One of my favourite visitors to the garden - Orinoco the barn owl

Snowdrops in the undergrowth a sign that milder weather is on its way

Always enjoy my time maintaining the wildlife friendly banking area

Always enjoy my time maintaining the wildlife friendly banking area adjacent to the railway line on the grow your own scheme utilising experience I gained during the onsite phase 1 and phase 2 habitat surveys, the reptile survey and from habitat management and wildlife ID training workshops facilitated by officers from Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Barrow"s Wildside Project. The habitat management and wildlife ID workshops were provided with funding the project received from The Peoples Health Trust

Hoping to see a large variety of wildlife on the Green Heart Den again this year

A good a time as any to begin clearing weeds and dead plants from my planters

Enjoyable time spent creating and managing the wildlife friendly banking

I am looking forward to the inhabitant common lizards and slow worms emerging again in spring

Common Lizards and slow worms are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, against being intentionally killed, injured or sold/traded in any way.

Thinning out brambles and shrubs adjacent to the poly tunnel

Searching for food in the undergrowth

Taking a little time to clean out some of the bird feeders

A frosty start to the day

Autumn life in the undergrowth

Providing some of the colour in the planted borders

Taking advantage of a break in the rain and I finally complete maintenance to the wildlife friendly banking

Thinning out some of my strawberry plants, removing weeds and turning over the soil before transplanting the healthiest plants.

I thought to make an early start on maintaining the wildlife friendly area

An hour or so maintaining the wildlife friendly banking while the sun was out

While onsite tidying my raised planters I thought I would begin trimming the wildlife friendly banking area, clearing away dead plants, thinning out various grasses and taking care not to disturb any of the inhabitant protected species (slow worms and common lizards) that may not have gone into hibernation yet.

Weather permitting I should be able to complete this tomorrow.

Maintaining my planters in between the showers

Still a little more work needed but that can wait for a drier day

A comma butterfly feeding on blackberries

Its that time of year again.......planning for next years crops

Hover flies taking advantage of some late flowering calendula

Seasonal colour in the planted borders