Knowing who your friends are!

[pigletwillie]

Well on the plot thats birds, beneficial insects, amphibians and hedgehogs, to name but a few.

On two plots I have 5 nest boxes and several feeders, 4 insect houses, 1 pond (to be dug), several log piles, lots of insect friendly flowers and some brick tunnels covered with bark chippings.

My aim is that if I can recruit some "friends" to my plots with good accomodation, good food, and good lifestyle, they will repay my hospitallity by eating all of the greenfly, slugs, snails and other unwanteds and leave me with more time to sit in the hammock with a good Rijoca, watching my pumpkins grow.

Is this a cunning plan or what?

[supersprout]

Definitely sounds like a plan pw!
A good gardener knows when to keep out of the way

[Snadger]

Sounds good to me piglet, as long as you leave a little bit of room for a few crops here and there!!

[Piper]

I was wondering if I could put some bird feeders for the small birds on the plot. I know that the other plot holders have put up tape and cd's to scare birds away, so I didn't know if it was a good idea or not? Don't they eat the caterpillars?

[pigletwillie]

The tape and cd's Piper are to deter pigeons mainly, which devour greenery like locusts. Occasionallly small birds such as bullfinches can damage buds on fruit trees etc but its generally minor in the scheme of things.

Its very beneficial to encourage the small birds as they do indeed eat caterpillars and other insects, they are also good for the soul to see on the plot.

[Birdie Wife]

Warblers like chiff chaffs and willow warblers do indeed eat small insects but are hard to attract to the garden through extra feeding because they like live prey and that's hard to put on a bird table! Finches like sparrows and bullfinches feed on nuts and seeds, so are easy to attract to the garden. They will still feed their young on grubs and caterpillars though, so if you put out seed, put up some bird boxes too to encourage them to nest. And watch your caterpillars disappear!

[Alice]

I encourage everything I can Piglet. I think that way everything stays in balance and I don't get rampant pest problems.
Here's my long tailed tits. Had about 20 on the feeder this morning, in the snow, but missed the shot.

[pigletwillie]

Nice tits Alice, its great when the long tails come as there is always a family party of them.

[madderbat]

I was wondering if I could put some bird feeders for the small birds on the plot. I know that the other plot holders have put up tape and cd's to scare birds away, so I didn't know if it was a good idea or not? Don't they eat the caterpillars?

As long as you don't do what one of our old boys does and put out loaves and loaves of bread; sometimes I wonder whether he really feeds the birds or the rats!
Encouraging birds is an essential part of gardening surely, and the day you have a robin on your fork, well, you're made.

Just watch out where you put your bird table though, some seeds will grow!

[Piper]

Ok. Madderbat, I've noticed that. Something was growing in the flowerbed that looked like wheat. We thought a bird had dropped it there. It took us ages to work out that it came from the bird feeder,der. I guess it would be a good idea to put a sheet of membrane underneath feeder.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Lovely photo Alice. Now I've got the hang of it, I'll take some photos of my goldfinches. DDL

[madderbat]

Hi Piper, yes, we had that problem. I suppose you could put a 'feeding mat' down, like we did under the high chair when No 1 son was tiny, or I was thinking more of putting it by the shed, over slabs if you really don't want anything to grow.
Personally I just accept that it's part of the joy. Who knows, you may get sunflowers, and we used to get morning glory but I don't think they put them in any more.

[Piper]

I might just let them grow then, see what springs up.

[madderbat]

May your birdseed grow well for you!