Today's battle: Maxine versus the local wildlife

I like your attitude Maxine- I too feel that my garden is to share with whatever creature happens to stop by. Its not easy to apply that ethos to slugs and snails though but I can't bring myself to use chemicals. Looks like you get a fantastic range of wildlife-look forward to seeing more of your garden soon!

Wow, Maxine, is that your cottage - it is beautiful; just as long as the flood water only affects the garden and not the house.
Some of our garden friends can be a nuisance, I agree. My darkest thoughts go to the blackbirds for pulling up lables and for raking down though cushion plants.
Use for the geese? 25 December comes quickly to my mind :-)!

Great blog Maxine.........you have a stunning place there..and getting the balance right is the answer......those birds of yours will have to learn that too much of a good thing is bad for them LOL. Maybe you could put some of those garden windmills around the new plants to keep them away................

Yes, I agree that we share our gardens, but there has to be a line drawn when all your hard work (and money) is destroyed in a minute by woodpigeons - they drive me to distraction as well! If Henry sees them, he chases them away - otherwise, what about some chicken wire over the top of your little plants?

Your home is just lovely...:-)

thanks everyone - am now looking up recipes for pigeon pie...

Do you live there ? It looks idillic. I don't have much wildlife in my garden as it is now. I'm hoping to attract some insects this year especially butterflies and ladybirds. I can do without wood pigeons though. I had lots of squirrels in the other garden but none here.

That looks fabulous, I can understand your frustation with the pigeons we have quite a few here,they moved in when the local retail parks were built I suppose they have to live somewhere,I admit to letting dogs and cats free but only to chase them not catch.....

Of course you are irritated after all your hard work. I had a problem with birds and small mammals eating seedlings last year, so I made little wire mesh cages and used those just until the seedlings were a bit too big for them to handle.
Had to redo my mini-sunflowers 3 times before I got any that survived the onslaught. : )

Hi..your home is lovely..seems you have a very pragmatic approach to wildlife.Personally wont use chemicals of any kind in the garden,but find nature has the balance just about right.Find snail shells in the borders so know that our visiting thrush is being fed.Put out peanuts for our squirrel...and he has not dug up a single bulb.Unfortunately,HIS nuts have been dug up by a visiting badger.! You cant win them all ! Lol

What a beautiful home you have Maxine. Can you put something over your seedlings and baby plants to protect them from the hungry hoards? Move your bulb pots up and away from the squirrel....maybe hang them for now?

good idea re peanuts to distract squirrel - will try! And have now covered seedlings so hopefully that's foiled those pesky wood pigeons (for the minute, anyway!)

And have you got any ideas to stop the big fat one from sitting on my Primroses? :-(

Spritz..have you ried sticking pea sticks aroud your primroses,or laying sprigs of pyracantha around them The jumbo jets wont want to risk a puncture landing in them !

That's a really good idea, putting mesh, etc over the plants! I tried growing veg. last year, but nothing survived the slugs and snails!!! Now I've just potted up some sunflower seeds and will have to leave them til they're hopefully too big and tough for the critters to eat!!!

I too, have tried putting out all sorts of other food for pigeons, but like you say, they seem to sniff out what we don't want them to take! Aaagh!

: ( they do............

Well Craftnutter I use beer traps for the slugs and snails, which works fairly well, and the mesh keeps the birds and chipmunks off the seedlings until big enough!