Kitchen Garden Forum

And just how do I know that you ask?

Well my gardening year starts when the Asparagus pops up & today I found one!


Twas a wee bit excited! What is your sign regardless of the date or weather?

Westi

More wildlife than gardening: spring starts for me when I hear the first willow warbler singing - should be any day now. The chiffchaff has already been calling for the last week or so.

For me its the first bumblebee of the year... Which was today

dan3008 wrote:For me its the first bumblebee of the year... Which was today

Quite a few weeks ago here.

We've had several kinds of bumblebees in the garden regularly since 12th March and butterflies and lady birds, so spring has been on the way for a while. It feels like spring when the buds start breaking on the trees and everything is starting to look green again.

I grow plants specially for the bees and have something in flower all the year round so that anything that emerges early has something to feed on.

Not seen any bees etc yet but the weather has been appalling. Did see ONE swallow last week...oh and the dandelions are braving the outdoors

Not had any butterflies yet but had a couple of bumble bees & found another wee bee hand weeding the shallots. He looked quite unhappy at the disturbance but not aggressive. (Made him a wee retreat & he seemed happy to settle back in that).

I also grow loads of flowers to attract bees & had some insects flying around Plum Beauty which is still in flower despite the weather & Storm Katie - fingers crossed for a good harvest! Only normal birds around here but I risk neck damage trying to find where they are singing from! Will all be gone soon! Noted a nice hardcore road in the field where they are going to build
on - the big build is starting! Farmer has a crop in the field so I expect it is phase one to bury the pylons near the railway line!! Hmm so much for the peace & solitude!

Westi

We've had lots of bees for a few weeks now, and quite a few butterflies (including a couple of cabbage whites grrrr). And the birds are so active and the singing is an absolute joy when walking home from work in the early evening (when it's not raining).

I've booked a day off work this week which will be my potato planting day - this always makes me happy as it triggers the start of real growth in the allotment.

Westi wrote:Not had any butterflies yet but had a couple of bumble bees & found another wee bee hand weeding the shallots. He looked quite unhappy at the disturbance but not aggressive. (Made him a wee retreat & he seemed happy to settle back in that).
Westi

Quite a few bees around, but haven't found any doing any weeding yet

We've had lots of Bumble Bees for weeks. We have a lot of spring flowering Ericas and the bees really love them. Puppy tries to catch them which isn't doing the Heathers much good, I suppose she'll learn when one fights back. If we are talking Spring dare I mention the 'S' word - none here yet which is later than last year.

Hi Geoff,
The "S" arrived here 6th April which is 6 days earlier than the norm! Hooray!
JB.

Funny Parsons Jack!

One will try anything to get on top of the weeding!

Westi

Didn't feel like spring here today! Cold rain most of the day, then likely to improve and then it's turning arctic with E and NE winds ......
Our blackbird is sitting snuggly on her eggs in our porch and her OH is keeping a watch out for the magpies.

Spring starts for me when the blossom breaks. My plum trees are a picture, the Magnolias are out and so is the Forsythia. With the wallflowers in full flower and the bees are busy humming - wonderful.

Beryl.

Certainly miserable today Monika, my solar panels made 26.31 kwh on Sunday but 3.33 today. We have Blackbirds collecting lots of worms on the grass near the house but I haven't followed them into the bushes to see if they are feeding young or mates.