Practical Ecology

Nature Switched On

 

 

 

 


in the Pyrenees  the first 10 years

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gallery 1: 2006-2012
gallery 2: 2012-

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                         a   S T A M M E R  project              

2008 March 20.21 & 22, Thursday, Friday & Saturday


Special Easter surprise: this is how we found 6 plants we planted last week. Without much doubt the work of a badger or wild pig who just wanted to have a bite at the young fresh leaves. The roots hadn't had the time yet to develop so the plants were easily lifted. I must admit that some of my deeply buried hunter instinct surfaced but was readily dismissed together with reflections about fencing the whole terrain. The fact remains that probably the same animal is responsible for the uncountable holes in the ground destroying the valuable vegetation layer. These holes are related to another but much more benign 'tillage' of the soil: the heaps of earthworms, the same animals the badger is looking for.

 

 


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Uprooted Sweet cherry (Prunus avium) on the lower northern terrace.
Thursday 11:38

Apart from the apparent damage, these activities will also introduce seeds from outside and create special germinating conditions.
Thursday 11:55

Endless worm heaps on the higher western terrace.
Thursday 11:46
 

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Spring is here and this Violet decided to celebrate it. Last year I had observed it outside the terrain at a distance of only 20 meters but now it appeared also on the terrain on two different places.

 

Many other plants are waking up although not so prompt with flowers as the Violet.
Spectacular is the appearance of Orchis purpurea on numerous new sites which I reported last week. Probably instead of really new sites it is a case of capricious behaviour for which Orchids are notorious, appearing one year and then keeping quiet for some time.

 

Viola odorata (o willcommmi?) in the half shadow on the central terrace.
Saturday 10:05

 

A new siting of Lady orchid (Orchis purpurea) on the central terrace, below some Dogwood shrubs.
Saturday 10:18
 

 
   
 

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In the not mown areas many plants still have their last year's stems, clearly having a function in the dissemination of their seeds. It offers a special sight, not something you will see in a well kept ornamental garden. At least insect, spiders and birds will appreciate these structures for lodging and nest building. Here a graphical account of some examples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sanguisorba minor.
Friday 9:35

Cephalaria leucantha.
Saturday 10:08

Euphorbia cyparissias.
Friday 9:34
 

 

 

 

Ononis natrix.
Saturday 9:43

 

Galium fruticescens.
Friday 9:36

 
 

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Two photographs from the highest southern terrace. Brachypodium retusum is a perennial grass that must be greatly valued for its soil protecting and consolidating properties especially on terraces like these.

 

The persistence of the dry 'beehives' of Prunella laciniata is remarkable. Young green leaves are appearing at their base in the moss layer.

 

In the centre a line of Brachypodium retusum.
Looking south-east.
Saturday 9:32
 

 
  Prunella laciniata.
Looking south-east.
Saturday  9:28
 

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White (or Common) Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) has never been away and has managed to maintain this aspect throughout winter.

 

 

In the mown area Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris) is standing out and seems to take advantage of the mowing.

 

 

 

Marrubium vulgare in the lower right corner near the pond.
Looking south.
Saturday 10:14
 

 
  Mown area on the lower northern terrace with the light green patches of Silene vulgaris.
Looking north-west.
Saturday 9:58
 
 

The foundation trench for the garden shed. The bottom is well tamped and has a slight slope to drain the water to the lowest point.
Looking east.
Saturday 10:01

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A little bit more radical is taking away the complete vegetation layer, something that really few plant species will appreciate.
This is in fact the opening of a whole new chapter in our ongoing project of 'switching on nature': the construction of our own house and to start with, as a kind of finger exercise, the construction of a garden shed.

 
 

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The house will be built according to ecological and bioclimatic principles. Our architect has finished the official project and it is now in the hands of the authorities for approval. When it is approved we will of course comment more about it. The garden shed is a minor project of 20 m2 and has recently been approved.

 
 

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So we started with the foundation of the garden shed. A neighbour of ours is a lorry driver and was so kind to deliver several tons of hard rock from a construction site in the village. These will be used to build the foundation with. The climate and soil conditions are such that a very sophisticated and solid foundation is not necessary.
This weekend I finished the digging of half of the necessary trenches. These trenches will then receive a first layer of 5 to 10 cm gravel for drainage on which the rock wall will be built with lime mortar to a total height of 55 cm (at its deepest point 45 cm below ground level) .

Gravel is abundantly available at the nearby river. Three trips sufficed to get the necessary 1.5 tons (almost 1 m3) of gravel.

 

 
The heap of stones at the entrance.
Looking north-west.
Photograph taken on 2 March 8:45
 
  A bank of gravel nicely sorted by the river itself.
Our terrain is just at the other side of the mountain.
Saturday 11:33

introduction
floristic catalogue
faunistic catalogue
contact
index
gallery 1: 2006-2012
gallery 2: 2012-

map
>> 2008 Mar 29
<< 2008 Mar 15

 

 

 


 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Latest revision on:  01/08/2018