WINTER IS BACK, BUT FOR HOW LONG?

So spring has been put on hold, which teaches me yet again that March is the most unpredictable of months!

Frosts, cold winds and even a bit of snow have descended on my garden and the surrounding area. Can someone tell the swallows to stop off for a few days and delay their return? 

It sounds like we’re going to have another blast of winter for most of this coming week, so make sure you keep the birds feeders topped up and water unfrozen.

I spent most of the weekend pruning trees and bushes, to give the ground opposite my garden a chance to have some light and bring more colour to the dark and brown ground.

The trees and branches were then used to create a traditional fence, thanks to the input from my neighbour Neil who spent some hours doing this with me, while we both spent a few hours at night picking splinters out of our hands – even though we were wearing protective gloves!

 

We were followed constantly by a pair of robins, the same that frequent my garden and I presume have paired up for the year. Where they will nest is anyone’s guess, but if it’s not in the robin nestbox I have in my garden, I know it’ll be nearby and we’ll see the fledgling robins in due course.

Two other main things done this weekend – apart from topping up my fat snack, seed and peanuts feeders – was putting up a sparrow nestbox and planting some early potatoes.

With all the house sparrows about I thought it a good idea to provide them with a communal nest site, to prevent them from going under the eaves of the house.

 

I know it might be a little too late this year, but at least it’s up and ready for whenever they need it. The nestbox replaces one that was for blue tits and great tits, which seemed to be infrequently used for roosting, but never for nesting. I’ll find another place to put this in time.

 

The garden borders were readied for plants and vegetables over the last few weekends and now the first planting has taken place I’m sure there’ll be plenty more in the coming weeks.

 

By the end of March I hope to have seedlings in place so April can see the emergence of my mini greenhouse.

Of course this will be when the weather has picked up to spring like again. I’m just hoping it doesn’t end up like 2012; otherwise it’ll be another washout!