[garden cottage]

moles are back in the paddock and digging like its the great escape, 3 traps set check tomorrow, cockerel running round very randy think hes in the mood for luv. any spring events from the members? heavy snow forecast wed can you believe it.....................neil

[sandy]

I have/had an erge to  spring clean!!! also, loads of bulbs are pussing through.....men always want to propergate 

[SuzyJ]

Blummin moles dig my garden up all year round here!

Spring is slowly starting here, plenty of buds on the trees and I'm sure I saw some flowers seedlings appearing, although we've had snow today with more cold weather forecast which might knock things a little bit, still it's not far away.

[shetlandpaul]

sorry to spoil your fun its mid jan plenty of winter to come.

[Rosemary]

Nah, got to be hopeful. We have randy cockerels and I have discarded my longjohns in favour of waterproof trousers. Must be spring!

[JulieS]

Not sure about spring yet.....but lots of moles here.  Any ideas of how to get rid of them?

[sandy]

Yesterday  I went out without a coat....mind you had a long sleeved T SHirt, a jumper and a fleece!!!!

[Wizard]

Haven't you noticed how the daylight is lasting longer? and starting earlier The Island lights went off before 7.30 am this morning

[JulieS]

It's definitely nicer now the days are getting longer.  It was almost 5.30 when I put the chickens away yesterday.   

[sellickbhoy]

woohooo


at long last, i can use my whole driveway, no more driving in/reversing out. I can drive in, down to th ebottom, turn and back up again - been over a month!!!

my drive is on a bit of a slope, so any frost/ice means the van gets trapped!

All the snow is off the raised beds and I can see my garlic again - it's looking well.

Now, i've several big jobs to get started on - dismantle the old raised beds, turn the tonnes of manuare and 5 compost bins I have been filling up over the last 2 years, hire a mini digger to level parts of my garden so I can mark out my planned polytunnel and build my new raised beds

exciting stuff!!!!

Then i've to get some chickens!!!! Oh, the chickens might come first!

[doganjo]

And that's as well as all your deliveries of these super boxes?

[juliag]

bulbs coming through, beautiful day yesterday, bit gloomy today! Bloody moles, we have mountains not hills! Days are definitly getting longer, now signs of grass growing yet though. chickens egg laying has picked up............or maybe i am just finding all their hiding places. 

[Sylvia]

The oak tree looking red with buds (still a long way off I know but....) Fat green buds on the hazels, days lengthening, though you still have to measure. Crows and buzzards pairing up, me looking through seed catalogues and planning, planning, planning!!!!

[garden cottage]

using scissor traps on moles, dont touch them with hands use old gloves rub with soil, if traps are new soak them in a bucket with muck in to get rid of scent, use a steel pin or bar to feel for runs between mounds only dig enough out to put trap in run, cover with bucket brick on top,mr mole will travel around all the new and old runs looking for worms in the tunnels, when you set the spring trap put the ring on the very edge to make it more sensitive, check daily and reset if needed, had great success last year using these cleared all the moles from my ground, this years moles have come in from adjoining field. now its war

[JulieS]

Many thanks garden cottage.....I'm going to try that