Practical Ecology

Nature Switched On

 

 

 

 


in the Pyrenees  the first 10 years

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gallery 1: 2006-2012
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>> 2010 Jul  8
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                         a   S T A M M E R  project              

2010 June 18 to July 2


 

 

 

 

 

Two pictures giving a nice overview, taken from the centre of the terrain and looking in opposite directions. The yellow colour in the picture on the left is from Santolina chamaecyparissus (and some Senecio jacobaea) while the white on the right is from Orlaya grandiflora, which is flowering abundantly for a month now.

 

Near the ponds there appears every year a spot with Wild oat grass (Avena fatua). It is a fearful weed in cereal fields but here it is quite decorative when the sun shines through it.

 


WWW   NSO

 

On the extreme left, an overview looking north-west, on the left an overview looking south-east.
26 Jun 10:18 and 10:17 resp.

At the back on the left, the golden white shining of Avena fatua.
26 Jun 10:10
 
 

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Other (grass) species are also surprisingly photogenic when the sun shines through them (see also May 26th 2007 and June 16th 2007). The sun gives the photograph more depth and literally highlights the flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Koeleria pyramidata on the higher western terrace.
18 Jun 17:26

 

 


Stipa iberica on the higher western terrace.
18 Jun 17:25

Introduced by us but still without offspring: Digitalis lutea in the penumbra of the wood.
21 Jun 10:30
 

 


From left to right: Echium vulgare (purple), Sideritis hirsutis (yellow-white),  Ononis natrix (yellow), Orlaya grandiflora (white) and more Ononis natrix.
Lowest terrace, looking north-west.
18 Jun 17:50

 

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While some species have clearly been favoured by the abundant spring showers, others seem to be less pleased with some much humidity. This seems to be the case of Verbascum blattaria whose numerous dead stalks from last year are still present and erect but who is very poorly represented this year with only a handful of individuals.

 
  Verbascum blattaria on the lowest terrace, looking south-east.
21 Jun 10:55
 

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Carduus tenuiflorus has a very good year and appears on many new places.

 

 

 
A Sympetrum dragonfly on Carduus tenuiflorus near the ponds.
21 Jun 10:48
 
 

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The green roof is not exactly green these days. It is dominated by the white flowers of Sedum album and Sedum  anglicum. The yellow Sedum acre has finished flowering while the next species to flower is Sedum reflexum (yellow) and then S. sediforme (white).

 

 

 





In principle I didnīt want any more vegetation on the house. Camouflage is not really necessary and the clear walls add character. But now I have been forced to plant two Ivy (Hedera helix) plants against the north wall. Some weeks ago there was a severe downpour of rain and the drain from the old wine barrel couldnīt cope with all the water which accumulated on the roof and then came down along some streams near the window causing erosion. I made an extra hole in the barrel for these emergency cases but am also convinced of taking some extra countermeasures to avoid this easy erosion of the earth plaster. I suppose that the other walls are sufficiently protected by the large overhang but the overhang of the north wall is only 40 cm which is clearly insufficient.
Another solution could be painting the walls with lime or another paint for more protection against rain but we like the colour and texture of the earth, which is also easy to repair.
Letīs see if the Ivy can hold on to the wall and offer a satisfactory protection.

 

 
Looking south from the green roof, with the green house at the back.
25 Jun 9:28
 
From left to right: Sedum sediforme (not flowering), one rosette of Sempervivum tectorum, 3 groups of Sedum anglicum (white flowers, low),  one group of S. reflexum (yellow flowers) and one group of S. album (white flowers, higher).
25 Jun 9:30 
 

 

 

Looking north.
29 Jun 9:03

   2 Ivy plants fixed temporarily with cords to the north wall, near the most vulnerable zone of the window.
26 Jun 9:31
 

The vegetable garden, looking north-west. The yellow and white flowers are from the green fertilizers, resp. Lotus corniculatus and Trifolium repens.
28 Jun 11:02

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Another pair of pictures, giving here an overview of the vegetable garden. It is doing reasonably well, after a slow start in the relatively cold and wet spring, but I am still in a stage of learning and experimenting. The basic ideas are clear: no-tillage, green fertilizers, straw mulch, crop rotation and no pesticides or herbicides. No doubt that with these methods one cannot get record productions but that is not exactly our biggest obsession; also because the amount of labour (and money) invested is much less, due to the complete absence of digging and the lesser necessity of weeding and watering.

 

 

 

The vegetable garden, looking east. The Jerusalum artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) at the back has reached already 1.5m.
28 Jun 11:04

The greenhouse interior with Zucchini on the left and Broccoli (blue-green) on the right.
28 Jun 11:07
 


This Zucchini is doing remarkably well in the shallow soil of the wooden box in the greenhouse, probably thanks to the mulch of straw.
29 Jun 9:05

 

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This young Ocellated Lizard (Timon lepidus) is now a faithful tenant of the greenhouse. In the afternoon it can usually be found near the entrance, waiting for its prey.

 

 
Many times we find this Ocellated Lizard in this position near the open side window, bathing in the morning sun and/or hunting.
2 Jul 8:59
 
 

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The Great tits still appreciate some rinds of cheese which they mainly use to feed their youngsters.

 

A Great tit on the bird feeder in front of the house.
1 Jul 8:49

 

 

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I started with the first haymaking of the season. Fairly early, as the vegetation was still quite green and growing, but I want to spread the labour as well as the supply of hay for the vegetable garden. Besides, this spreading over the season is favourable for wildlife diversity.

 

 

 
I usually start with this area, quite infested by brambles which might suffocate some shrubs of Portuguese oak and Barberry.
30 Jun 20:22 
 

 

A pleasant evening sun over our īfront gardenī.
30 Jun 20:52

introduction
floristic catalogue
faunistic catalogue
contact
index
gallery 1: 2006-2012
gallery 2: 2012-
map
>> 2010 Jul  8
<< 2010 May 30

 

 

 


 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latest revision on:  01/08/2018