My Sunbird Family

My little Sunbird family continue to put up with my presence! I've seen them feed their young but they remain hidden in the nest. What a blessing!!

My final Lasagne

On the western side of the house I had a hard gravel surfaced driveway. Also each afternoon the house wall absorbed the heat of the setting sun and impacted on the internal room temperatures. So my challenge has been to reomove this hot micro-climate and replace it with considered plantings. Plantings that will meet my criteria while returning this area from being a heat box to something pleasing to nature's eye and protecting the thermal mass of the wall from absorbing the sun's heat. The gate attached to the driveway has been reoved and will eventually be replaced by a secure galvanised weldmesh gate at the rear of the driveway. Weldmesh as it will not be a visible feature from the front of the house:- it will be shielded by plantings and it will also allow sun and air to pass freely through limiting the formation of a micro-climate. The 'lasagne' began with: 1. a pick and shovel removing all the stones. (Some have been left as a white ant barrier adjecent to the wall). 2. layering of compost and green waste 3. Spreading of three bags of cow manure 4. Sprinkling of "Minplus", mineral supplement 4. Finally the spreading to 100mm depth of mulch. All this gets watered in.

Mr and Mrs Sunbird

Mr and Mrs Sunbird have buit a nest of bits and pieces held together by spider web. It all hangs from a wire in my Gazebo. Its lovely to be blessed by this new family moving in!