Eddie, your story about the wildflower seeds reminded me of when I planted seeds of the prickly plant sea holly. Only one fuzzy little pair of leaves came up, but I was so excited that I was growing sea holly from seed. I watered it and weeded it and tended it most carefully- until one day I realised that it was not a sea holly but a thistle that I was nurturing.
I love your wild garden full of birds and bees. I bet there are some lizards hiding there too.
Hi Eddie! We live in Idaho and part time in Montana. We have Canada thistle. Thistle seems to be able to grow anywhere! It is so hardy and invasive that it is classified as a noxious weed. There is a famous American named Benjamin Franklin that is said to have stated that in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. I think he forgot to add weeds. Good luck pulling them and wear some gloves! This time of year in Montana we have lots of birds including Sandhill cranes. They make the funniest sounds. We also have pronghorns, which are really fast but cannot jump well. We have to leave a gap in the fence so they can crawl underneath. Like your family, we have horses. Today, in the jumper ring, we saw big mountain lion tracks. Glad it came at night and not while I was riding! I enjoy your posts and you are a wonderful writer, photographer, naturalist, and observer. Thank you for making my day! Keep up the good work!
Eddie, I’ve been trying to make a wildflower patch for a couple of years and mine looks a bit like yours. It’s hard work keeping it going. There’s a wild flower called yellow rattle which is meant to weaken the grass so I’m going to try that.
You’ve probably got lots of mice and voles in yours as well as bees and birds.
Eddie – cornflowers= my favourite! You are lucky too to have bees, did you know they are not so common now? A friend of mine put in five hives to encourage them and they visit our tiny garden for pollen ! It’s a lot of work keeping a big garden like yours, but stick at it. It does pay off eventually. B
Lots of wild flowers and weeds! We saw a Red Kite twice last weekend in Harrogate. They have been reintroduced at Brimham Rocks and Harewood – so it probably came from one of those places.
I like reading your blogs Eddie. Don’t dig up your thistle plants. They are the food plant for the painted lady butterfly and a source of necture for peacock and meadow brown butterflies. Bees also like thistles.
Eddie, I love reading your blog. I am hopeless at growing things from seed – even my sunflower seeds are taking ages to get going. My favourite colour is blue, so I LOVE your cornflowers. Enjoy the butterflies that your plants will attract. Andy LW (Mrs)
Have tried many times to grow a wild flower patch in my garden, failed too many times as well.
I gave up, lol and behold 2 years later it’s kind of established itself along the pathway. Wild daisies, cornflowers and evening primroses !!
Nature will find a way Eddie, usually does thankfully.
Eddie, your story about the wildflower seeds reminded me of when I planted seeds of the prickly plant sea holly. Only one fuzzy little pair of leaves came up, but I was so excited that I was growing sea holly from seed. I watered it and weeded it and tended it most carefully- until one day I realised that it was not a sea holly but a thistle that I was nurturing.
I love your wild garden full of birds and bees. I bet there are some lizards hiding there too.
that was a very funny story ! I haven’t seen any lizards yet,
love Eddie
Hi Eddie! We live in Idaho and part time in Montana. We have Canada thistle. Thistle seems to be able to grow anywhere! It is so hardy and invasive that it is classified as a noxious weed. There is a famous American named Benjamin Franklin that is said to have stated that in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. I think he forgot to add weeds. Good luck pulling them and wear some gloves! This time of year in Montana we have lots of birds including Sandhill cranes. They make the funniest sounds. We also have pronghorns, which are really fast but cannot jump well. We have to leave a gap in the fence so they can crawl underneath. Like your family, we have horses. Today, in the jumper ring, we saw big mountain lion tracks. Glad it came at night and not while I was riding! I enjoy your posts and you are a wonderful writer, photographer, naturalist, and observer. Thank you for making my day! Keep up the good work!
Eddie, I’ve been trying to make a wildflower patch for a couple of years and mine looks a bit like yours. It’s hard work keeping it going. There’s a wild flower called yellow rattle which is meant to weaken the grass so I’m going to try that.
You’ve probably got lots of mice and voles in yours as well as bees and birds.
Eddie – cornflowers= my favourite! You are lucky too to have bees, did you know they are not so common now? A friend of mine put in five hives to encourage them and they visit our tiny garden for pollen ! It’s a lot of work keeping a big garden like yours, but stick at it. It does pay off eventually. B
Lots of wild flowers and weeds! We saw a Red Kite twice last weekend in Harrogate. They have been reintroduced at Brimham Rocks and Harewood – so it probably came from one of those places.
I think someone has a lovely wry sense of humour. Keep them coming Eddie. You make me smile
thats nice blog
thank you Alison, love Eddie
I like reading your blogs Eddie. Don’t dig up your thistle plants. They are the food plant for the painted lady butterfly and a source of necture for peacock and meadow brown butterflies. Bees also like thistles.
Thats interesting, thank you Christine, I didn’t know that.
love from eddie
Eddie, I love reading your blog. I am hopeless at growing things from seed – even my sunflower seeds are taking ages to get going. My favourite colour is blue, so I LOVE your cornflowers. Enjoy the butterflies that your plants will attract. Andy LW (Mrs)
don’t worry about your sunflowers perhaps you should give them more water?
I love the cornflowers too,
love eddie
Ed, your lat sentence was the important one, reference, the bees, birds and lots of bugs being attracted to the wild areas!
Have tried many times to grow a wild flower patch in my garden, failed too many times as well.
I gave up, lol and behold 2 years later it’s kind of established itself along the pathway. Wild daisies, cornflowers and evening primroses !!
Nature will find a way Eddie, usually does thankfully.