After a week in the Lakes it was lovely to view the garden and greenhouse with a fresh pair of eyes. Things seem to grow so slowly when you see them everyday, so I was pleasantly surprised at how everything had come on in just a week. My veggie patch is thriving…..well except for my cabbages and cauliflower, they’ve been gobbled by slugs. But my spinach, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and onions are growing nicely. Each day now I can pick my very own, crunchy fresh salad, all I’m missing is the tomatoes. Even my rhubarb is growing and almost ready for the first harvest.
The trees are finally getting their leaves and blossom is everywhere.
Now don’t laugh, but these leafless twiglets are my new mini orchard, in a few years they’ll be bursting with apples, pears and plums…….ever the optimist I am!!! And that scruffy looking trampoline will be an explosion of colour soon and bursting with wild flowers! Oh yes!!!
For some strange reason lots of plant labels have faded in the greenhouse, so I now have trays and trays of unknown seedlings…….still, pleasant surprises await!
We had a glorious sunny bank holiday, but then a week of wind and rain. The forecast is pretty much the same this week so I have my fingers crossed that the tiny fruits on my established apple, pear and plum trees don’t get blown off.
For some reason this year I have honesty and forget-me-nots self seeding everywhere.
I do love the transparent seedcases of this wonderful flower.
And….Spring has finally arrived at the rescue too.
We have a run on blackbird chicks…….what joy eh…..
The hardest part of caring for chicks is when they first come in. At this point they are bewildered by us and their strange new environment and are difficult to feed, so we have to be very patient with the first few feeds. Little and often does the trick. If they are too young for live food we feed them a solution from a syringe. Usually we have to gently open their beaks for the first few meals.
The incredible thing is how quickly the chicks adapt to us and their new surroundings. Once the first feed or two is over, there is no stopping them. Every few minutes they are there, gaping away. I do have sympathy for the parent birds…….they are utterly insatiable. Each day we take it in turns to take them home with us for evening and crack of dawn feeds. I have a few baby bird home shifts this week…….so must get my sleep in!
It’s really good training for my young dogs to see such a variety of different animals in the house. They are learning to be respectful and gentle around all sorts of creatures. I always point at the birds and hogs etc and then say…”Mummy’s” which means keep your distance. I’m hoping this pays off when young birds are on the ground in the garden.
I must say that feeding young birds is one of my all time favourite jobs. It’s a shame they have to be in the rescue but it is incredible to be so close to such a tiny creature and have it treat you just like it’s parent!!! And the minute they can feed themselves they revert completely back to wild. How wonderful is that?
And finally, four chicken chicks were left at the rescue. They are probably unwanted roosters, which does create problems in terms of where to put them as we have hundreds of chickens and roosters, and the roosters love to fight over the females. These are really lovely though, they are silky soft and gently cheep away at us every time we pass by.
Right…..must dash, I’m off to finally finish digging the overgrown herb garden!
Oh….how wonderful! It’s so disappointing when things get nibbled isn’t it, here’s hoping that they survive and flourish!
Mmmmmmmmmmm….I LOVE gooseberries and especially blueberries! Can’t wait to hear how you get on!xxxx
I just love the pics of those gaping beaks. So sweet.
It’s thanks to you that I planted seeds again this year after the disastrous summer we had last year. My lettuces were coming on well and I was amazed they hadn’t been touched by slugs. Well this morning they all have big bite marks out of them and I suspect the birds ! I don’t think it’s worth trying to cover them up, so I might just see how it goes.
I haven’t got any apple or plum trees, but I did buy a gooseberry and a blueberry bush this year. They are coming on well. So fingers crossed x
It is wonderful to see those baby birds! I found an almost-complete robin’s egg in the yard this weekend. It was a brilliant blue, and had a whole in it where the hatchling had broken free. I gave it to our neighbor child so that she could see what it looked like.
Thanks Chris. I came across a nest of robins in my bag of compost last year, they always seem to nest in the oddest places, their eggs are a wonderful shade of blue.xxxx
Won’t it be nice to have your own orchard! With all the up-at-dawn feedings it must be hard, but on the other hand it has to be so rewarding to see rescued birds mature and flourish.
I’m really looking forward to having more fruit. I have several mature apple pear and plum trees, so this year I’m trying to grow almonds, cherries and apricots.
It’s so lovely seeing the birds develop, they grow so quickly. The dawn feeds are not so much fun.xxxx
It’s such a delight to get a glimpse into your days at the rescue. Always something new and lovely and interesting. Those little birds with their mouths at maximum opening 😉
And so good to see your garden coming alive again. Hoping your training of the dogs will take hold. Roomie and I will be holding continuing education classes for our herd soon. They’re not particularly good at application though….
Thanks Nikki, little chicks sure can gape!!! They are such sweethearts.
Lol……good look with the cat training, I expect it works far better the other way around, the cats seem to have you and Roomie trained!!!!xxxx
Glad to see everything is blooming, finally. I was shocked when I was in Northern Europe to find out how delayed everything was. We visited the tulip fields in Holland only to find out they were weeks away from coming out! It was disappointing, but you can’t control the weather!
The weather seems to be out of sorts worldwide….I hope it’s not a new pattern. Thanks Erik.xxxx
That orchard is going to look amazing, can’t wait to see it in a couple of years full of fruit. As for the trampoline, have you seen those outdoor beds made from trampolines – I’d love one!
I imagine you get quite a few chicks in this time of year? I imagine they’re quite time consuming too!
We have a Rookery nearby and I really do dislike the Rooks, having said that Mr TG rescued one with a broken wing last year and it was quite sweet. Sweeter when the SSPCA took it away though, they’re beaks are moosive.
Linda
Gosh….no I haven’t seen the outdoor beds made from trampolines…..sound smashin though! Trampolines are a pain, nobody ever uses them after a few months but they won’t let go of the things.
Chicks take a heck of a lot of feeding for the first few weeks which does take ages, but you kind of adapt to it, it’s like having a baby again!!!
Awww….glad the rook was ok, and yes, they do have HUGE beaks!xxxx
The blackbirds are very sweet. I’m glad they revert to wild and can be easily released.
Thanks Dessie……yes it’s fantastic how they revert, this lot are all self feeding now so will go when they have all there flight feathers.xxxx
What a fabulous post, all that lovely food growing and sweet little flowers and that scrummy yummy orchard to come! Those little baby birds are just so cute and it’s wonderful how they readily adapt back to the wild. We’ve seen the first swifts this morning, we really look forward to seeing them each year. Suzy x
It’s wonderful to be able to to eat homegrown food and know exactly what’s in it isn’t it……. I’ve started to see the swifts, swallows and house martins recently, I too really look forward to seeing them each year, I hope there is enough food for them to eat as the spring has been dismal to date….fingers crossed eh! xxxx
Another fabulous post….I love the birds and your baby orchard:) A treat to see the beautiful blossom and flowers…..Thank you so much Dina….much appreciated:)xxxx
Thanks Janet…..I have my fingers crossed for my tiny orchard!xxxx
I LOVE the way you’re using that trampoline as a raised flower bed, how very original 🙂 As for those little chicks, well, they just melt my heart. I’m guessing they don’t stay little for very long given the amount they eat!
Lol, thanks Paula. When the trampoline is finished and planted it should look a little better than it currently does.
The chicks are delightful aren’t they…..they make the most wonderful noises when they call for food too. All the blackbirds are self feeding now and once thay have all their flight feathers they can go. They do grow up so quickly.xxxx
Thanks Shimon, I love being able to simply pick my own salad, it really is so much fresher and tastier than the supermarket’s. Every time I go to take a picture of the chicks they move and usually come out blurry. xxxx
What a lovely post and your photography has come on no end – lovely pics and how wonderful to feed the baby birds and creatures – what a grace to be so close and intimate with them.
The fresh home-grown salad looks wonderful and very tasty – well done you!
I absolutely love that you have planted up the trampoline! :)) that is so funny but what a wonderful idea! Are you having trailing plants spilling over the edges? Does it keep the plants protected from slugs and snails or I suppose the beasts just sludge their way up the legs of the trampoline anyway?
Fascinating!
Thanks Arose, To be honest it’s just luck re the pics…..you should see all the blurry ones…..lol
It is fantastic being able to look after the chicks, they really are funny, SO demanding as well!!!!
Lol….I got fed up looking at the trampoline that nobody used, and as everyone insisted it had to stay I planted it!!! I’m hoping to have plants creepiting over the edges and am praying that the slugs cant get up it!!! My neighbours think I’ve gone barking mad!
I hope all is well with you, not long now re the kitchen job eh……how smashin to have that extra time.xxxx
Wonderful pictures. I really enjoyed every one. And how good it is to eat a salad from your own back yard. That in itself is a very revitalizing experience, and part of the pleasure of spring. And the living creatures came out so well this time. Great post.
It is amazing how much can change in a week. Although now we are back to rain and cold again, everything has stopped! Just when I had got self sufficient in salad leaves too.
Those baby blackbirds and chicks are so cute. Glad there’s a happy ending for them.
The weather has turned cold again across the UK and does slow everything down…..what a pain!!! I hope your salad perks up soon!
The blackbirds are all feeding themselves now so hopefully can go soon, it’s lovely to have them them but even better to see them go.
Thanks Rusty duck.xxxx
I think we have a blackbird nest in our camellia. Working at the animal rescue must be totally rewarding but you also need great commitment don;t you?
Is the trampoline a permanent feature – I’m just imagining it with willow or reed screening wrapped around the base – maybe with a little flap wher you can hide things you don’t want on display to use the ground underneath.
How lovely to have the blackbird nesting, I’ll look forward to pics! Yes, you do have to commit to the animals, especially the young ones but they really grow up quickly.
I decided to plant the trampoline as no-one ever used it…..you must have read my mind here as I have screening that I intend on wrapping around the base……if it ever stops raining!!! But I hadn’t thought of hiding stuff under it so THANKS for that wonderful idea!xxxx
Ohh those blackbird chicks are ADORABLE. it’s so nice to finally see springg has arrived xxx
Thanks Scarlett, they are gorgeous!xxxx
And there is me paying a pound a time for an iceberg lettuce. Lucky you with your tasty looking salad leaves. I am hoping to plant out my lettuce seedlings on plot today, even in the rain if I have too! It’s surprising how young fruit trees suddenly surprise you with their growth. You’ll be making apple and pear crumble before you know it. xx
The weather is miserable isn’t it, I’ve taken to going out rain or not! Needs must! The salad, radish and spring onions have all done well this year
I hope you managed to get your seedlings out, hears to fresh salad soon!!!xxxx
A most enjoyable post and good photos.
The garden must look so different after a week away what with everything growing, blossoming or flowering.
Interesting to read about the rescue birds. xx
Thanks Flighty, waiting for things to grow is like watching paint dry. It was lovely to come home a see a significant spurt of growth. xxxx
It’s a lovely time of year for blossom and everything bursting into life including fledglings. Amazing how wide they can open their mouths. Lovely pictures. And you are eating your own salad stuff I wish mine was that far forward.
I can’t get over how odd the weather is at the moment, it’s still really cold,wet and windy here. It’s taking it’s toll on the wildlife too. I’ve hardly seen any butterflies this year. The blossom is lovely isn’t it?
I’m always surprised how wide chicks can open their mouths, and by how much they can eat!
This is one of the best years I’ve ever had for salad, when that’s finished my spinach should be ready.xxxx
The baby blackbirds are very cute although it’s sad they’re away from their parents. Still, it is wonderful that you’re there to care for them. I’m glad your veg patch is doing so well (despite the losses from those slugs). That’s lots of veg to look forward to. My labels are fading, too, so I’m using my seedlings as a memory test. I’m remembering them fine (so far!)
It is such a shame that wild birds have to be in the rescue, but they do so well as chicks that they aren’t with us too long. Once they can feed themselves and have their flight feathers they are released. Over the years we’ve got so much better at rearing chicks, we rarely lose them now, only injured birds tend to die.
Oh the slugs……nightmares they are. When I got back from the Lakes I couldn’t believe how many plants they had devoured….they’d even chewed through garlic stems!!!
Delighted to hear you remember your seedlings, I’ve completely lost the plot as most of the faded labels were of annuals that I’ve never grown before! Thanks Wendy.xxxx
Cheep, chirp and cheep, those calls for food must be in your dreams at this time of year.
At least you are able to grow things outside. We’re threatened with cold temperatures and possibly snow! I vaguely thought about a plastic greenhouse; those thoughts are best kept vague. It would last 5 minutes. I am toying – again vaguely – with the idea of cold frames. They might be squat enough to do something for a bit, if the covers were nailed down.
A friend with a sheltered greenhouse, (or two) supplied me with a week’s worth of oak leaf lettuce leaves, they were great. You cannot beat fresh cut leaves. Enjoy your harvest.
Lol….yes I do hear the chicks in my dreams, especially after I’ve had them day and night for a few days.
SNOW???? SNOW????? OMG!!!! That’s beyond a joke, and with strong winds too…..
The cold frames would be ideal for salad leaves, radish and the like. Also great for root veg……
How lovely that your friend shares her produce. Fresh is wonderful isn’t it. I’m hoping for a better harvest than I got last year, but some are predicting another wash out.xxxx
An abundance of life is a good title for your post! It must be good to harvest your own lettuce etc. Plants are growing steadily, but we hope the cold weather and winds won’t spoil the developing fruit on our one little pear tree. I hope you get some sleep so that you have lots of energy to
care for your many chicks.
Thanks Linda. I really do prefer my own home grown lettuce, the freshness and flavour is far better than the supermarkets. I hope your little pear tree stays safe, the winds are fierce and bitterly cold. Everything is wrong about the weather of late. Yes….plenty of early nights for me. I try to sleep when the chicks do.xxxx
Your garden is looking fabulous: love the trampoline “raised bed!” Hope you’ll share pictures as it progresses.
Thank heavens for the Rescue, and all your work there, Snow Bird! What marvelous pictures of the sweet darlings; they seem so loving and loved…how dear to feed them and how hard it must be to let them go, but satisfying, too, yes?
Have faith in your “orchard;” it will be fruitful; believe it. 🙂
Joy to your week…I’m heading out to continue mulching. Gad; whatever made me think two acres and more of gardens would be a breeze? 🙂
Thanks Kitty, I’m really optimistic re my trampoline, it would be wonderful if all the wild flowers grew.
The rescue does do some fantastic work. Each year hundreds of dogs and cats along with with small mammals are rescued and re-homed along with hundreds more wild animal releases. It’s fantastic seeing them go back to the wild but horrendously worrying when actually releasing them. We panic about the location, whether they will fly…..sometimes they just sit awhile and assess their environment while we have kittens!!!!
The chicks are a joy to feed once they get going and hop out of their cages so don’t even need to be handled at all.
Lol….I shall have faith in my little tiny orchard…..wouldn’t it be wonderful if it bore fruit???? Ahhh yes two acres sure is a lot of work but also a paradise! xxxx
The rescue does get really busy from this point on, fortunately we are releasing all last years birds, ducks and hedgehogs now so that makes a little more room. I love to see the chicks grow up and be released, it’s such a fantastic feeling seeing them go.
Lol;, I check my mini orchard each day, I can’t wait for the little trees to get their leaves. I have lots of mature fruit trees which bear lots of fruit and they started as twiglets too….I’ll just have to be patient! xxxx
I should imagine that the rescue will get busier and busier now, it’s not just plants bursting with life, but lots of new animal life comes about at this time of year too. How lovely that wildlife can be reared this way and then allowed to go back where they should be, in the wild. Your orchard will be amazing once the trees have grown and established themselves a little, just think of all that yummy fruit to come.