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Daydream fund challenge part 4

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  • choille
    choille Posts: 9,710 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Sparrow hawks are beautiful close up, but deadly.

    I was down the croft & one flew past like an arrow & caught, in mid air, just in front of me a Blue Tit. I was shocked at the dart like action. They move with complete accuracy - like guided missiles.

    I was in a wood & all the birds went silent, and then a Sparrow hawk arrowed past.

    I think our swallows have gone - surely not - too early?
  • pink_poppy
    pink_poppy Posts: 2,123 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Homepage Hero
    I've found out the nice hedge around the corner from us is just a common laurel. I don't know whether to get some for the back fence as the new neighbours have made their garden more open and we can now see them through & above the fence as their garden is a little higher than ours :eek: The laurel I've seen is quite tall and not very bushy, which is what we need as we don't have a huge garden.

    I'm also thinking about getting a golden showers rose for our front garden. I planted one years ago in a different garden but didn't live there long enough to see how it grew. Does anyone here have one??

    lir/bimble, it's lovely to see you posting :D

    Poured down with rain here last night, much needed as the soil is completely dried out and like concrete. I've been trying (and failing) to dig some shrubs out so hopefully will have more luck today. Thinking about buying a mattock after reading about them on another thread.
    'A watched potato will never chit'...
  • choille
    choille Posts: 9,710 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I love my mattock - I have an adze - but a joiner broke the shaft & OH hasn't got around to replacing it yet. It is excellent for brambles.
  • ukmaggie45
    ukmaggie45 Posts: 2,968 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic
    pink_poppy wrote: »
    I've found out the nice hedge around the corner from us is just a common laurel. I don't know whether to get some for the back fence as the new neighbours have made their garden more open and we can now see them through & above the fence as their garden is a little higher than ours :eek: The laurel I've seen is quite tall and not very bushy, which is what we need as we don't have a huge garden.

    Don't get laurel! It's a horrible shrub, and very poisonous too. :(

    Why not use bay? We bought (prob about 10 years ago) a bay "bush" from garden centre local to caravan. We planted it out direct as it was, but in fact it was around a dozen bay twigs, presumably cuttings, so it would have split nicely to make a hedge. We keep it pruned to about 4 foot high, and also prune the sides and front too. It's a nice job to do, as you get the smell of the bay as you clip it. We take some home, and dry out the rest here to put on the fire when we have a campfire in our old cast iron barbie. We prune it into a rough square, so it looks somewhat like a Borg Ship! :) :rotfl: Star Trek rules!
  • ukmaggie45
    ukmaggie45 Posts: 2,968 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic
    choille wrote: »
    Sparrow hawks are beautiful close up, but deadly.

    I was down the croft & one flew past like an arrow & caught, in mid air, just in front of me a Blue Tit. I was shocked at the dart like action. They move with complete accuracy - like guided missiles.

    I was in a wood & all the birds went silent, and then a Sparrow hawk arrowed past.

    We've had a sparrowhawk come and take birds from the feeders at the caravan. The little birds (especially the greenfinches and goldfinches) get very aggressive and argumentative - Fight! Fight! Fight! Then while distracted the hawk swoops. :eek: Last year one came and actually sat on top of the feeder for ages!

    20629453341_3955bca105_z.jpgSparrowhawk by Maggie, on Flickr


    Then it went and hid under the buddleia bush - suspect it was hoping the little birds would come back if they couldn't see it!

    20436063999_1002b88acf_z.jpgSparrowhawk hiding under the buddleia by Maggie, on Flickr


    I'm afraid after we'd taken a load of photos OH went out, and it flew off.

    The most spectacular flying I've ever seen was a sparrowhawk hunting a blue tit in our garden back home. The little bird flew into our crab apple tree, which is a very confined space with a lot of dense twiggy bits. The hawk was turning and diving after the blue tit, so fast, never hitting any bit of tree. But the obstructions did slow it down a little, so the blue tit actually got away! Phew! ;) I know the hawks have to eat, but I prefer not to see the kill! :o
    choille wrote: »
    I think our swallows have gone - surely not - too early?

    Saw some here at Bwlchtocyn a couple of days ago, before it turned so wet and incredibly windy. Not seen any yet today, but the sun's out (though a bit on and off) and wind has moderated considerably and veered to the West. So will be watching for them. Will let you know if I spot any later. They come and swoop over the field, then disappear again for a while. So not seeing any yet doesn't really signify they're missing - yet!
  • choille
    choille Posts: 9,710 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Terrific photos Maggie.

    It's all red raw in tooth and claw - out there.
  • I_have_spoken
    I_have_spoken Posts: 5,051 Forumite
    edited 21 August 2016 at 4:23PM
    Old car has sold :) To webuyanycar.com :(

    Fortunately I spent less money at the B&Q plant hospital where I picked up 2 hostas, 3 lillies & a geranium for £2 each. Still no sell off of cannas!

    Scottish 'summer' resumed, although there is some sun now. A lot of plants and the lawn are looking yellowed - due to nutrient washout I reckon.
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    ukmaggie45 wrote: »
    Don't get laurel! It's a horrible shrub, and very poisonous too. :(
    Ah, but it does have its uses, like between our second wooded wildlife area and Mr Dog! :rotfl: And it's free if you dig it up in the forest here or plant the seeds.

    Then there are a couple of dwarf laurels, which few people seem to know about, and those are good for ground cover..

    Yes, they're poisonous, but then, so is yew. I wouldn't be without our yew hedges on a windy site like this.

    Also poisonous is Portugal Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) but it's much more refined-looking than common laurel, and similarly, it puts up with shade. It really looks a lot like bay, but don't put it in your spagetti bolognese! :eek:

    The only problem with bay is that it might fail in a hard winter 'oop norf' away from the sea. Ours down here have survived -15C though, so I'm working towards growing a bay hedge at present, using the seeds and cuttings the older ones provide.

    One other alternative to laurel, and much classier, is Elaeagnus × ebbingei....and you can eat its berries too! That should be just the ticket. :)
  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 17,774 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Eleagnus smells wonderful too!
  • lostinrates
    lostinrates Posts: 55,283 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Mum,

    She's not good at promises. No cafe yet. She said it woz coz of the rain, but I told her I dint mind rain and She just ignored me. Instead we spent Sunday mainly Choppin' woods, and this mornin' stack in' it. Good for kiwi and me. She told us to go 'n' find the rats. We didn't but we had fun looking.

    Better news, I've been teaching The bit of ginger fluff about tea. Now when the She makes tea, she has to make a cup FOR me and the ginger fluff, because we stare at her unless we get some. The ginger fluff 'as taste as well as beauty. Who knew the way to her heart woz through a cuppa eh mum? She's an air head though mum. She was not interested in rats, and only wanted to jump on us as we woz workin.

    Kiwi is a bit grumpy today. I told him to have some tea too, but he just left the kitchen and went of on his tod. He spends too long on his haircut that nipper. Also, he let her down coz he was look in' for the postman all day, and yelled, so me n ginger did too, several times..for nuffink. Then, when postman did come he was closed mouff. So she has to go to Sortin office tommorer. She says we cannot go there either coz weather man says it might be hot again. Bloody not hot today.

    Hope it's good on your adventure mum. I'm happy as Larry.

    Bimble
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