Dramatic skies

Sky over the back garden.

Same sky time-laps

Withie Owl

I started the withie Owl sculpture for the garden. I'm using willow withies. I've started off with the basic Owl shape then added more canes to build up in 3D 

The Owl is 3ft tall and will be outlined with solar fairy lights at night,the picture below shows where the Owl will be situated.

Starting to look like an Owl

Ready for the fairy lights

All light up

Standing Stones

I have a standing stone in the wildlife/pond area of the garden, it's not a Pictish standing stone but it has been around for a while.

I have a friend who has a real  Pictish Standing stone in her garden which is maintained by the National Trust for Scotland and dates from the 9th century.

Glamis Manse stone or stone 2 Glamis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glamis_Manse_Stone

Birds in the garden

House Martin nests, they return every year and I'm expecting 17 pairs at least.

Chiff Chff, lots of them.

Collared Dove.

Here's a link to a video of this in the trees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zlQgqgtDJQ

Pied Wagtail
https://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/p/piedwagtail/

Great tit.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/greattit/index.aspx

The Potting Shed

 The potting shed  is a shared area at the back of the house it's about 15 X 20 ft and also houses My tool store and two freezers and a large fridge full of wine and an oil fulled boiler. The area  has three doors leading to the back area which will be a small nursery ,greenhouse,oil tank and a potted herb garden also an area for clothes drying.

 The other two doors lead to the car park and the utility room in the house. The roof is a strong corrugated clear perspex construction which lets in loads and loads of light. One wall is also clear perspex. This area also houses an oil burning boiler so is not too cold in the winter. 

The shed has 5 lights and is well lit at night

Lots of sturdy brick wall to hang stuff.

The perspex roof lets in loads of daylight.

 

 Loads of space for bringing plants on and can get as hot as a greenhouse in the summer

The walls are partly clear , letting more light this looks onto the back area where the potted herbs will be.

Spent the whole day cleaning up the back yard.

 Started early with Leon watching on.

The yard is looking a lot better.

 

 I cleaned the concrete slab with the jet wash , it came up great

Noticed a little tree growing in the brick wall

Lots of work to do at the back of the house.  I've decided to grow herbs in pots and perhaps a couple of fruit trees.The clear up commences.

The back is a mess with the remains of an old dog kennel to remove.

All cleared 

Ready for tunnel

 Ready for planting. I'll start with tomatoes.

After the clean up and with the small polytunnel
This tunnel has been well anchored down, so hoping it with stay put.
The zips on the frond door flap are rubbish and won't last.

Irrigation system fitted 

I fitted the watering system today, a bit of a faff but didn't take long once I figured out what to do.

The flow rate of some of  the drip valves was a bit fast but it was due to being the wrong way round.

     Grass cut for the first time this year

First shrub American Flowering Currant out in bloom

Jobs to do, the water features

The whisky barrel come water feature in the back car park was needing a good clean out.  I've had it for about ten years and recently put in a new pump. I'll put trellice  behind it with sweat peas, which will hide the garage window which has no glass in it.This barrel is around 100 years old and has stood the pressures of the water freezing up to two foot thick. The barrel never leaks and is virtually indestructible.

Here is a good link to a blog on the subject of wine barrels.Whisky barrels tend to be ex sherry casks, it's what gives whisky it's colour and contributes to the subtle taste.

http://jessegarden.com/2012/07/05/create-a-wine-barrel-fountain-relauthorjesse-khong/

The wildlife pond at the opposite side of the garden just needed a few leaves removed.

It was only dug out last year and looks a bit barn,but theirs plenty of dormant life around the pond starting to pop through. The pond was dug out and lined with sand then a felt underlay with the Butyl  liner last.

The BBC website, build a garden pond has great advice  http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/ponds_build1.shtml

A couple of videos filmed in the garden.

I love the way this Robin stops to pose to the camera and show off his read breast!!

 

the feeling helicopter

This is Mickey , he loves playing in the garden but plants do suffer!!

Sweet Peas

This little withie fence was put here to stop Mickey the English Springer Spaniel from trampling the border.

It has worked and I'll soon be planting Sweet Peas

I have made a willow withie fence to support the smaller climbing plants.This was simple to make but it will need a wee bit of supporting as the plants climb. You can make interesting structures with withies but I have kept it simple. I like the simple look as if the fence has grown out the ground,it also keeps the dogs at bay!

The slightly Gothic arches of the withie fences lining the front door path.

WITHIES

 The simple withie fence

 The fence blends in and will support a sprinkle of climbing plants

 I used green wire to bind the fence,you could use something more natural but it might not last long.

I wanted the fence to look very rustic almost look as if it had grown from the ground .

A pollarded Willow tree

The Cottage Garden Diary: A diary of a Scottish country cottage garden.Wel...

The Cottage Garden Diary:

A diary of a Scottish country cottage garden.Wel...: A diary of a Scottish country cottage garden.Well established, with trees and shrubs but only planted in the Cottage style in 2013. p...

A Moon rise taken ten minutes ago from the back garden.....looks like a Sunrise

I love photography and taking close up or macro photographs. Here are a few from the garden.