Category: Nature

NATURE NOTES – AUGUST 2023

AS  LOVELY AS A TREE 

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree

So wrote the American poet, Joyce Kilmer. In Wenvoe we are lucky to have a wonderful collection of trees which, if you removed the houses, would make a respectable arboretum in its own right. Dominated by the massive Horse Chestnuts and Pines around Grange Park, many of our gardens also have an amazing variety and range of, often smaller, trees. You do not need a huge garden to plant a tree in – there are species to suit every size and taste. And each one will, in its own way, help the environment, capture carbon, cool its surroundings and provide shelter and, often, food for wildlife.

Take Walston Close, for example. In the front gardens of this small cul-de-sac of 9 houses you can see Black Lace Elder, Eucryphia Nymanensis, several Acers, a couple of Cabbage Palms, Liquidamber, Weeping Purple Beech, Variegated Sycamore, Magnolia, two Apple trees, a Wedding Cake Tree (see below) and even a small Handkerchief Tree. One garden alone has 14 Acers and another 17 trees including Crabapple, Hop Tree, 4 Italian Cypress, Amelanchier, a Claygate Pearmain Apple, Silver Birch, two Blue Sausage Trees and a Judas Tree. Other trees known about in the Close include Gingko, Purple Beech and Indian Bean Tree. There are no doubt several others in back gardens which are known only to the householders. And not to mention all the conifers which are often not so easy to identify.

The Tree Trail covers many of the other interesting trees in the village such as Persian Ironwood, Laburnum, Walnut, Loquat, Clerodendron, Mulberry, Corkscrew Hazel and Bird Cherry. There is an ancient Yew in the churchyard considered already very old in 1700 and a Beech by the war memorial supposedly planted to celebrate the end of the Boer War. However, the trail does need updating as a number of trees have been removed for whatever reason and not replaced. These include Walnut, Tulip Tree and Balm of Gilead Poplar. Port Road is lined with a variety of mature trees including many Hornbeam which are not that common in the wild around here. The fields either side of the road to the Golf Club have some magnificent old oaks probably dating back to the Constable era.

How many new trees are being planted? Precious few, alas, although we were delighted to see those recently planted on the village green by a local family. The school has ambitious plans with 5 apples already in the ground and a hedgerow waiting for Autumn to enter the ground. Three new oaks went in on the fields on the way to the Golf Course. The Wildlife Group have planted around 200 fruit and other trees over the last decade. Looking out at the woodland around Wenvoe one could be forgiven for thinking that our level of tree cover is good but with England at 10% when the European average is 38%, we are near the bottom of the pile. TV presenter Iolo Williams has said more trees are needed to prevent a “collapse in wildlife”.

With Global Warming threatening, temperatures increasing and the countryside disappearing planting a tree (or two!) is one of the easiest ways in which you can make a difference. And please write to What’s On and let us know how you get on.

 

CAN YOU SPARE A FEW MINUTES

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

We continue to work on our sites but (and we are not alone as far as village groups are concerned!) we do need more residents to get involved and spare a few minutes helping out with simple jobs. We held a session at the Elizabethan Orchard during July encouraging new volunteers to spare an hour in the evening but no new helpers turned out. Meantime we do what we can and recently have started refurbishing our noticeboards. Elizabethan Orchard noticeboard has been completed – next we shall focus on the Wild Orchard board. At least we have been awarded with 7 Green Flags again which is a tribute to those who help to care for the sites and the landowners who make it all possible. An important function of the Wildlife Group is to record species that are seen within the Parish of Wenvoe and St Lythans. Many of our records are firsts for this area such as the Common Purple and Gold Moth shown here which was spotted by members at the Elizabethan Orchard. They do not have to be rare and many common species are under-recorded. It is unlikely that anyone else is recording wildlife in the Parish and an apparent absence of wildlife can have a bearing on planning applications, especially for large-scale development. You do not have to be an expert but a photograph can usually help with identification. Do get in touch if you would like to get involved.

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

 

Two expats, Sean Connor and Penny Wise, give their thoughts on aspects of gardening.
Sean Connor
1. Consider turning a small area of your front garden into a veg patch, it will create interest and, if kept well, will be an asset.
2. Do not overdose when feeding plants, it’s a complete waste of money.
3. If you see totally green leaves on a variegated shrub, remove them or the plant will revert to type.
4. Pull suckers off from the base of roses or they will weaken the parent plant.
5. A battery powered hand pruner makes life so much easier in the garden.
Penny Wise, on how to negotiate a garden centre.
1. Do not buy small pots which are on offer, they are never big enough when you get them home.
2. The farm shop must be run by Fortnum & Mason
3. Check the limit on your Visa card before entering cafe.
4. Avert your eyes when passing the charismatic man selling conservatories that you can’t live without.
5. In July be careful driving in as the car park is full of lorries bringing in the Christmas stuff.
The gardens are in their second flush now after the Spring flowers have faded, so dead heading is a regular pastime. Peter Beale the rose grower advises that when taking faded blooms off roses you should cut back to a leaf joint but most just snap the the bloom off just below the spent flower. The recommended way to dead head delphiniums, foxgloves and Canterbury bells is to cut off the flower stalks just below the spent flowers but Sid & Lyn Cottle always take the individual flowers off and leave the spike and have good results. Plants like lady’s mantle and herbaceous geraniums can be cut back to the ground, they will recover well enough to give you another flush.
On allotments and veg patches the first crops will be ready to harvest. Beans, lettuces, spring onions and early potatoes will be waiting to be picked. The main problem at this time is the fact that most people take their annual leave and go away which leaves some gardens without someone to water, so be nice to your neighbours and they may assist.
Parsley is notoriously difficult to germinate outside but this month is known to have the highest success rate. They can then be potted up and brought indoors later in the year.
The village show in September will be your chance to show off your wares, to keep this event going we need plenty of entries. Anne Daniels might be in with a chance with her secret tomato food blend.
With a lot of May and a big part of June being really dry it is essential that we save as much dirty water as possible to use on the garden. Water butts don’t have to cost the earth any vessel that holds water will suffice. According to the people who know about these things we are going to have long spells of dry weather and when it does rain this will be prolonged so make use of the down pipes on houses and outbuildings. If you can cover these containers, it will stop evaporation. We are also going to have to consider which plants we grow if this is to be the norm. If you have unglazed or terracotta pots water will dissipate through these quickly, it is good practice to line the inside with plastic, bin bags will suffice, or paint the inside. Putting some weed fabric on the top around plants then some bark or stone will slow down the evaporation considerably.
Sadly, Trevor Case passed away at the end of May. Trevor wrote the gardening column in the What’s on for many years. He also led the environment team and was a driving force when Wenvoe competed in the best kept village competitions. A good man.
Take care and happy gardening

 

 

NATURE NOTES

NATURE NOTES

 

We are often asked about the effects of artificial
lawns on wildlife. The benefits in terms of
maintenance etc. are understood and promoted in
advertising by plastic grass suppliers. However
recently the Royal Horticultural Society published
an article summarising the less welcome effects
these can have on our flowers, birds and bees. Fake
lawns can contaminate the soil and surrounding
watercourses with micro-plastics. Real grass stores
carbon but with artificial grass the soil is dug up and
replaced with chippings or other crushed material.
Grass and soil will help to keep a garden cooler
through evaporation but plastic grass can get much
hotter and cause problems for the sensitive paws of
household pets. Plastic grass provides no habitat for
wildlife and the lack of worms and insects leaves
nothing for our wild birds to feed on. False grass
needs replacing after some years and the old
material ends up
as landfill. And
you cannot make
a daisy chain
with plastic
lawns! So, if you
have or are
considering
replacing your
grass with
plastic, make
sure you take
account of the
adverse effects
this can have on
your garden
wildlife.

Gardening Thoughts From The Silver Foxes

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Gardening Thoughts From The Silver Foxes

The gardening thoughts this month come from the Silver Foxes, who meet their probation officers at the Library Hub on Fridays.

  1. Reduce the buds on roses for bigger blooms if you’re going to enter the village show.
  2. Cut back dogwoods and use the trimmings for pea sticks.
  3. Leave any bulbs growing in the lawn for at least 6 weeks after flowering before cutting back.
  4. Fill the runner bean trench with newspaper to help retain moisture during dry periods.
  5. Sweet pea seeds can be sown outside now.
  6. Split hostas before they start vigorous growth.
  7. Put fresh gravel around early flowering alpines to show off the blooms.
  8. Slugs will be on the march now and very hungry as well, so be vigilant.
  9. Place canes adjacent to tall perennials before they put a spurt on.
  10. If you could do with some excellent conversation and company then come and join us.

The 20th March is officially the first day of Spring but we know this can be cold and wet, so please don’t be tempted to rush to the garden centre and fill your trolley with all those lovely plants that have been grown in heated greenhouses. These plants will suffer badly when you get them home unless you have the right conditions to look after them. Nurseries and garden centres know this happens and will have replacement plants back in over the next few weeks so you can buy again when the first lot fail. Once the weather warms up, plants you delay in purchasing will catch up without fail. In Wenvoe we are lucky to have a garden centre on our doorstep and people want to support local businesses, just don’t throw your money away. We are encouraged to go peat free and from next year peat products in England will be banned for everyday gardeners. Professional gardeners will initially be exempt but a ban is planned for them too. Head gardener at Hestercombe gardens, Claire Greenslade, has said they are going peat free but the bedding plants that are purchased from nurseries are still grown in peat at present so, if you’re concerned about the use of peat, check that your supplier is doing their best to bring this practice to an end. British Soil based in Wenvoe have been peat free for a number of years and produce some good composts to grow plants from seed and to bring on young plants.

If some of your daffodils have not flowered it may be that the clump is overcrowded and may have to be split up. The main reason for daffs not producing blooms is that they are not planted deep enough, they need to be inserted at least three times the depth of the bulb.

One of the jobs that will give you a good return on your time is to remove the top 5cms of compost from your containers as this is where most pests, diseases and weed seeds congregate over winter. Replace with some fresh compost and a general fertiliser or, for roses, a balanced rose feed will give excellent results.

On the allotment they are still adding manure and preparing the ground. If the ground is too wet you are better off waiting as the ground will be compacted which will reduce the yield. Spring broad bean seeds can go in now as well as early potatoes. Be aware that there may be late frosts so don’t plant more than you can protect with fleece or cloches. One of the allotment holders is a renowned horticultural show judge so expect a critical eye on your produce at Twyn Yr Odyn.

There are plans for another Gardener’s Question Time in the Spring ( date to be announced). This will give you a chance to ask any questions you have and pick up some tips to enhance your love of gardening.

Upcoming events include the Spring plant sale Sat 29 April 10 – 3 at 29 Vennwood Close and the Wenvoe Open Garden Day on Sat June 17th 10 – 5.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

Is Ours A Loveless County?

A loveless county?

Is ours a loveless county? Judging by the records of Mistletoe growing in the Vale of Glamorgan, you might think so. The wildlife database, Aderyn, only has two records for the Vale of Glamorgan – one in Wenvoe and two in Dinas Powys. The photo shows the one in Wenvoe. Of the two in Dinas, one has gone when the branch it was growing on collapsed but there are two clumps growing on an apple tree which appear to be in good health. Mistletoe is usually associated with apple trees but also grows on Hawhorn, Poplar and many other tree species. The Wenvoe clump is growing on an Acer which is uncommon but not unknown.

There is plenty of Mistletoe in Cardiff, particularly around Llandaff and near the Taff where it mainly grows on Poplar. With all the orchards that used to grow in the Vale one might have expected there to be more around and we have asked via Facebook for people to get in touch if they know of other locations. At time of writing we are following up some leads and will keep you informed. If you know of cases, do get in touch with the Wenvoe Wildlife Group with photos. Mistletoe can get confused with larger bird nests or tree growths such as galls.

Some gardeners believe that Mistletoe kills trees. It is a parasite (strictly speaking hemiparasitic) but it would require a very heavy infestation to do any serious damage. But benefits are that birds enjoy the sticky berries and some species, like the Mistletoe Weevil, are mainly associated with it. It can either be male or female but it is only the female plants that bear berries and then only if they have been pollinated by a male plant nearby. You can use berries bought at Christmas on Mistletoe to try to propagate it on existing mature trees but generally only a few seeds will germinate. But still worth having a go! That was how the Wenvoe Mistletoe got there.

 

Tuckers Spring Plant Sale

 

TUCKERS’

SPRING PLANT SALE

Saturday 69th April
Once again, by popular demand, the Tuckers will be holding a Spring Plant Sale on the drive at 29 Vennwood Close on Saturday 29 April. So please mark the date and come to snap up some garden bargains.

You can choose your plants, browse a few local craft tables and buy a slice or two of home made cake. We will be joined by other local gardeners and there will be lots of free gardening advice on offer. (If you are interested in having a table to sell your plants please get in touch.) There will also be the usual raffle with good quality prizes and proceeds will go to the Wenvoe Wildlife Group to help enable them to continue with their excellent work in and around the village. Wenvoe Wildlife Group will have a table and will be able to answer questions and give information about their work.

Come and have a chat and pick the Village Gardener’s brains. We’re looking forward to seeing you all.

 

What An Outing !

VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT TEAM

What an outing on our first meeting of the year!

Before we got going a concerned citizen reported that suspicious activity was afoot at the church. We voted for Ian to go and investigate, as he was nearest. All ok though as the gentleman was investigating a problem with the roof. Neighbourhood Watch proved its worth.

The team then found a series of small holes on the village green. We thought at first folk had been metal detecting but as it turned out Brenig Davies and Gareth Sing Song had been settling their differences after the Christmas carol service and lost an earring in the melee. To make amends for his behaviour, Gareth collected litter all along Old Port Road.

We did plant three gifted trees, a couple of roses and some bulbs before departing. It was heart-warming to see a daffodil out on a lovely morning.

Our next meeting will be on 13th February at 9.30am by the Community Centre.

 

Hedge Laying Course

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

Three members of the Group attended the hedge laying course organised by the Vale Local Partnership team and found it very valuable. It was originally scheduled to take place in our Community Orchard but this was flooded so the venue was switched to Cosmeston. It is still planned to layer the hedge by our Community Orchard but this will depend on the floodwater receding.

 

 

Rita and Elizabeth’s Advice

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

This month Rita Edwards and Elizabeth Jones give us the benefit of their gardening knowledge.

Rita

  1. Separate clumps of snowdrops while in the green as they will naturalise better.
  2. Prune hedges before the birds start nesting.
  3. Check fences for broken posts and loose panels.
  4. Prune wisteria back to 2 or 3 buds.
  5. Cut back perennials that were left protecting the crown of the plant.

 

Elizabeth

  1. Make sure that the mower is serviced before mowing begins in earnest.
  2. Do repairs to paths on dry days.
  3. Sow sweet peas.
  4. Strimmer line will keep its strength if stored in water, honestly.
  5. Seaweed is a brilliant fertiliser, just make sure you wash the salt off first.

 

Right then gardeners, you can be sure that plants are going to cost quite a bit more this Spring due to high heating and fertiliser costs which the nurseries have to pass on to the garden centres, who in turn pass this on to customers. So, start saving by sowing seeds. We have to heat our homes, and windowsills make an ideal spot to produce seedlings. Cosmos, sweet peas, kale and tomatoes will thrive on a warm sill. Just cover at night to keep the chill off. This is the one time you need to use properly prepared fresh compost with a bit of perlite added for drainage. This will help prevent damping off which is a fungal disease that can wipe out trays of seedlings. The main causes of damping off spreading are low light and poor air flow.

Outside, the garden seems to need attention everywhere you look. Now is a good time to move deciduous shrubs that this year, with fresh eyes, seem to be in the wrong place. Prune mahonia and winter flowering heathers. Cut back buddleia and elder down to the base. This will help keep them a reasonable size. Cut back the overwintered fuchsias, check on any plants that may have become dislodged in the inclement weather. There is still time to purchase bare root shrubs. This month is the latest you should be pruning apple trees. Most apple trees produce fruit on short stems that sprout on old wood, while a few fruit on long shoots produced just the year before. Check to see which type you have before pruning or you may end up with no fruit at all. The important thing is to have an open aspect by thinning out the middle to allow a good air flow and increase light. This will help to keep disease at bay.

Keep deadheading the pansies to prolong the flowering. The one thing that needs to be done every time you go into the garden besides weeding is to look in crevices and under pots for slugs and snails as everyone you deal with now is going to increase the number of buds that will develop in Spring.

Take care and happy gardening

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