Aw, nuts! Garden birds really can eat a lot...

COLD

temperatures in recent days have brought more birds flocking to our garden in search of food and shelter.

Our open compost heap was the favourite spot but now that we have finally got round to hanging bird feeders outside the kitchen window, activity has moved to the patio.

It is astonishing to see how quickly the resident population of Blue tits, Coal tits and Great tits can strip a bird feeder – the record is 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, the peanuts are proving popular with nuthatches and the Great Spotted Woodpecker, whose usual haunt is the woods at the top of the garden.

All are messy eaters so there is plenty too for the pheasants, robins and chaffinches that patrol beneath the feeders, pecking up anything that has fallen.

I find that having to replenish stocks of seed and nuts on a daily basis helps me engage with the garden, even on days when the lure of the log burner and Christmas movies on Netflix is strong.

Also, seeing squirrels attempting to raid supplies has reminded me that some of the bulbs that went into pots just last week are still without their protective covering of chicken wire.

If I don’t act fast, those bulbs will disappear, dug up and devoured once the chestnuts buried in the lawn have all gone.

I’ve already seen squirrels scratching around the grassy bank where I planted dozens of Snakeshead fritillaries. Who knows how many have been eaten.

And I fear for the crocuses under the magnolia. If they fail to appear in spring then next time round I’m going to have to strip off the grass, place a layer of chicken wire on top of freshly-planted bulbs, then relay the turf.

Meanwhile the pumpkin lanterns that have been leering at us from the top of the compost heap since Halloween have finally turned to pulp.

The same can’t be said of my neighbour’s Lili Marlene roses, which are still going strong, despite the lateness of the season and the attentions of the local deer population.

Lili Marlene is a good rose for almost any situation, able to cope with dappled shade and full sun.

It’s also useful for cutting and its crimson flowers are currently adding to the festive atmosphere of our neighbourhood.

I do love natural decorations but I’ve decided that this year I’ll pass on a wreath as I don’t think that banging a nail into our brand new front door in order to hang one would be a popular move.

I am, though, doing my bit to offset the blizzard of tinsel and plastic tat that currently festoons every room by squeezing in bowls of hyacinths and poinsettias.

I’ve gathered holly and ivy from the woods to decorate pictures and mirrors and filled vases with laurel and Skimmia rubella, adding in just a few stems of white roses for a spot of seasonal glamour.