Cyn's Nature Notes: A sorry but hopeful tale

Monday 19 March 2012

A sorry but hopeful tale

When we first moved here I planted hardy geraniums and daffodils all along our boundary, only to find they were disappearing. One day I caught a man with his gardening tools digging them up, I explained we had planted them and they were on our land, but he stubbornly refused to stop and became aggressive. He said they were wayside flowers and he had every right to take them. In the end there was nothing left to say, and discretion being the better part of valour, I retreated, hoping that his ill gotten gains gave him as much pleasure as they had given us and so many passers by.

I vowed that never again would I plant on the borders again, however eventually I changed my mind and after a few years had passed I planted the bank opposite to our home with snowdrops and daffodils, this was not only for our pleasure but also for the enjoyment of anyone passing down the lane.

There are a great number of daffodils and they make a brilliant show having increased in number over the years. Sadly last Sunday I noticed a stretch bereft of flowers and realised it was Mother's Day. Later when I looked again I saw a second bare stretch.

This was better than a few years ago when all of the daffodils disappeared overnight --- once again this happened the night before Mother's Day.

It is strange how people think that plants and flowers on the borders of peoples gardens are theirs for the taking.

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.