Last Monday I had a machine dig and level the area for my new rose garden … 20 x 20 metres square. Because it is a large area and has never been planted before, it is my intention to plant a green manure crop of oats and vetch, turn that back into the soil to energize and aerate the soil ready to plant the rose bushes in the late Spring.
I spread the seed and raked it into the soil. Since the seed was sown, we have had 30 mls of rain but today I re-seeded because I don’t know how they know about it, but I now have cockatoos and galahs eating the seed! After the first seed was sown, within 24 hours there were about eight galahs and by this past weekend, there were at least 20 of them and more than 30 cockatoos having a grand feed!
Can anybody tell me how these birds know that I planted the seed? I have NEVER had them in the rose gardens before in such numbers – they fly over all the time, they are in this area but suddenly they are in my rose garden …?
Today I re-seeded and raked. On one part I have placed some bird netting and it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the seed under the netting to emerge – I will keep you posted … hopefully with good news!!!