The gate is padlocked

My neighbour, Matthew, (no.38) has all but abandoned his garden. It’s been years now and the garden has become more and more overgrown, re-wilding. The grass has disappeared. Bracken (Pteridium sp.), Tradescantia fluminensis, Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia)  have replaced it. Self-seeded trees are growing, forming an arcade along beside the path. The species of tree,… Continue reading The gate is padlocked

Living with…huntsmen

For a period of time over Christmas and New Year I shared the kitchen bench with a huntsman spider. A small one. It seemed to like the compost bucket and I imagined it was eating the tiny flies that hover in there, providing an ‘ecosystem service’. Sometimes it would be at the other end of… Continue reading Living with…huntsmen