Western Isles Gardening
November Garden Page
October roared in with more gales and took with it the last of the summer. In one day the willow outside of my house went from full leaf to no leaf at all leaving the birds with very little shelter.
When we had the first gale back in September it toppled my two rows of 6ft high sweet peas, leaving them straggling in a decaying heap across the garden. I was waiting for some good weather to go out and clear them up as they made the garden look untidy, until one blustery morning I noticed several sparrows fluffed up and nestling down in the protection of the tangled mess of sweet peas. I knew then, untidy or not, I had to leave them for the birds. I am so happy that I did because it has proved a safe haven for sparrows, chaffinches, greenfinches, a robin and a wren, not to mention a source of food as I noticed the sparrows eating the bits of green leaves that were left and I imagine that it harbours no end of juicy insects of in the depths of its dark decay. So I would implore all you fastidious gardeners that like their garden prim and trim to give a thought to the wee birds that need all the shelter they can find. Also, by leaving the sweet peas in the ground they fix nitrogen into the soil, which is great for my veggies next year, so who cares about a bit of tangled mess?
I have a few things in the greenhouse. The last of the yellow tomatoes were eaten last week and the freesia bulbs are sprouting nicely. I am thinking of bringing them indoors just before flowering if they do not have greenfly. Geraniums and early amaryllis are over wintering. I was going to sow more lettuce but I never got around to it, but I \might try sowing some indoors and see how that goes after seeing and buying a ‘living lettuce’ in the coop.
I would love to hear your gardening tales. So if you would like to contribute to this page then please send it to the Webmaster.
Ela,
Callanish, Isle of Lewis
November, 2008
Local horticultural groups or gardener's clubs can add details of meetings etc to the garden page - email webmaster.
|
The Stornoway Arch Project
Needs Volunteers
They grow affordable organic produce
for low income families
in the Western Isles
Garden in Polytunnels...
|
|
Peaches, grapes, tomatoes and other salad crops are
grown on The Poly Croft on the Isle of Lewis
Visit the web site for growing tips and location details of the most North Westerly vineyard in the UK... |
|
