Meadows

Been a pleasant weekend so tided the back garden up before venturing out.

Generally I like to keep a certain amount of wild garden here with more of the aim of having a pleasant meadowland to look out and for our birds together with the pollenaters just ensuring it doesn't quite get to a jungle rather than the heavily mowed lawn.

It also is a bit more resilent when it comes to very dry hot periods for having some natural shade beneath as it doesn't take much for a lawn to become more a shrivilled parched mass of ex vegetation otherwise.
 

Plant a meadow

 

After yesterday's reported idiotic assault on Stonehenge by environmental activists, I thought we might look at something you can do to support bio-diversity and help the bees out.

Going out this week showed a goodly proportion of meadowland despite the best endeavours of the municipal "as flat as a bowling green" grass cutting team on our greens and the edges of our park.

You might consider growing a small meadow, not least where some might of taken up front gardens for parking spaces or you may only have a balcony or small plot.

One thing is a good mix of wild flowers even in a narrow strip in a planter or direct to the soil will bring in more insect activity than your average mowed lawn which as good as having a green space is really does't support much.

Passing one property I saw more going on in a island of wildflowers by an area made into a parking area than a neighbouring flat grass garden.

You can involve children in doing this clearing the area and planting too so how about it?

We're out

Weather has been a bit better in the last week so much has come out not least with wild flowers that have been well alone from the over use of lawnmowers which means it's of more use to wildlife than smooth expanses of grass.

While it looked as fresh horses had arrived not far away, the cowslips were out as I had my insect repellant on given it's prime tic season and them and me certainly don't mix.

It was good however to be out for a good couple of hours enjoying the countryside,

 

The meadowlands

 

Whatever may be decided when it comes to Coronavirus this week, as things from March proved, it won't come before me and this life as a Wolf Cub in spirit.

While out and about I spotted this patch of meadowland in the glistening autumnal sun although it took a few goes as it was breezy to get it as I wanted it to look as the buttercups kept blowing and so not looking straight. 

At one time such sights would be common place, indeed I remember clearly at our first house around the age of seven admiring them on the walk to school along the lane from the farm a classmate lived but in recent years the numbers have dropped off.

Also I have seen a lot more Butterflies about this year both Red Admiral's and also the Cabbage White Butterfly whose numbers also were somewhat down a few years back back.

It is possible the reduction in the amount of road traffic and associated pollution due to the current health emergency has aided their return.