Toads and spring flowers

I realy like toads. Of course, a lot of people think that this litle amphibian is full of warts, that it's hideous, and many things more… Well, I allways say - to those who think like that - : Have you ever taken a look at their eyes, and if you didn’t - you should, because you would see then that they have eyes in colors of noble metals like bronze, silver, and even gold. And to top all that, this is a realy garden friendly animal. It eats slugs, like the Spanis slug, which is a big problem in most of the gardens across the whole Europe.

So, this saturday I went to Češnjevek to the fishing ponds, because I heard that toads have started their mating season.

It was a sunny day and the common toad, also called European toad (Bufo bufo), is to be honest, very common in our country, so I knew I will find this sort there.

I saw a few pairs right away, while I was driving by the first pond. 

When I came there, I saw a few in the first pond next to driveway. It is one of the smallest ponds, so probably it’s the warmest one for now, because in all of the others I haven't found any toad activity yet. Well, their mating time has just begun, and I will go there next weekend again, to see if there are any more of them, and also to take some more of the close-up pictures, that I couldn't do then, because toads were still very cautious. At the peak of their mating seson, you can walk straight up to them and the males won't even care. 

The patterns of some of the males were like jaguars and some of the females were almous red. 

While I was walking round the pond, I was also stuned by the ‘’fields’’ of Spring Crocus (Cornus vernus).

Snow flakes are still in full bloom.

Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) flowers were gently smiling to the sun.

Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) was growing together with Common primrose (Primula vulgaris).

And the Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) was allready there as well.

But the Dog’s tooth violet (Erythronium dens-canis ) will still need about a week to come out.

I realy love spring when everything awakens from 'the sleep'.

So, read you next time!

Uroš

Red stranger – The velvet mite

Yesterday, when I went to take a look at my orchids in living room, if they needed watering, I saw something red crawling around on the window. At first I thought it’s a tick (Ixodoidea), but it was too big and it was red. Then I thought, that it was the red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), but again it was too big. 

And my next first thought was ‘Where the hell did this thing come from?’.

So, I went online and straight to the Bamboo Forum and posted the picture there. Soon Alan Lorence, whose blog I also read, pointed out the name and I did some research.  

This is the red velvet mite (most likely Trombidium holosericeum). I have learned that this is one of the largest mites in northern temperature zones. Its body is covered with tiny red hairs that give that effect of velvety. It is about 5mm big. Usually it's found in soil or mulch, meaning I probably brought it with the moss, that I used for the traditional nativity scene, we put up every Christmas.

They feed on vegetable matter, but in the larval stage (they have only six legs then), they suck on the blood of animals and sometimes humans.

Anyway, these animals are very important for the environment and forest ground ecosystem, because they play a role in decomposing process.

It’s just to bad, that my mom found it, before I got to know what it is.


So, read you next time!


Uroš

There was winter on Nanos

This year I spend New Year on Nanos. We were staying in cabin which was almost in the middle of nowhere. The first night that we came there, start to snow. So I had do take some photos. 

When we were going up, there was still no sign of winter. 

Next morning everything was white.

Because of snow birds came out of the forest and this Song Thrush (Trudus philomelos), was claiming the territory with his singing for him self. 

It was my first time ever to see Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) in wild. 

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)

 I will defenetly go back in spring or summer time.

So, read you next time!

Uroš

    

European tree frog - Hyla arborea

This week, again at my girlfriends, I took photos of European tree frog - Hyla arborea. Actually, I have cheated a little bit, because I didn't find this frog in nature. I asked my friend, whom works at Ocean Orchids company, and these tree frogs have come to live in the greenhouses, where they have perfect conditions to live. So, I asked her if she can catch me one, because I need a photo of it for my diploma. Well these are the photos of the frog. Of course I let it go free in nature.

So, read you later!

Uroš

Pool frog and Yellow-bellied toad photos

These are few photos of a pool frogs (Rana kl. esculenta) and Yellow-bellied toad (Bombina bombina)  that I took the other day when I was at my girlfriends. They were both still babies, but already looked as adults. I really like frogs so I want to take a photo of as many as I can. 

(click on photo for better quality)

So read you later.

Uroš      

Logan Botanic Garden

Royal Botanical Garden Edinburg – Logan Botanic Garden is the place, where I spend half of my spring and summer this year. I was her between 24. May and 25. July, to be exact. Yes, I’m still in Logan, but my time here is running out. But before I leave, I still have a few days to spend in this beautiful garden. 

Me and three of my schoolmates came here for practical internship, because we have to have done 300 hours of practical education as part of studies to finish the college. And we thought, why not going abroad, if we get the chance. We had applied for some scholarship at ERASMUS and luckily we got it, so there were no obstacles left.  And we started our journey on 18th of May 2011.

We flew from Brnik airport to London and spent a few days there. I don’t like London much. It’s to crowded for me, and we spent too much money there, at least I have. After a few days of museums and galleries and, of course, fibulas Kew botanic garden (note to self: remember to write about it next time), we’ve moved on, from London to Glasgow, and from there we took a train to Stranraer, where the curator of Logan Botanic garden picked us up and brought us to where we are now. 

We’ve been placed in a cottage (you can see it at the end of the slideshow). And the air here is so clean and soft. 
 When the curator gave us the first tour of the garden, it was rather weary quick tour, my first impression was: I’m not in Scotland anymore!

I have seen pictures of it, on their official web site, but I couldn’t imagine, that it would be so different from the others gardens on this island.

The garden is practically in the middle of nowhere. One of our girls was just terrified by the thought, that there is nothing around there.  For me all of it together was just Paradise, two months of peace and relaxation. 

Working here was quite easy and relaxing. And the team of workers here is just fabulous. Oh, but these two months have passed as if in a blink of an eye.

Let me first tell you some facts about the garden:

Logan Botanic Garden got its name after the Logan Estate, because the garden itself used to be a part of it. The owners of Logan Estate were the McDouall family, for more than 700 years. The estate was passed on from generation to generation, until brothers Kenneth and Douglas McDouall became their owners. They became famous gardeners inspired by their mother Agnes, for which they believe was the first who planted Eucalyptus species on the estate.

The brothers had travelled to warm countries, for collecting plants. They also established many of the main structural plantings, which still remain similar today. 

To shorten the history part:

1         Kenneth McDouall died in 1945, the estate was passed on to his cousin Sir Ninian Buchan-Hepburn

2        in 1949 the gardens and house were passed on Mr. R. Olaf Hambro, who restored the gardens after war

3        in 1960 gardens were looked after by a Trust, until its founds became exhausted and the house along with the garden is given to the nation

4        in November 1969 the house and the biggest part of the garden became private again, but the Walled Garden and surrounding became part of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburg

Today we can find plants from South and Central America, South Africa, Atlantic Islands, Australia and New Zealand.

Together there is around 1,800 species here, just on 24-acre site. 120 of them are threatened in wild.

Here you will find plants, which other European botanical gardens can only keep in greenhouses. And it’s all because of the microclimate, which is unique in this part of Scotland, provided by Gulf Stream, also known as Atlantic convel.

I the garden, they also have a Logan Discovery centre, where you can explore the world of plants and where you can also find out about the work of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

In the Walled garden, the most interesting thing to me, is Cordyline Avenuse. It’s planted with cabbage palms or Coryline australis, that were planted there in 1980. And the Tree Fern Grove

(Dicksonia antartica) is over 150 years old. In woodland part of the garden, I liked to walk under Brazilian rhubarb. But my favourite place was, of curse, the bamboo bed, where I collected my first bamboo seeds of Chusquea culeou. But that is another story :D  

Now, just check the pictures out, and you will see why I was so surprised.

On Monday we are leaving this place. But I will return one day, for sure!

So read you next time!

Introduction

So, I’m starting with my blog for, which time now? Second, third or even forth time?  The problem is, that I just can’t stick with it. But hopefully, I’ll try to keep up with this one.

As you have already seen, on my profile text, I’ll write mostly about bamboo, books and wild life. Why bamboo and wild life? Well let us start at the beginning.

I am a gardener. I liked plants even when I was a little. And so I went, and I completed school for this profession. Actually my profession title is horticultural technician. And right now I am in college, studying for Horticultural Engineer at School of Horticulture and Visual Arts Celje. So there is where my passion for plants and working with them, grew even stronger. Gardening is not just something that I would do for living, it is also my biggest hobby. But two certain topics in this big world of horticulture are still, above others, my favourite. Bamboo, which I fell in love with, because of a novel book. And wildlife, because I think, you can get much more out of a garden if you have wildlife in it. It’s just more complete! 

What will you read here about bamboo? Mostly my new discoveries about this plant, my observations of the bamboo plants I have at home, and so on and on. Actually, I decided to write a bamboo journal about my plants, so why not share this with you guys? 

What will you read here about wildlife? Oh, I just love animals! Right now I’m finnishing my college and for my diploma, I have chosen wildlife in gardens. What will the exact title on my diploma be, I don’t know jet. But I will keep you posted. Oh, (just) right now, I can show you some photos of the Peregrine Falcon, of which I took pictures on cliffs in Portpatric (Scotland). 

What will you read here about books? All sorts of stuff. I really didn’t like reading until I was 15. But then it just opened up to me, and this is one of my passions. 

And now would probably be the appropriate moment to tell you something about myself. But I won't bother you with that. You’ll get to know me :D

So read you next time!

Uros

PS.: I love anime also!