Category: Nature

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

Mrs Tiggy Winkle

Mrs Tiggy Winkle

Mrs Tiggy Winkle will be a familiar name to most of you but Beatrix Potter’s character is just one appearance of a hedgehog in literature. Shakespeare often referred to them although mostly less than flatteringly; and you can find them turning up worldwide in stories, even as far afield as Mongolia. But what if the only hedgehogs the children knew were from books and poems – the live animals having become extinct?

Hedgehogs have been around for 15 million years, far longer than modern humans and are one of the oldest species of mammal on the planet. But they are in decline and are classed as vulnerable with around 50% lost in the countryside since 2000 alone. But the news is a bit better in our towns and cities where they have ‘only’ dropped by 30%. They are regularly seen in some Wenvoe gardens and there are many things you can do to help them survive and prosper such as:

Create access holes in your fences so they can move from garden to garden. These are known as hedgehog highways.

Hedgehogs can swim but can get stuck in steep-sided ponds. Ensure your pond has a shallow side or place a log or plank in it that they can use as a ladder.

Avoid using slug pellets or other chemicals.

Many are injured by strimmers, so check the area first and move them if you find any.

Check bonfires before you light them for the same reason.

Make or buy a hedgehog house which can be used for hibernating in winter or shelter in summer.

Give supplementary food such as cat or dog food especially before or after hibernating. Also provide water but never put out bread or milk.

Create a wild section in your garden including piles of leaves which will also benefit other wildlife.

Get all the family involved and register with PTES (Peoples Trust for Endangered Species) as a Hedgehog Champion.

Help to ensure that Mrs Tiggy Winkle is not, like the Dodo, just a distant memory.

 

The Tuckers Raised £1,155

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

Our thanks, as always, to the Tuckers who raised £1,155 for the Wildlife Group from the Reindeer sale. Thanks also to those of you who donated raffle prizes or bought tickets, manned or purchased items from stalls, or who helped out in other ways. One of our first purchases will be a new bench for the Community Orchard which has been missed by many of you when the first one disintegrated. Also taking place between the 11th and 15th January is a hedgelaying course at the Community Orchard. The instructor will be doing preparation work for the first three days and the course then runs on the 14th and 15th. At least three members of the Group have registered for the course which will not only pass on this ancient skill but should tidy up what has become a quite unruly hedge.

 

Let’s Hope For Some Kind Weather

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Happy New Year. Let’s hope for some kind weather to give us a good start to the year.

We start the year off with some tips from people who in their own way have left their own mark on the area.

Gareth “top banana” Lewis of Twyn yr Odyn.

  1. Plant chilli seeds in a propagator as they need a long season to bear fruit
  2. If you are lucky enough to find a tasty tomato while shopping, keep some seeds and with a bit of luck they will make good plants.
  3. Start chitting some potatoes but keep out of direct sunlight, which should be easy at this time of year.
  4. Don’t garden by date, garden by the conditions.
  5. Sort out all your seed packets before the rush to plant comes along.

Silver fox, Parry “Barista” Edwards

  1. It’s January, stay in, you will do no good traipsing over the lawn.
  2. Order some more seed and plant catalogues.
  3. Try to buy British and help keep plant diseases out of the UK.
  4. Keep a garden diary as a reference.
  5. If you do insist on venturing out, be careful as no one wants to end up in A & E.

Wet and cold January weather makes looking at the garden from a window the best option. On an occasional nice day a bit of weeding always helps but be careful of emerging bulbs. Planning for the seasons to come is always a good idea, as when the growing season starts we will only have time for the usual jobs. If you need help with the physical side of any plans you may have, get in touch with landscapers early. If you are worried about whether they will be any good talk to people who have had work done or ask at British Soil for their approved contractor list. Make sure that you can reach the middle from either side of any new beds or borders that you build. A common fault is to plant too near the edge of borders. You can be sure that the label on the plant you decide to put in will not mean much once it’s been planted and fed: they always get bigger in good growing conditions.

As gardeners we are encouraged to leave an area for wildlife. This doesn’t have to look unsightly or to be occupied with bee hotels and hedgehog houses from garden centres where you’ll need a mortgage and a good credit rating to buy them. A few holes drilled in a log for bees and a small covered dry area for the hedgehogs will suffice. Wenvoe has a plethora of these spiny mammals as a lot of residents make provision for them and one of the best things to do is have a hole at the bottom of your fence to allow them access to more gardens. A wildflower area can seem like a good idea, just make sure to find a packet that has flowers for both Spring and Summer which will give you a longer season.

A few years ago, the village had an Open Garden Day which was very well received. Glenys and I are planning to organise one this year and if you are interested there will be more details in the February issue of What’s On and on Facebook on the Wenvoe Community Support Group page.

Take care and happy gardening

December Report

VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT GROUP

December Report

The week were due out in December coincided with icy conditions, so it was decided not to risk a visit to an already overwhelmed A&E unit.

The team have been kept busy with St Mary’s inviting a member to read at the popular carol service. Gareth sing song obliged as he can read. We had a member assisting with putting up the village Christmas tree and another presenting a Christmas workshop at Westbourne School in Penarth.

There will be some trees to plant in January that were handed out to people as part of a plan by the woodland trust to have a national forest of Wales. If you have a tree to plant just think about how big they are going to be as it can cause disputes in the future.

Weather permitting we hope to meet on the village green at 9.30 on January 9th

At present we are 100% bus pass but keen enough to help keep Wenvoe tidy.

Happy new year.

By the way –

TREES

  • Almost 300 different species of insects can live on mature Oak trees
  • A mature Oak tree weighs at least 1.5 tonnes
  • The crown of a mature Beech tree produces enough oxygen to keep 3 people alive
  • There are at least 600 different species of Oak in the world.
  • The Oldest tree in Britain is the Fortingall Yew in Scotland – it is over 4,000 years old!
  • The tallest tree in Britain is Ossians Douglas Fir in Scotland – It is 64.6m high.
  • The Bristle-cone Pines are the oldest trees in the world – a staggering 8,000 years old. They grow in the Southern Rockies in the USA.
  • A mature Beech standing alone in the open evapo-rates 75 – 100 gallons of water per day

 

 

The Seven Troopers Did A Fine Job

VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT GROUP

Memorial Area Clean Up

The team were rained off on the Monday but reconvened on Thursday to get the memorial area cleaned up for Remembrance Sunday. This was made easier by the Vale road-sweeper with a considerate driver who accepted some Bara Brith that Glenys had made for Gareth ‘Sing Song’s’ birthday.

The seven troopers did a fine job, albeit under shop steward Big John’s disgust that all annual leave was cancelled for 2023. While working, news came through that Martin had been stabbed. Further investigation found that it was just a flu injection. The ‘Get Well’ card was cancelled!

The team would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The group meet on the second Monday of the month and would welcome any additions. It’s worth coming along to meet some of the characters that you would read about in Mr Men books.

Next meeting will be at the Community Centre at 9.30am on Monday 12th December

 

Cat Attack

CAT ATTACK!

It was mid October and there was a great commotion going on in our garden. First there was a bang as something ran into the metal gate alongside the house. Then a blur as a creature ran past followed by another blur in hot pursuit. The first was a squirrel, the second a local cat – plain blue/grey in colour. Then several minutes of chasing – the squirrel trying to hide with the cat hurling itself into and onto the shrubs the squirrel was sheltering in. Three times the squirrel got to a tree but the cat grabbed it by the tail and pulled it down. A moment of confrontation and the chase was on again. Eventually the squirrel got up a tree to seeming safety. However the cat had not read the health and safety guidelines and followed up the trunk. For another 10 minutes the cat tried to reach the squirrel, perched on the tip of a branch, but this was too spindly to support the cat’s weight. Eventually the cat got bored and tried to get back to the ground but going up is often easier than coming down! After some too-ing and fro-ing and considerable loss of dignity, the cat reached safety and wandered off. The result a draw with plenty of exercise but no obvious damage to either party.

Many cats are loved by their owners but it is estimated they kill around 27 million songbirds in the UK each year and many more millions of mice and voles. There are suggested ways in which you can reduce these numbers such as fitting a bell to your cats collar. None of the many cats which wander through our garden has a bell attached.

Squirrels are regarded as a pest by many. They have contributed to the decline of our native red squirrel in several ways including spreading Squirrel Pox to them, to which the Greys are immune. They also damage trees, particularly newly planted ones, by gnawing away at the bark. And your house may not be immune as they chew through cables and enlarge holes to get access to roof spaces. So for many, this battle was between two villains.

Attacking squirrels can be risky for cats. They can get scratched by the squirrel which can put up quite a fight and as squirrels can carry diseases the scratch can become infected. Some cats will eat squirrels which brings additional problems such as small bones blocking the cat’s airways and catching diseases such as Toxoplasmosis or taking in parasites. For some days there was no sign of any squirrel in our garden but then a wary and very tentative one re-appeared and normal business has been resumed.

In all the years we have lived here, this is the first time we have witnessed such a contest. It would be interesting to know if any other readers have noticed something similar.

 

Think About Homes For Wildlife

Think About Homes For Wildlife

Now is a good time to be thinking about installing homes for wildlife. You can often buy them cheaply on-line or at the budget supermarkets. Alternatively, they can be constructed at home quite simply with instructions found easily online. For example, the RSPB website tells you how to build both birdboxes and bug hotels. Birds will start looking for potential nesting locations quite early in the season – just remember to site them away from spots that are very sunny as the nestlings might get too hot. Also, they should be placed where cats cannot get at them. In contrast, bug hotels should be located in the sunniest spot in your garden. These will be used by solitary bees which are usually no threat to man or beast.

No harm in putting out hedgehog homes although most of them will already be hibernating; can also be found online or in garden centres. The advice is to find a spot in your garden which is quiet, dry, sheltered and shady and avoid the entrance facing north as this will be colder. A number of gardens in the middle of Wenvoe have occupied hedgehog homes and whilst there are only so many hedgehogs to go around, you could be lucky.

 

Gardening in December

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

This month’s tips come from the most popular person on the planet at this time of year – Father Christmas

  1. When we get on in years the main gift we want for Christmas is our health. That’s why the other presents dry up.
  2. Please send letters to me, otherwise you will end up with socks and another scarf.
  3. Families cannot fathom why you would want a roll of bubble wrap but stick to your guns.
  4. Don’t tell the friends and relatives that you can’t help with the clearing up after the Christmas dinner because you need to water the allotment, they won’t believe it.
  5. If friends buy you a year’s magazine subscription, don’t expect it to continue indefinitely.
  6. Unlike myself you only have to wear your Christmas jumper this month, so go for it – you know you want to.
  7. Before the big day make a space in the shed and when the partner asks you why, just say you’re expecting a sizeable gift. Disclaimer, it doesn’t always work.
  8. Don’t take your new gloves to the allotment in January as the conditions will make them unusable for the rest of the year.
  9. Give yourself a bit of extra time to think about New Near resolutions, that way some might be achievable.
  10. Gardeners are a sociable lot and have many friends. Just give a thought to those on their own. Loneliness is miserable.

 

Although we haven’t had any significant frosts in our area before Christmas for a couple of years it is still best to insulate the greenhouse, replace any broken glass and use a clear flexible mastic on loose panels. A single layer of polythene beneath the glass will reduce the amount of sunlight able to get in by 10%, which at this time of year should not affect the

plants. We need to have all pots that are outside, up off the floor to allow drainage. Watering will be at a minimum at this time of year, so it may be a good idea to empty out water butts and leave upside down. With high winds guaranteed, check that any trellis is safe and that plant stakes are fit for purpose.

Bare root plants are available now and are good value compared to potted ones. Plant them up as soon as they arrive but they won’t need a feed. Apple trees, vines and acers can be pruned now. If you wait, they may start to bleed which can make them susceptible to diseases. Take hard wood cuttings from now until late winter. Gardener’s World magazine says most deciduous plants will take but some evergreens, such as cotoneaster and holly, are also worth trying. Just take off the soft growth and cut above a bud, then cut just below a bud anything from 6 – 12 inches from the top and stick in a pot or the ground leaving a third above ground. These are going to have to stay put until next Autumn then you can move them to either their own pot or a patch of ground. Blackspot on hellebores is a problem at present. Pull the infected leaves off but don’t compost them; put them in the bin. While you’re dealing with this remove some of the lower leaves to show off the flowers.

At the allotment Bernard will be on hand for any advice you may need over the winter period. There will be a lot of netting rolled out to protect brassicas from hungry pigeons. People who put onion sets in will have to place them quite deep or birds will pull them out and they only do this to annoy you.

A big thank you to all who contributed to this page (whether they wanted to or not) over the past year and to the What’s On team for giving me space in the magazine.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

from the village gardener.

 

Orchid Field Volunteers

VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT GROUP

ORCHID FIELD VOLUNTEERS

‘Rain stopped play’ for the November meeting. The field has now had its autumn cut and places the tractor was unable to reach now require cutting by hand; these include areas under the trees, around benches and some of the paths. Anybody wishing to do work before we next meet is welcome to tackle any of these areas or take on a winter project of clearing an overgrown bramble patch at the top of the field.

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