigo
Thank you for your interest and comments. I know you appreciate a nice garden and share a concern for animals. Such a privilege to help that tiny little bird always a worry but he got away beautifully.
I was lucky to photo him sun bathing and checking over his feathers!

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

jonsie — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 17:05:44 GMT

I bought a strimmer....to do the bits the council misses!

There endeth my gardening apart from watering the tub in the hot weather (so that would be one day a month!)

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 19:48:37 GMT

@jonsie wrote:
I bought a strimmer....to do the bits the council misses!
There endeth my gardening apart from watering the tub in the hot weather (so that would be one day a month!)

Well done for Community Spirit @jonsie

That tub is worth it for the insects and the bees though

Thanks for joining in

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

jonsie — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 19:53:54 GMT

Most welcome

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

gmarkj — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:11:37 GMT

I try but have little success in growing things.
We do have a wild flower border rather than actually planting things (one of those boxes that you just sprinkle and water occasionally) which seems to do well with various insects coming for pollen.

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:30:00 GMT

Hi @gmarkj

Thank you for popping by here.

The wild flower border is perfect!

Bees and bugs and birds don't need perfect.

Great you are doing something in the garden border and they are pretty too.

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

LukasB — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 10:52:41 GMT

Wow @TallTrees you are an expert! Would love to see even more updates on the bees

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

Cleoriff — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:04:48 GMT

@LukasB wrote:
Wow @TallTrees you are an expert! Would love to see even more updates on the bees

This won most interesting thread @LukasB

We learnt a hell of a lot about the bees @TallTrees looks after every year.

https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Off-Topic/sleeping-BEEuties/m-p/1160526/highlight/true#M116627

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

LukasB — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:10:09 GMT

ohhhh @Cleoriff thanks for that!

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 12:19:50 GMT

Hi @LukasB
Welcome. Thank you for your nice comments. I'll probably put a further update about the bees in October when I clean them and count them🤪
Hi @Cleoriff thanks for updating @LukasB along with a link! 😍

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

LukasB — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 12:47:30 GMT

@TallTrees can't wait for you to count them again

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 13:04:45 GMT

@LukasB wrote:
@TallTrees can't wait for you to count them again

Yeh, suffer I do for the love of my bees @LukasB

🥰😝🤪🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 it's not easy you know🥵

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

LukasB — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 07:59:37 GMT

@TallTrees How do you even count them? They keep moving all the time.

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 08:32:59 GMT

Hello @LukasB

I really count them. When they are in a silk cocoon {photo} they can't move and also they are in a dormant phase, warm weather wakes them up in Spring. Showing cocoons...

In each of those cocoons is now a full size bee waiting for Spring. I take them out of the nesting tubes clean them and store them in a cool garage until March then put them out in a box above new nesting tubes. They then fill the tubes with the next generation.

Thank you for your interest.

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

gmarkj — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 10:20:25 GMT

A thought has occurred to me @TallTrees - how do you get them out of the tube without hurting them?
Are they stuck in the tube with the silk, or are they loose (so if you tipped the box they just fall out)?

Re: Summer Flora and Fauna

TallTrees — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 10:32:02 GMT

Great question @gmarkj
I unfurl the tube very gently about 150mm long it is white curled paper specially made for the job. They don't stick to it at all ..fantastic. I'll photo one for you to see ...this white curled paper is pushed into a cardboard outer tube for strength.
Photo later 👍 many thanks for question.