Sept - April on the Uni Garden 🪏
It’s been my happy place, my safe space 🌿

Happy #nationalgardeningweek folks 🪴

Been on a trip to Callander with Uni this weekend, clearing invasive rhododendrons. Today we rounded things off with a proper nice walk up to Bracklinn Falls, where we were treated to views of a red squirrel in the sun. Cracking way to spend the weekend! Worked hard, played hard!

Great to be back on the uni plot, where we planted broad beans, made holes in the fence for hedgehogs to pass through and sowed wildflower seeds.
Top day 🌱

I’m proud to be an Ambassador for the Wildlife Garden Directory who are celebrating their 1st anniversary! 💚🥳🎉

Sign up today or check out the website to find a local wildlife-friendly gardener! 🌱
wildlifegardendirectory.org.uk

Please give them a follow: @wildlifegardenproj.bsky.social

All I can say is WOW!
It's been a year in the planning and we finally made it out to the Coto Doñana National Park in Huelva. Staying in El Rocío just South of Seville, we saw a grand total of 21 new species from Night Herons to Marbled Ducks, from Woodchat Shrike to Booted Eagles.

3million….ish 😜

Magical walk in Hermitage Woods t’other day, stumbled across a carpet of snowdrops, it was off the beauty scale!

Another cold one on the community garden today, not stopping us from getting stuck in tho. We chopped down some bamboo for canes in the growing season. And checked in on our seedlings, happy to say the sweet peas and broadbeans have germinated!

Gardening gang poker - it’s a thing 🌿

Mum in Manchester with her group vs me in Stirling with mine. Same time, same rain 🌧️

Twas a nice sunny sesh on the garden today, where we pruned our raspberries, took some tree cuttings, sowed some early tomatoes and peppers and planted an alder tree.
This was my first session as garden-lead, pretty productive, proper chuffed!

Played my part in the annual @rspb.bsky.social #BigGardenBirdwatch spotting, blue & great tit, robin, dunnock and goldfinch. Whilst this isn't as many species as I hoped to see, it's still really important data that will play its part in this top class citizen science project.

‘Are you still gardening George?’ As I return to Uni, I can categorically say I’ve been living the ‘Uni life’, partying hard and getting up late, so a question I get asked a lot is, ‘are you still gardening George?’, the answer, ye…

Am I still gardening? Yes I am !!
Read all about the uni’s community garden here 👇
wp.me/p6YBUs-23B

Today Dad, Bud and I had a wee walk past Harridge Pike and down Brushes, our last walk together before I head back to uni. However, the next time we’ll be walking together, will be in Spain in March !

Wetland Woodland as a Flood Defence YouTube video by Green Fingered George

In light of the recent flooding events in my local area on New Year’s Eve & NY Day. I wanted to do a piece on how wetland woodland can act as a great natural flood defence, and why you shouldn't build 150 new houses on one ☝️
youtu.be/mda2y_Wektw?...

A much needed walk after the season’s excess, and nowhere better for that than Lathkill Dale. Whilst we didn't see much in the way of wildlife, I did find a brachiopod fossil, which is pretty cool!

A top day, finished off with a few beers at @thornbridge.bsky.social 👌🏼

Took a lovely misty walk in the woods beneath our house as I wanted to show my Dad this flooded area that I recently found. It's nothing special but given time, could mature into a beautiful wetland woodland. Lovely to see some ‘shrooms & dewy moss in the winter light

🎄 🎄 MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone, have a good one 🎄🎄

A bit of a soggy gardening session today, but no matter! We were busy tidying up the pond and breaking down pallets to use in the greenhouse.
The highlight of the day for me, was finding loads of pea clams in our pond! Am such a geek 🥸

Day 2 - am leading 3 Q&A wildlife gardening workshops.
This place tho, it’s just phenomenal, like a James Bond movie set. Am loving filling my belly with good grub too. Back home to student digs and noodles, so making most of it!!
Nicked the 3rd pic
@scottishbirding.bsky.social
#SOCconf24

Braved #StormBert and finally arrived at @scottishbirding.bksy.social ‘s Annual Conference
Am a little battered ‘n’ bruised and VERY wet, but the venue, Atholl Palace, wow, it’s incredible
Am presenting this aft, all about wildlife gardening. Feeling very humbled and blown away TBH!

#SOCconf24

A frosty walk to the community garden today, where we weeded, collected leaves, mulched and fed robins. The highlight, was finding some tiny freshwater clams, a first for me!
Oh and I’ve been made a garden lead, so I’ll be heading up my own sessions every now and then 🪴

Pretty chuffed to be a guest speaker at @scottishbirding.bsky.social Annual Conference talking about my journey growing up as an RHS Ambassador, working on ‘8 Out of 10 Bats’ and my Uni studies, with tips & tricks on gardening for wildlife too.

More info here 👇

www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/event/...

Saturday night and this is how I roll…
Grab a pot, ID, count 🔬