Rose Cottage Ltd

“Daisy” has been on her nest nearly 24/7 for the past week. I got a quick glimpse yesterday and there are 3 eggs in her nest. Last year she ended up with 6 goslings so it looks like she’s about half-way through her “processing” for this season.

She seems to have appreciated my “home-building” assistance by my giving her ready access to some straw for her nest. She’s made good use of it!

We showed some unique birdbaths earlier this week so now we’re viewing a few unique birdhouses to go with them!

Sag Harbor Birdhouse – Blue with Mansard Roof

Novelty Cottage Birdhouse (White)

Country Cottage Birdhouse (Blue)

Garden Pavilion Birdhouse – Large

You’ll find hundreds of birdhouse options and articles plus info on what type of house specific birds need for their prospective families – at The Bird Shed.

Oh please, for Summer 2013, give me some time to sit and enjoy all my yard work and when I have that, give me a nice place to sit!

Garden benches provide yet another way to create a spot of peaceful enjoyment in your garden. Here are 3 of my personal favorites:

Traditional Straight Garden Bench

Tribute Bench

Curved Dragonfly Garden Bench

For those who need a “sit-me-down” but in a smaller space, how about this Faux Bois seat instead of a bench?

Faux Bois Seat

The distinctive and impressive look of the Faux Bois (from the French, meaning “false wood”) Seat will add style and beauty to your garden or patio. This seat for one is versatile and beautiful, the look of real wood is actually durable and long lasting cast stone! And NO termites!

For hundreds of options in fountains, benches, statuary, and other cast stone items, visit Garden-Fountains.com. Many items offer Free shipping in the US! Click your item of choice for secret sale codes and shipping info…

If you want to build a new garden structure for 2013 – be it a small birdhouse or a large garden shed, you’ll find easy-to-follow plans, materials lists and blueprints here. There are several plans for small storage sheds I really like. I can take the materials list to Lowes and quickly figure out the cost to build…

Don’t know anything about Aquaponics?

This break-through organic gardening secret grows you up to 10 times the plants in half the time – and the fish do most of the work!

This sounds great for me. I’ve been feeding my lake’s fish for years – time for those freeloaders to give back!

Here are a few birdbath selections that will add a bit of style to your garden while giving birds a place to take a “splash” as the weather warms and Summer 2013 approaches.

Free shipping on many items…

LOVE the French Blue!

Butterfly Birdbath in French Blue

Riviera Blue BirdBath

Make sure this one below goes in a location safe for birds!

Leaf Shell Birdbath

Stocking your garden pond with the right kind of plant life is not only an exercise in aesthetics, but it’s also essential for the health of the water and any marine life within it. Locating your pond in a sunlit area will help the lifespan of your greenery, whilst setting it in early spring will give your plants the best chance of becoming established. You should endeavour to make at least a small area of your pond a meter or more in depth to provide shelter for pond life in very hot or cold weather.

Plants to Encourage

Bog plants are well suited to the marshy soil around the borders of the pond, conditions which can be enhanced by extending the pond liner under the first few feet of soil around the pond. Primula, water mint, horse tails and rushes grow well here.

Shallow water marginal plants include irises, rushes and sedges. Taller, grass like plants such as Sweet Flag and Baumea provide attractive greenery at the borders of a pond, and flowering plants like Baldellia and Buttercups provide colour. In deeper margins, flowering plants such as Pontederia Dilatata or Royal Pickeral, Sagittaria and larger rushes thrive. If you have a very large pond and want something spectacular, the South American Gunnera, which can grow up to 3 meters in height with a 4 meter spread, makes a showy statement.

Depending on the size of your pond, lilies and other deep water plants such as Nymphoides Peltata add interest, but these require an absolute minimum of two meters in depth. For smaller ponds, Pygmy water lilies are ideal.

Floating plants provide cover for fish and look wonderful even in smaller ponds, although it’s very important to select a species that will be happy with the space you have available. While some floating plants can go on to become rampant pests in open waterways, most can be controlled with proper care within the confines of a small pool. Salvinia has pretty bright green leaves, Water Hyacinths, which have rubbery foliage and delicate flowers, are also a good addition, as are rare natives like Stratiotes aloides. It’s important not to let deep water plants get too large, as they can take up too much oxygen.

Your pond will need oxygenators to provide food and cover for wild life as well as adding oxygen to the pond. Plants that grow too vigorously can upset the balance, so care must be taken here. Pondweeds, some of which produce small surface flowers in the summer, are a good start. Water Starwort has star-shaped rosettes of oval leaves that provide cover for aquatic insects, although it can be a little tricky to establish, Spike Rushes will do well in shallower ponds, and Water Violets produce beautiful tall flower stems.

Plants to Avoid

Some plants are best avoided, as they can grow rapidly and engulf the pond. Stay well clear of species like Water Primrose, Water Fern, Parrots Feather, New Zealand Pigmyweed, Floating Pennywort, Curly Waterweed, Canadian Pondweed and Nuttalls Pondweed. Unfortunately, additions of these plants are not always intentional, as ponds can be infected when water is transferred between them, or when water from an outside watercourse enters the pond. Look out for fast growing plants that you don’t remember planting, and if a plant appears to be taking over, identify it and research proper removal techniques for that species. If in doubt, DEFRA provides fact sheets and information on most invasive species.

Planting

In lined ponds, the best way to incorporate plants is to settle them into aquatic baskets. Use larger baskets for taller plants. Use aquatic potting soil, never regular potting compost, and top baskets off with gravel without burying the plant’s leaves. Water in well and gently lower the basket to its final position – larger plants may need to be moved down gradually as they grow.

Nurturing your Pond

Ponds that smell strongly are likely to be oxygen deficient and full of decaying matter, fish gulping near the surface or near water streams also indicate low oxygen levels. Vigorous algal growth means that there is too much carbon dioxide in the water. As well as looking out for these signs, it’s worth doing the occasional oxygen test and adding water balancers if needed. You can also use an aeration device such as a fountain to increase oxygenation.

Marginals need to be re-potted annually. Lift them gently from the water and remove any hitch-hikers. These plants can have very fragile roots, so take care not to damage them. For plants that grow in clumps, carefully remove and divide them into new, hessian lined pots. Regularly sieve out algae if it is growing too quickly and remove overgrown pondweed with a rake.

Prepare your pond for winter by cutting back vegetation to prevent falling leaves from accumulating in the pond and rotting, and remove fallen leaves periodically. Turn off fountains to reduce water disturbance, as fish will seek out warmer water at the bottom of the pond. If it freezes over, make holes using warm water (do not shatter the ice as it will cause shockwaves that disturb fish) to allow oxygenation. Switch to winter fish food such as wheatgerm pellets, as fish do not digest protein easily in cold weather.

Author: This post was written by Walter Bucket, the home and garden blogger from UK Water Features. When he’s not pondering over his ponds at home, he can be found designing garden wall art and topiary balls for gardens around the UK.

This flu is the pits! I was feeling a bit better Monday but in the last two days most of the symptoms have made some sort of weird comeback! So in my whiny misery I was out on the internet looking for some comic relief and sure enough, I found some…

I don’t know about you, but being a life-long dog owner, I would take the message AS a message, and find another bone!

Spring arrived yesterday but you couldn’t tell it here in North Carolina. High around 42 degrees today and I’ve seen winds on my weather station to 22 mph. But, tomorrow is Friday and at least the sun was shining. I’ll take it!

New Guide! “Training Your Dog.”

While I was lying around the house all weekend suffering with various flu symptoms I couldn’t help but think about all the things I would be doing if I could get outside. Cato still needed his “walkies” so out we went – him on the lead in one hand, and my trusty box of Kleenex in the other. We saw our first black snake of the year – not great news, but it was quickly obvious that on one of the warmest days of 2013 so far, wild birds are – everywhere.

I did manage to refill my main bird feeder nearest the house on Friday but it’s the time of year to decide if I need a new bird feeder – or two, and to make sure the bird baths are ready for whatever this summer might bring.

Here are a few options for your feathered visitors…this first item will help deter the inevitable squirrels who always focus on whatever bird feeder you put out!

Squirrel Buster Plus

Keep big birds and squirrels; both red and gray, from hogging your bird seed! The Squirrel Buster’s adjustable, weight-sensitive, metal skirt drops down with the weight of a squirrel or large bird and the six seed ports are closed off instantly.Use the included “cardinal ring” to give cardinals extra perching room – it lets them face their food supply, which is a more comfortable position for cardinals.

If you decide not to use the cardinal ring, each of the 6 perches can be twisted in and shortened to further discourage the large birds. Includes a Manufacturer’s Lifetime Guarantee.

Holds approximately 3-1/2 pounds of any seed or seed mix.

Size: 28 inches tall.

Cardinal Fly Thru Eco-Feeder

This is pretty cool!

Cardinals can perch or enter from two large entry holes on either end or through the acrylic sides. The large feeding area lets you offer any seed or blend, even pieces of fruit.

Constructed of heavy-duty, 1/8 inch clear acrylic with durable, recycled plastic that keeps it’s vibrant color and good looks for years. Hang with built-in hanging loop.

Size: Dimensions are 11-1/2 x 12 x 9-3/4 inches tall.

Want to make sure your kids get outside this summer? Get them excited about Hummingbirds with this First Flight DVD.

A beautiful film about Honey the hummingbird and her brood.

Sensitively and exquisitely filmed with stunning close-ups, documentary filmakers Noriko and Don Carroll follow a mother hummingbird whose nest has been built on a clothesline under their porch roof. Honey, the female black chinned hummingbird, repairs last year’s nest and then raises her new brood, all shown in incredible closeups beginning with the eggs hatching and continuing as they learn to preen and practice with their wings. Watch Honey as she nurtures her babies and bravely protects them from the family cat until finally they take their first flight.

45 minutes long.

New Guide! “Thousands of Landscaping Ideas.”

This isn’t my dog Cato, but I’m pretty sure this is on his preferred list of weekend activities. I haven’t told him yet that I have the flu. Somehow I don’t think watching YouTube videos of dogs running and playing will help…Mucinex to the rescue!

More great pictures from Paul Retherford…

Happy Weekend!

Everyone, especially hard-working adults, needs to shop for toys once and awhile. Even if you aren’t in the market for a particular product, looking at all the cool stuff available is IMHO – good for the soul.

Here are a few new and “cool” products for the great outdoors 2013…

How about a Eco-explorer Boat for your 2013 water adventures? And it’s on sale right now!

This rugged inflatable boat turns ordinary excursions on lakes, ponds, or calm seas into educational water explorations you’ll never forget.

A saltwater-resistant, 300,000-candlepower submersible light lures water creatures near so you can see them through the boat’s clear-vinyl floor window. When deflated, it packs compactly for travel.

You’ll want to be wearing a “Boat Day Aloha Shirt” to really look legit!

I looked at getting this Night Vision Binocular last year but didn’t. If I can find enough “coin” this year, these are on the list!

Lightweight and compact night vision binoculars extend your explorations to the once unknowable realms of darkness so you can see what wildlife roams at night.

The state-of-the-art intensifier tubes provides the brightest image possible with 2.5X fixed-focus or 5X magnification. If you need to see in complete darkness, switch on the powerful integrated infrared illuminator. Multicoated glass optics allow a wide field of view at 200 feet and feature precise click-ocular focusing. Housed in a rubberized, ergonomic, water-resistant body.

I would think kids would have a blast with these during those “sleeping out in the backyard” tent nights!

Here’s a great product to have if you’re heading out for a day’s hike!

The National Geographic Mini Weather Clip clips to your backpack or belt loop, and always have the day’s forecast at your fingertips.

Icons display current condition, temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity, as well as digital time and forecasts for the next eight hours. Carabiner clip flips around to become a desktop stand.

Batteries included.