Sunday 28 March 2010

Porn!……….Frogsporn!

I bet that made you look twice! 

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Over the winter Nigel has been making me a pond which I hope will develop into a wildlife pond.  I didn’t want an ornamental one with fountains and goldfish but a pond that can support frogs, toads, water snails etc.  Obviously it is very new looking at the moment and will need ages to mature but so far I am pleased with it.  Once the reeds grow up and the pond weeds establish it should start looking more natural.  Not that we are short of water around here as our property is surrounded by river on three sides.

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This morning whilst the dogs lounged in the sun in their baskets supervising,  I planted a few seeds in pots in the greenhouse and sowed 2 rows of parsnips and a row carrots, we then decided to take the dogs for a walk in Weybourne Woods as we knew there is a pond there with a huge population of frogs. 

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When we got to the pond it was heaving with frogs having a huge amphibious orgy!  We thought we were a few days too early but eventually spied some spawn in the reeds which we scooped up a couple of jam jars worth.  We continued on our walk almost following the North Norfolk Steam Railway and the coast. 

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It was a lovely afternoon but quite chilly in the coastal breeze.  Once home we placed the frog spawn in my new pond and put some wire over it as we have a huge population of grey herons here who would just enjoy a beakful of heron caviar!  I can’t wait to see it develop into tadpoles over the next few weeks.

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Monday 22 March 2010

Spring has Sprung!

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It is official – Spring is here!  At last we can put the long cold winter behind us and look forward to warmer days and lighter evenings.  It was even warm enough the other day to go out without a coat on.  One day last week I spent the day clearing up the garden, tidying away last years bedding plants (I am ashamed to say left all winter), sweeping up the remainder of the leaves which luckily for me I have a brush attachment on my mower which makes this job so easy, turning over the soil in the veg beds and generally just relishing being outside all day in the sunshine.  Next job was to look through my seeds to see what I need to get – somehow I have ended up with 3 packets of courgettes! 

I can’t lay claim to the gorgeous crocus’s above – I snapped this photo outside someone’s door in Tideswell Derbyshire whilst out on a walk this weekend.