Last year I planted up a living lid - a sort of scaled down version of a living roof. It was planted up with a variety of sedum and sempervivum.
Something had been up to no good. My first thought was that the blackbirds had been rootling (is that a word?) about but the compost in the trays that form my living lid is mulched with pebbles. I don't really expect blackbirds to forage amongst pebbles especially when they are raised above ground level. We do occasionally see a squirrel in the garden but not often and I haven't noticed it recently. So who is responsible for turning this...
Into this ...?
Some plants have been moved from one tray to another and left loosely on the surface. Large plants have disappeared altogether leaving just their scattered 'babies' behind. I'll have to reset the plants and buy some more to fill in the gaps - but will the culprit return and carry out more acts of vandalism. Maybe I need to set up a CCTV camera to catch the villain red pawed or beaked!
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Do you have any bother with cats? They could think it's a litter tray. Hubby had just dug over the border at the front of the house last week, and by the time he'd walked around the back, I could see a cat using the area for it's toilet. They're such pests. Hope you catch the culprit.
ReplyDeleteWe do have a few cats cause problem, Jo but I don't think this would be them. The lid is over a foot off the ground and usually the cats prefer softer earth rather than pebbles.
DeleteOooo it's those sparrows! They have been pinching and messing with my plants when I least expect it. However it could be cats as Jo says. I look forward to seeing the CCTV of the culprit! Chel x
ReplyDeleteI can't see sparrows shifting the pebbles about Chel as they are quite big and also the sempervivums that disappeared were fairly big too. We get sparrows having dust baths but I don't think they'd enjoy pebble baths! I've a feeling CCTV would be too late as there hasn't been any recent disturbance!
DeleteThat is a bit of a mystery. I would think birds. Jo has made good point about the cats though.
ReplyDeleteSo do you think cats would climb onto trays of pebbles, Kelli.
DeleteI know this is highly unlikely but I have just spent an hour watching one of my neigbours chickens scratching around in some gravel with glee.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason that it is unlikely, Jo is that we don't have any chickens living anywhere nearby otherwise not so bad a thought.
DeleteBirds seeking out nesting material? Or vandalous blackbirds who think they spot a worm?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they thought the fleshy leaves looked as juicy as worms, Mal
DeleteWhat a wonderful word....rootling! Love it. Our birds rootle through everything, even pebbles so it could still be birds. It's so annoying though isn't it? xxxx
ReplyDeleteI looked up rootling, Snowbird and it does exist and means 'to dig with snout' so I haven't invented a word. Reminds me of when I thought I'd invented wodge as in a wodge of paper and found it was a real word that meant 'a large piece or amount of something'. It's a but scary - does it mean that I used these words in a former life?
DeleteI'd bet it was squirrels!
ReplyDeletePossibly Tanya
DeleteI have only one word to say: Foxes...?
ReplyDeleteI don't think so Mark - I've never seen foxes in the garden and the lid is close to the house and raised up and covered with pebbles when there would be fat more parts that are more fox friendly and likely to conceal worms!
DeleteInteresting, the trays are off the ground aren't they? So I guess it has to be birds. How annoying for you though. I have something that likes to burrow into manure whenever I put it down as mulch - the next day it is sprayed everywhere!
ReplyDeleteWe do have lots of blackbirds, Jo and they do rootle about a lot!
DeleteI think it was some birds who did that, because I've seen birds pulling out plants and digging around them. But the question is why? What were they looking for among these pebbles?
ReplyDeleteUnless it was the fleshy plants that they were interested in, Dewberry
DeleteBlackbirds - they have done exactly the same with my sempervivums - scattered all over the paving
ReplyDeleteI guess that settles it then Elaine - until I find out otherwise blackbirds are the prime suspects!
DeleteWhat a nuisance Sue! It seems like there's always a pest around ready to destroy our hard work. I hope you find out who the culprit is. Will you be able to net the area at all?
ReplyDeleteCan't really net Paula as it would look a bit of a sight in the garden.
DeleteIf we are going with birds then maybe it's more likely to be magpies...they like to get the shiny stuff...maybe the sun has caught on the pebbles and attracted them...of course when they landed they would then search for what they now wouldn't be able to see??
ReplyDeleteOr it could be that the fleshy leaves look like juicy worms, Tanya
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