After a bit of a gap...

We've just had the first task of the year - plugging the gaps the hedge.

Rather than just going out and buying more hedging plants, I was able to get hold of some birch saplings from Esher Common, where they are encroaching on heathland. Thank you to ranger Simon Bailey (pictured) for sorting these out.

Thanks also to Dan and Penny for their help in planting them on Sunday.

And while the garden is looking quiet wildlife-wise, we did have one spectator.

Phew!

At last the fence is complete. Annie and Gavin put in the last section a couple of weeks ago, and were glad to hear a surprising number of appreciative comments from passers-by as they did so.

But while the garden is now protected from less appreciative passers-by (and their dogs), it's suffering from the hot dry summer. Several of the hedging plants look to be on their last legs, and even the rampant red dead-nettle is starting to look tired.

protecting, promoting, prodding

Things have been happening at FuFWiG - not that you'd know it from this blog!

A sign has been put up, letting passers-by know what's of current interest among the garden's plants and wildlife, and a low wooden fence has been delivered and will be installed shortly, giving it better protection.

The spring bulbs came up OK, though we could have done with more to make an impact. Since then though, what's dominating is white dead-nettle, with hundreds of seedlings of fat-hen (from precisely one plant last year) and sycamore (from heaven knows where) popping up all over too.

I'd hoped for a more-or-less self-sustaining plant population, but it's clearly going to need a fair bit of intervention, this year at least.

come on birds - free food!

Hardest winter in decades, and the birds are heading townwards for food. Just not, so far, to FuFWiG - the bird feeder I put out at the weekend doesn't seem to have attracted any interest. Maybe they don't care for nyjer seeds?

Undaunted, we plan to have a bird box or two up soon as well.

FuFWiG's fame spreads!

Gavin and Annie were interviewed about the wildlife garden and the rest of the church's Green Group work, on this morning's Inspirit with Jumoke Fashola on BBC Radio London.

You can listen again via the web page for another seven days. The first segment, 1:36:00 in, is a bit hissy, the second, at 2:07:30, rather better - in fact you can even hear some occasional birdsong in the background.

latest FuFWiG resident

Well she may not add greatly to the habitat value of the garden, but she does impart a certain old-world charm, don't you think?

it's Tree O'Clock in the garden

As part of the BBC's Tree O'Clock attempt on the world simultaneous tree-planting record on Saturday 5 December, four of us bulked up the perimeter hedge with a further 37 native trees - courtesy of Adrian Hall Garden Centre and The Natural History Museum wildlife garden.

We'll find out shortly if the attempt was successful.