Hello from Cavan.

[Darwin.]

Hi all, I'm Ronan and I only heard about this site today, having had a quick look around I'm glad to see it looks like a great place to get hints and tips to help me improve my garden.

I only started gardening two years ago in a small 8x14 greenhouse then I added a 10x22 polytunnel last year. I'm still trying new things and trying to find my feet but hopefully the weather will be a little more cooperative this year and my growing will go better.

I have a 3 year old orchard down the back, it'll take years for it to produce any fruit or nuts but we had a nice crop of berries last year.

I'm putting in a small pond this year, 8m x 9m x 1.5m deep, it's hidden in a wet corner at the bottom of the garden so wont be ornamental, it's just for whatever wildlife show up. I'm putting in what I'm calling an insect garden too, a big pile of rotting logs that will hopefully attract all sorts of bugs and insects and what ever fancies lunching on them.

I have a 14 year old oak arriving in the next few days for the back lawn and I'm hoping this acts to tempt more birds into the garden too. If all that doesn't work then I'm not sure what will. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[VirginVegGrower]

Welcome Ronan from another polytunnel/greenhouse/orchard dweller. Had to look up where Cavan was as it was not a name known to me. I see you are up in the north of the south?!
Good luck with the oak.

[KittyColdNose]

Hello Ronan, welcome to the forum.

It sounds like you have a huge garden, especially if there is an Oak going into it. Would love to see some photo's.

*whispers - Btw, please don't tell Out In The Cold about the oak because he will want one. We only have a teeny garden and I claimed it for veggies *

[VirginVegGrower]

I can send you a pic of an oak in the garden tha cascades leaves all over borders if you like KCN?! They will end up in the pond too Ronan if close enough and/or exposed to winds. That's a lot of cleaning/clearing.

[Darwin.]

My garden is just over an acre and the pond is going into the very bottom corner, there's a small stream runnig along there with a bog the other side of it so keeping the pond filled should be handy enough.

The oak is going on the back lawn which is seperated from the orchard/veg garden by a beach hedge, they'll be fairly far apart. I'm planting the oak about 10m from the wall into my neighbours garden, I'm hoping that's far enough and it doesn't everhang the wall when it's fully grown.

[KittyColdNose]

This sounds lovely Ronan. You could start a leaf compost too with all the trees you have (if yuo haven't already)

VVG, I am giggling at the thought of sticking a picture of an oak in the window overlooking the garden. Wonder if that would keep OITC happy?

[Verinda]

Hello Rowan, welcome to the forum, your garden sounds wonderful. My garden is totally wildlife friendly as well. I said it on another thread, but last year I let my radishes flower and not only were the flowers beautiful they attracted loads of butterflies and bees which was brilliant.

[VirginVegGrower]

This sounds lovely Ronan. You could start a leaf compost too with all the trees you have (if yuo haven't already)

VVG, I am giggling at the thought of sticking a picture of an oak in the window overlooking the garden. Wonder if that would keep OITC happy?

One oak in the garden soon becomes hundreds if you have squirrels. That alone should put them off. They are also not the quickest leaves in the world at rotting.

[Darwin.]

My big hope would be to get red squirrels in the garden but there are none around so there's no chance of that happening.

One of the modules I studied with the open university had a section on oak trees and all the wildlife they attract, that and the fact that there are very little native species about these days convinced me to get it.

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine Ronan ....... "I'm putting in a small pond this year, 8m x 9m x 1.5m deep" .......small pond?.......small pond?..........I've fished smaller ponds..........

[veggiechicken]

Hello Darwin and welcome!! Like the sound of your garden - just right for me I have several oak trees that are too large to hug - no idea how old they are. Nor can I imagine the size of a 14 year old oak As VVG says, once you have acorns, small oaks appear everywhere. The squirrels (grey ) plant them in the greenhouse and they appear in the spring in between my lettuces!

[Darwin.]

I haven't seen the oak yet but I've been told it's 15ft tall, I don't know how thick yet, probably only about as thick as my arm. Very small for an oak but they're a slow growing tree.

[Glutton4...]

Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse!

[PyreneesPlot]

Hello and welcome.

We have a huge oak just over the boundary - it is 20m X 15m. We have to mow the forest of baby oak trees each year! But it is 100 years old or more and covered in wildlife. Masses of leaves which are two year rotters. OH would like it to 'fall' down as he has had to move the solar panels twice to avoid the shade!

Enjoy!

[out in the cold]

VVG, I am giggling at the thought of sticking a picture of an oak in the window overlooking the garden. Wonder if that would keep OITC happy?

Erm, no it wouldn't.

I am a proper Son of the Oak....