{"id":5067,"date":"2019-02-27T22:44:43","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T21:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hlbphotography.com\/blog\/?p=5067"},"modified":"2019-03-03T12:42:57","modified_gmt":"2019-03-03T11:42:57","slug":"my-patch-a-garden-update-november-december-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hlbphotography.com\/blog\/2019\/02\/my-patch-a-garden-update-november-december-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"My Patch \u2013 A Garden update: November & December 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

I thought I would combine November and December’s garden updates due to Winter being a quiet time in the garden…<\/p>\n

November<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year I concentrated on the right hand side of the garden and rather neglected the left.  The left side consists of no beds at all; there is a whitebeam tree planted in the patio and a few pots containing, mint, rosemary, Penstemon ‘Pensham Plum Jerkum’ and Choisya ternata.   There are bird feeders and a bird bath, the birds always feed from the feeder on the left side first.  I think this is because of the extra cover the whitebeam tree and next doors hazel provide.  On the other side of the fence there is also hawthorn hedge that I am yet to cut back as I have read they should be cut once dormant and that is in mid-Winter; the birds like it for darting up into when they get spooked.  <\/p>\n

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December<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have done some ‘tidying’ of the garden.  The tomato canes have now been taken down and stored in the greenhouse.  I discovered two hazelnut saplings in the raised bed so they have now been transplanted to a large pot.<\/p>\n

I have collected all the leaves and put them in an old water butt that has a leak so they can decompose \/ be added to the compost bin as required.  I have ‘weeded’ the raised beds, pruned the roses and planted daffodil bulbs in pots for spring – there will be more flowers in the garden next Spring than there was this and hopefully they will help support the early emerging insects \ud83d\ude42 I have sown yellow rattle and lady’s bedstraw in the garden and found a buddlea in the bed which has been relocated to a pot.  I have found more pots, some of which I have washed, but there are still lots to do.<\/p>\n

I have been given two very small buddleia by my Auntie as she had a few that self seeded in the garden.  I have decided that they should be kept in pots as I don’t have a lot of bed space! When they are big enough they are going to live on the left side of the garden.     <\/p>\n

I have been looking at some wildflower seeds to order for next year:
\nBorage<\/strong> – The flowers replenish their nectar regularly so they are great for the bees and other pollinators.
\nBirdsfoot trefoil<\/strong> – is the burnet moth’s principle food plant, I have no idea if we have any burnet moth in the area but I am willing to provide them food \ud83d\ude09
\nGarlic Mustard<\/strong> – to encourage orange-tip butterflies
\nCornflower<\/strong>
\nRed Campion<\/strong>
\nWild teasel<\/strong> – as they are popular sources of pollen in the summer and when they got to seed the birds will like them too \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

What I also want to do is take a look at the insects that I have photographed in the garden this year and find out what their principle food plant is, I can then help them by planting more of what they like.  So far I have researched…<\/p>\n

Small Magpie moth<\/strong> – stinging nettles, less often mint and other labiates – we have mint and lots of stinging nettles in the field.<\/p>\n

Mother-of-Pearl moth<\/strong> – Stinging nettles<\/p>\n

Buff-tip caterpillar<\/strong> –  Deciduous trees; most frequently on sallows, birches, oaks and Hazel (Corylus avellana<\/em>) – there is hazel in the garden J <\/p>\n

Red admiral<\/strong> – common nettle<\/p>\n

Green-brindled crescent moth<\/strong> – caterpillars feed on a variety of trees and bushes, including hawthorn and blackthorn.  There is plenty of hawthorn and some blackthorn in the hedgerows of the field \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Mint moth<\/strong> –  caterpillars feed on various Labiatae – we have Mint in the garden but I plan on sowing more.<\/p>\n

Although I have been looking at what I can plant in the garden, I hope to also plant some of the wild flowers I grow in a small patch in the field \/ road verge. I will be buying them from Emorsgate Seeds so their origin can be traced to sustainable UK sources \ud83d\ude42 If anyone has any suggestions of other wild flowers I should definitely grow please let me know in the comments or via Twitter. Thanks \ud83d\ude42  <\/p>\n

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