Lawn Moss

4 January 2014

Front garden

There's now more moss than grass on our shady front lawn. It will soon be time to drag the scarifier across it and sow grass seed on the bare patches.

Some branches are almost entirely encrusted in pale greenish yellow lichen. A garden wall topped by pebbles has been colonised by cushions of moss, reminding me of parts of the lava flows in Iceland.

In addition to the usual handful of chaffinches plus an overspill of goldfinches gathering on and under the bird feeders, this afternoon we have four greenfinches.

4 p.m.; The wood pigeons are gathering in the tree-tops at the end of the old grey-brick viaduct above Brook Farm. Chattering calls as magpies head for trees.