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Post by jolovespiggies on Jul 5, 2018 8:25:21 GMT
They are gorgeous Bean sweetie, thank you so much for sharing. The giraffe one is really great. Watership Down breaks my heart, I saw it the once and I couldn't stop crying,
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by 3piggles on Jul 5, 2018 20:42:27 GMT
The photos have been wonderful, and I love the giraffe photo. So great! I'll be sorry to see the last of the pics!
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Post by Bean on Jul 6, 2018 8:01:23 GMT
Let me see which ones are left...! "Kung Fu Training - Australian Style" by Andrey Giljov "Oooh matron — carry on up the jungle!" by Gill Merritt "Let Me Clear My Vision" by Arkaprava Ghosh "Looks like the diet worked!" by Paulette Struckman "Animal Encounters" by Jean Jacques Alcalay
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Post by 3piggles on Jul 6, 2018 20:23:24 GMT
Totally love them! Thanks for all the pictures, Bean. It's been great fun
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Post by Bean on Jul 7, 2018 7:30:22 GMT
Oh actually, this page went down further than I thought - I have more! Untitled by Tina Stehr Untitled by Melissa Nolan Untitled by John Sheridan Untitled by Jasmine Vink "Say Cheese!" by Tanakit-Suwanyangyaun
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Post by jolovespiggies on Jul 7, 2018 17:01:36 GMT
These are both lovely and funny Bean sweetie. I love the little crabbie, he is so cute. Thank you so much.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by Bean on Jul 8, 2018 6:14:43 GMT
I thought you might especially like the crab, Jo! He is very sweet, it's a great photo.
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Post by 3piggles on Jul 8, 2018 19:23:13 GMT
Fabulous! I'm sure most parents can relate to momma bear I'd love to hear the symphony the chameleon was conducting All around so cute
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Post by jolovespiggies on Jul 9, 2018 7:53:51 GMT
Thanks Bean hunni, yes he is adorable.
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by Bean on Jun 6, 2019 9:35:41 GMT
It's the time of year for the 30 days wild challenge again. We're not doing it as such, but I have just started following the FB page for a bit as it always has some nice pictures and good ideas on it. And as I'm looking to turn this totally unused bottom corner of my garden into a wildlife haven, it might help inspire me! My son did a grand job clearing the weeds, and so far we have a hedgehog house, and insect house and plan to get another bird house. I'm thinking another buddleia might be good - we have one in the front and the butterflies love it. I also have a bunch of wildflower seeds that I might just scatter and see what happens. Although as one of the houses at the bottom will soon be replacing the shared fence, so maybe I'll wait until they've done that so they don't trample anything I start off!) We'd also like some kind of mini pond. I had been thinking of a washing up bowl one which I saw ideas for, but like this plant in a pot idea!
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 7, 2019 18:40:55 GMT
That is a great spot a wildlife garden. Great weeding job. I love watching birds, and will eventually get some bird houses. They'll bring a lot of bird life up close, for you nature observations 🤗 I can't really get out to walk or climb. But we have 4 different hummingbird feeders up, which the butterflies, bees and wasps are loving. Today we got the birdbath set up and filled. It's not easy to see, but a put a small branch in the birdbath for the insects to use.
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Post by Bean on Jun 8, 2019 7:10:09 GMT
Someone suggested the tree stump would be a great spot for a birdbath like that. Yours is very pretty. It'll just be harder to keep clean since it's right at the bottom of the garden and most of the other bird stuff is up close to the house so we can watch them.
Other ideas are a log pile, a bat box and drilling holes into the tree stump for bees - a few things we can get started on pretty quickly (weather permitting - I don't think we'll be out today!). Someone said that having bird boxes too close to each other can cause fighting, so if we put another in that area, use a different style that attract a different sort of bird (the ones to attract robins have larger, square holes).
I have a few more suggestions for plant and flowers too, stuff that will do well in the shade. I will try to get some cuttings, so it doesn't cost too much to get the area thriving.
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 8, 2019 15:21:13 GMT
I wouldn't drill holes for insects in any living tree, and if you drill holes in the tree stump, you'll get all sorts of insects you don't want, as well as those you do want. I love the pond in a pot idea, and think that would not only give wildlife a water source, but a colorful pot would be pretty to look at.
If anything, I would put up different types of bird houses, each attracting only one type of bird. Make it visually pleasing to you, such as a house in the shape of a gourd, one in the shape of a house, etc. I also suggest bat houses, if you have a lot of mosquitoes. Otherwise, a bluebird house is almost the same as a bat house, only attracts bluebirds, etc.
You can make an insect house to hang from a hanger or branch, by buying a piece of bamboo, cutting it into same-length sections, putting the pieces together so they have all different sized openings facing out, and pretty much fill in the space available, then containing it with a strap of some kind. That's all the fancy ones for sale in stores and catalogues are. We can buy the bamboo for about $1/stick at Walmart, cut it into 3-4" sections, arrange them so they basically fit together, and use an old belt or something to hold them all together to hang from a tree or fence post. That way the insect openings don't invite termites and carpenter ants to use the holes as entry points to eat the tree from inside.
You can use any type of bowl for a birdbath. You want it to be something you want to see, but that's all a birdbath is. That can go on top of the tree trunk, and will stay clean of any dirt forced up by heavy rain. You can also plant a container garden of flowers in pretty pots, to give you visual appeal. Whatever you want that space to be. It doesn't really take a major trip to the garden center and spending lots of money, just some good shopping and repurposing.
Once we get the flower berm built in the front yard, I will definitely consider a pond in a pot. There are some gorgeous pots, and since the recirculating pumps don't cost much, or draw much electricity, we can keep the water bubbling to discourage the mosquitoes. Mosquitoes like stagnant water, not moving water. It will also take a whole lot less over-winter storage space than a real fountain, and should give us some nice water falling sounds.
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Post by Bean on Jun 9, 2019 7:00:55 GMT
I've seen some little solar fountains that look quite good, and would generate plenty of movement for a pot. We don't really have trouble with mosquitoes.
I've gone back onto the idea of the washing up bowl pond as we don't have any large glazed terracotta pots (and the plastic ones are too thin so will crack over time) and they're not cheap to buy, whereas I have an old washing up bowl in the shed!
Hopefully I'll have something in there that I can use as a birdbath too. The person who recommended it has one made out of a plastic pot weighted down with stones which also help anything climb out. I don't have to worry so much about things looking great as this area is right at the bottom of the garden and half hidden by the playhouse, but I can always paint the outside of it if I'm inclined!
I think it's supposed to be dry today but the ground is sodden after a day of solid rain.
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 9, 2019 20:32:00 GMT
When I was a child, most things like washing up bowls were metal. I remember my mother having a lot of metal things, including a laundry basket to carry the laundry to the line and back. For a child, it was heavy enough empty, much less full of laundry. If I could walk better, I'd go to yard sales and things looking for something that would make a good bird bath. I'm sure there are a lot of things out there, things we probably wouldn't even consider, but if we saw them, would realize they'd be great.
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Post by Bean on Jun 10, 2019 6:17:15 GMT
I don't think I've ever seen a metal washing up bowl. I agree it'd make a good bird bath!
No progress here anyway. The forecast for yesterday was dry, but it was wrong! I'm definitely a fair weather gardener.
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 10, 2019 18:21:43 GMT
You'd have to look for things made before the 1950s to find metal ones.
We've had an incredibly great weather, dry, in the 80s, with a breeze. Not normal for us, but wonderful.
We have a turkey vulture circling the area, as we have one of the good bird housing places, so the vultures come looking for a meal. Despite them wanting to treat my birds as a buffet, they are incredibly regal birds, and BIG!
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Post by Bean on Jun 11, 2019 6:57:20 GMT
We have a great charity shop attached to our local tip, so I always have a prowl round there with my current projects in mind. Lots of baby baths at the moment, but none with a look I would want on show!
I'm not sure I've ever heard of a turkey vulture?! After a quick google, I can see why they get their name though!
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Post by 3piggles on Jun 12, 2019 15:42:52 GMT
If you saw the map, breeding is uncommon where we are, but not right over the state lines in Vermont and Massachusetts. We must have great habitat for them, as they come early in the spring, along with the hawks, and stay until late fall. The way we tell the two apart is by their fingers. If you look at the very tips of their wings, they have feathers that look like fingers. We can see those at quite a distance. Hawks don't have those. Their wing feathers stay together when they soar on the currents. Hawks and turkey vultures are the reason I would only have a covered run for the guinea pigs, when I finally build one. They come right down through the yard, so would definitely take advantage of a guinea pig buffet
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Post by Bean on Jun 13, 2019 10:10:56 GMT
I don't think I'd dare not have a cover on any run I used (especially as I leave them out during the day when it's nice). We do get red kites in the area, but I'm not sure they'd come for them - it's more about cats, magpies (who love to pull their fur - they try to do it through the mesh) and also foxes. The pigs wouldn't stand a chance!
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