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The place where you will be living on Carlship has a delightful and varied garden of calm, beauty and abundance. It is also home to other creatures. Here we tell you about them.

Wildlife in the Garden

Although our garden is a working garden we take care to make as many connections with the spirits of Nature, of Gaia, the Outlanders, Little Uns, Faery realms as possible additional of course to wild creatures themselves.

We are not masters or owners of the garden or of our Tribal Homelands- we are Stewards and Guardians.

Therefore if at any time you are in the garden or enter the garden and, for example, a bird is having a bath you do not disturb it but remain still until the creature has finished. The same is true when birds are feeding- especially the blackbird and robin redbreast.

Birds: We have attracted to the garden many different types of birds because of the way it is managed, its peace and spirituality and the range of vegetation. These include (apart the regular inhabitants such as sparrows, starlings, pigeons, blackbirds, robins and chaffinch, and blue-tits): great-tits, nuthatch, jay, coal-tit, long-tailed tit, greenfinch, bullfinch, goldfinch, grey wagtails, thrush, woodpecker, wren, and magpies (the latter, which whilst attractive in their own right, are not encouraged since they scare off most other birds). Crows, though often on the tops of the trees or chimneystacks do not often come right into the garden.

Mammals & Amphibians: We have visits from hedgehogs most nights throughout the spring, summer and autumn. And these can be observed at close quarters by sitting quietly for an hour or so at their favourite stopping off points, as their routes around the garden have been charted.

A large frog has set up home in the garden and we are trying to breed more frogs. We used to have toads and we hope to have some more. A squirrel has been known to occasionally visit. There is a small family of field mice, which we now provide sanctuary for.

Some bats live somewhere nearby and these can bee seen swooping across our garden of a summer's night.

During the summer we even get some dragonflies

Feeding and Protection: Wildlife may be fed during the coldest times of the year to help them through the difficulties and water provided/ice broken.

After the harshest frosts (which can be quite sudden) have past, and especially during the summer and spring etc they should fend for themselves.

It is important when gardening that you do not disturb what could be the homes of other creatures: be careful when pruning bushes for birds nests; be careful when starting a bonfire in case mice or a hedgehog have retired there.

After the harshest frosts (which can be quite sudden) have past, and especially during the summer and spring etc they should fend for themselves.

It is important when gardening that you do not disturb what could be the homes of other creatures: be careful when pruning bushes for birds nests; be careful when starting a bonfire in case mice or a hedgehog have retired there. Also be careful when tidying up any bundles of straw/leaves in disused corners in case the field mice or frogs are hibernating there. In other words please remember that we share this garden with other creatures and the forces of nature and of our tribal pantheons: it is their home. We are guardians and stewards and have a duty to all things, which live there. We value their presence, which blesses us and enriches our lives; in return we protect this space for them.

It would be a valuable exercise for the House Carl to make a brief study to ascertain what deities are associated with or patronise which creatures. (Mice for example are the household pets of elves). There are books on wildlife and organic gardening in our library.

Thus we try to keep some corners of the garden wild and free from human intrusion.

Ice on the little tray pool used by bird washing and drinking is broken up in cold weather and a portion of some vegetable crops (plus grapes, berries and apples, raspberries etc) are left to run to seed to provide late autumn/winter feed-stuffs for birds.

Raw vegetables peelings/scraps etc form the kitchen and other food may be put onto the compost heap for mice and birds to eat and thereafter rot down- but cooked food must not be put there as it will attract rats. Do not put milk out for the hedgehogs as this can cause them intestinal problems.

A small offering of food is also left on the altar.

Take some time out in the garden to listen and watch in silence, you will be amazed at the beauty of the song around you. 

Don't worry if you have no experience of gardening or wildlife- you will be taught all that you need to know! If you have any particular interests or experience though put it on your application form!  heritage.centre@ntlworld.com