Currently at Lisdoonan Herbs...............                                      2010

This has been an eventful year meteorologically. The severe winter caught most gardeners by surprise and as we were in the USA we didn't even have the chance to respond. We lost Melianthus, some olives and many rosemaries; other things were severely cut back. We have been re-designing part of the garden which has involved earth-moving, wall building and relocation of plants. In spite of this by June the garden is again looking lovely, with tree paeonies putting on a great show. The vegetable garden is beginning to catch up from its late start and the fruit is under way again. The fanciful idea that the hard winter will have reduced the population of pests was predictably optimistic. Slugs and snails and saw-flies are thriving, but so is our ever increasing frog and bird population.

Earthworks for the new garden development	Almost completed (early May 2010)
Lord Anson's blue pea, Lathyrus nervosus survived the winter in the unheated greenhouse	Relocated grass paths are becomming established

As usual we participated in the RSPB annual bird survey, and recorded a reasonable quota of common garden species. Our small flocks of goldfinches and long-tailed tits went into hiding for the occasion; perhaps our neighbours benefited. Our seed-feeders have attracted a small flock of redpolls. Our attemps at attracting swifts by playing a CD of swift song have so far failed, fortunate perhaps as the swift box has been home to a family of starlings.