2010 – International Year of Biodiversity – A list of trees, flowers and plants in our Community Garden

Hello again
In the International Year of Biodiversity, it is our pleasure to share with you a list of tree, flower and bird species that have been identified in our Community Garden.
The list of English names has been supplied by our rural regeneration specialist, Graham Scott; your blogger has done her best to add Latin names and provide links to websites so you can see what we're talking about.
Your blogger is no specialist -- any feedback and corrections will be most warmly received. Simply use the comment box at the end of this post.
Catch you later... -- enjoy this magical spring.

Trees

Common Alder (Alnus glutinosa)

Grey Alder (Alnus incana)

Aspen (Populus tremula)

Downy Birch (Betula pubescens)

Oak (Quercus robur)

Sycamore Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Silver Birch (Betula pendula)

Wildflowers

Common Honeysuckle or Woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum)

Dog Rose (Rosa canina)

Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus)

Neophytes
A few remnants of Great Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum), Rosebay Willowherb
aka Canadian Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) and Himalayan Balsam aka Kiss-me-on-the-mountain aka Policeman's Helmet (Impatiens glandulifera) have survived last year's manual eradication.
Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) presents an ongoing problem and is being manually eradicated because herbicides don't really do the job.

Birds

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) 

Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)

Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Swift (Apus apus)

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) -- last Monday, a mother Mallard had ten ducklings in the burn!

Rook (Corvus frugilegus)

Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)

Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Robin (Erithacus rubercula)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
Treeereeper (Certhia familiaris)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

The veggies are growing in our Organic Garden

An update from our gardener, Graham Scott:

"Purple broccolli showing new heads, also kale; tatties starting to show, onions and garlic doing well; Jerusalem artichokes showing.

Sourced logs from Glencruitten for [shiitake] mushrooms.

http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Vegetable+Plants/List/?utm_

Mini greenhouse set up soon for tomatoes, pumpkins, melons.

Plant out soon: nasturtiums, sweet peas, re-pot sunflowers.

Herb garden doing well: Mecanopsis (himalayan blue poppy) about to bloom as is Astilbe; rhubarb de-flowered to promote growth.

Planted sweet corn, put in supports for peas.

Taken up planting containers in No.8 Miller Rd. patio, helped by neighbouring child; sown carrots in troughs; will soon plant half tub with beans and nasturtiums. Vertical plastic pipes along wire fence will be planted with strawberries.

As the ongoing environmental (food imports) situation unfolds, the need for locally grown food is again underlined.