Category: Nature

A Beautiful Summer’s Morning

VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT GROUP

A BEAUTIFUL SUMMER’S MORNING

On a beautiful summer’s morning the team tackled the border at the front of the Community Centre. After a job well done, Brian produced a bottle of Champagne to celebrate his birthday, while Glenys made a cake to wish Brian and Sandra every happiness in their new home and thank him for his service to the group. To be honest you would need to travel far to meet a nicer man.

Two new members joined the team this month, which will help us in keeping the village tidy.

If you are interested in the headgear worn by the team in the photograph, it will be on show at the scarecrow festival.

The next outing will be on the village green at 9.30am on Monday the 12th September

 

 

The Environment Team have put the anvil and vice from the old Wenvoe blacksmith’s shop on display adjacent to the Church Hall. The blacksmiths was located on the corner of Walston Road and Old Port Road opposite the church. The bungalow on the site is called The Forge and there is a well still in the garden. The team was given consent for this by the Community Council

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Key Plant For Wildlife

A Key Plant For Wildlife

 

It features in John Constable’s famous picture, The Hay Wain. It made an important and powerful wand in the Harry Potter stories. Its pith has been used by watchmakers for many years. Its flowers are used to make a rural ‘champagne’ and the berries a jam and wine. Cultivars can be seen in many Wenvoe gardens. And there is much, much more we could write about this small tree which, if you have not already guessed it, is Elder.

In the Hay Wain you can see a small tree growing by a wall on the edge of the cottage and this has been identified as Elder, emphasising its importance to country folk. Herbalists used it – in the 16th century, Gerard recommended its seeds for those who were too fat. It was often planted close to cottages as it was believed to ward off the Devil but may also have helped because its ability to absorb water might have reduced the incidence of damp.

It is a key plant for wildlife, the berries consumed by more bird species than any other native tree although mammals tend to avoid them. It is second only to Ash in the number of Bryophytes (mosses and lichens) it supports. However, you should not see it in any of our orchards except for the Wild orchard. It is believed to inhibit the growth of sweet apples, plums and pears etc. so the recommendation is to avoid having it growing there. Our Wild orchard is made up of native trees which have co-existed with Elder for thousands of years and you will see Elder there growing alongside Crabapple, Wild Cherry, Wild Pear and Bullace.

Unspectacular and easily overlooked, Elder is a key plant in our countryside both for wildlife and for its rich cultural history. For more on this topic try articles by Jeff Ollerton e.g. British Wildlife vol 33, no. 6.

 

Collecting Wildflower Seed

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

 Collecting Wildflower Seed

September should see some of our sites being cut, mainly the Community Orchard off Station Road and the small meadow at Goldsland Farm. This is done by the Ecology team in the Vale of Glamorgan Council using a special machine which collects wildflower seed in the process. This is then distributed to create new wildflower meadows elsewhere in the Vale. We are currently unable to get machines onto the Upper Orchid Field as Cemex changed the locks on the access gate and we are trying to get a key. However the intention is to take some wildflower seed from here and this will be followed by the normal full cut scheduled for October. Photo shows the seed collecting machine in use last year

Funds from the Tuckers’ garden sale have been used to purchase a strimmer to be used for our orchard, the mini-meadow and watercress beds at Goldsland Farm.

Ryland & Dave – Bionic Men

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Tips from Venwood’s bionic men Ryland & Dave

Ryland

  1. Get to work on lawns by scarifying and seeding.
  2. Hold back on buying Spring flowering bulbs as they will be cheaper by the end of the month.
  3. Water butts are a must, stop putting it off.
  4. Collect seeds from plants. With the cost of seeds increasing it makes good sense.
  5. September is the best time to spray those perennial weeds.

Dave

  1. Put netting over ponds before the leaves start to drop.
  2. At this time of year you will have a lot of garden waste so go on – start a compost heap.
  3. If you haven’t grown sunflowers try to do so next Spring as the birds will love the seeds at this time of year and they are so easy to grow.
  4. If you’re thinking of making a raised bed you need to construct it so you can reach the middle from both sides.
  5. A wooden gazebo covered with a climbing plant provides unrivalled, cool shade

This year the hot weather has made it difficult to find places to be cool indoors or out. Those who walked in woodland during this time have found how cool it is under the shade of trees as they dissipate the heat so well. Planting a small tree in the garden will provide a cool place to sit. If you decide to plant one it will need plenty of water until it gets the roots growing.

We can take cuttings from a lot of plants at this time of year. Pelargoniums, fuchsias, penstemon etc are all easy to propagate. Just pick a stem without a flower, trim below a leaf node and place in pots of compost and keep in a cool place. Divide perennial plants, pot up and water the ones you want to give away and dig the others into their new home. If you have some clear ground to spare try sowing some hardy annuals such as cornflowers for early summer flowering.

Hedge cutting will be the major job in most gardens during the autumn so take your time and don’t worry that you can’t get it all done in a day. It’s not going anywhere and the longer you can live with it the shorter it will be at the beginning of next year’s growing season. When you’re cutting the shrubs back try cutting some of the lower branches off to allow more air and light around the base. In most cases the plant will look better as well. Are you considering buying a shredder to reduce the debris and use it as mulch? This is a commendable idea in practice but be warned there are dozens of sheds in the village with shredders that were purchased without the benefit of YouTube, so do check before buying.

With more rain and some sunshine September is a good month to sort out the damage done to the lawns by the dry weather (and the no mow May) during the late Spring and Summer. Most will need scarifying plus an Autumn lawn treatment along with some lawn seed. Besides the amount of effort needed you will need to keep the birds from taking their fill of seed.

Produce is being harvested from allotments and veg gardens in what is the most productive month of the year. Onions are being laid out to dry, runner beans are still being harvested and Autumn raspberries are at their best. Even when harvesting is in full swing Bernard, of compost bin fame, is planting onion sets and broad beans to get a good start for next year. Garlic really benefits from an early Autumn sowing as do meteor peas. Try putting in some turnip seeds as at this time of year conditions are perfect to produce a small but perfectly formed veg for the Christmas dinner table.

Hope to see you all at the Village Show, where the ability of local folk can be seen, admired and tasted. Be a part of village life and meet some of the characters that make Wenvoe a lovely place to live.

Take care and happy gardening

 

 Seven Green Flag Awards

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

 Seven Green Flag Awards for 2022!!

This is a tribute to all involved with the community sites. The landowners – The Reader family and Vale of Glamorgan Council – make it possible. Without the land we would not have the orchards and meadows for everyone to enjoy.

Our thanks also to Wildlife Group members who help with the conservation and others who either as individuals or groups cut the grass, strim the vegetation and cut down unwanted bushes and trees, To the Scouts who plant the hedgerows and individuals who fundraise for us – a big THANK YOU.

This year promises to be our biggest crop of fruit so far. Why not visit the orchards and sample over 50 different varieties of apple, pear, plum, cherry, medlar, damson and filbert? The photo shows a Nant Gwrtheryn apple all the way from the Llyn in North Wales. This is in the Welsh Orchard. See if you can find another in any of the other local orchards at Dyffryn, Porthkerry, Peterston etc

 

Unusual and Interesting Variations.

Unusual and Interesting Variations

Even the commonest plants and animals can throw up unusual and interesting variations. This photo shows a wildflower found all round the village which is Great Bindweed. Usually it is trumpet shape but the variation in the photo has the petals split and is called Quinque partita. It is growing close to the bus-stop near Pughs Garden Centre along with plenty of the normal version. And whilst the bindweeds can be a nuisance to gardeners, the bees love them.

Several people have noticed white versions of the Common Spotted Orchid growing in the Upper Orchid Field and the field by the Premier Inn. White versions of the Early Purple Orchid often appear on the footpath between Whitehall Farm and Burdons Hill and an albino buzzard was spotted a few years back which was being mobbed by crows. A blackbird was reported in Vennwood Close which had some white feathers – a form known as leucism caused by a melanin pigment deficiency. Last year we found a double form of a buttercup growing in the wild.

So, keep your eyes skinned and be on the lookout for anything unusual. If you find something different, take a photo and let the Wildlife Group know.

 

The Depleted Team

On a blistering hot morning the depleted team tackled an overgrown hedge on Tarrws Lane. While doing so we cleared the rubbish that was obstructing the old well (pictured).

Some of the elders made up an interview panel to vet a new member. Big John sorted out his details and signed him up for life membership. Gareth ‘Sing Song’ would like us to double our efforts, as there is always a lot to be done around the village. The only snag is the cost to the NHS with the extra prescriptions. A couple of members have been deemed good looking enough to attend the Silver Foxes coffee mornings which came as a surprise to the rest of us and a disappointment that we were not in the first draft, or second come to that!

Our next outing will be on Monday 8th August at the Community Centre at 9.30am.

We will be allowing carers along at the August meeting but not parole officers or your social worker

Wenvoe Community Litter Pick

 

WENVOE COMMUNITY LITTER PICK

The next Litter Pick will be from Friday 5th August with bags being collected from your home on Friday 12th August. If you are interested in taking part please call, text or email me on 07724827496 or email info@russellgodfrey.co.uk. I will drop pickers, bags etc to you. Many thanks, Russell Godfrey

 

Must Do Gardening Tips for August

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Tips on managing large gardens

Jan Bird

  1. Planning is so important; one should always be looking forward to the following year’s display.
  2. First impressions always matter so keep the public entrance well maintained.
  3. Hardy geraniums make excellent ground cover; cut back after flowering and you will get a second flush.
  4. With the use of Biofuels being mixed with petroleum these days it is imperative that you use a fuel additive to protect the engines of mowers etc.
  5. I have always found that a tray of tea made up for when the gardeners arrive; keeps them attentive when issuing instructions.

Gwen Williams

  1. One needs scale so be careful of the full-grown height of plants.
  2. Hiring Victoria to lead the garden team was a good investment as you need someone to put your trust in.
  3. Colour co-ordination will make beds a lot more pleasing to the eye.
  4. Patience is one of the best attributes to have, as certain members of the long-term staff are prone to discard some of the plants rather than care for them.
  5. It matters not the size of a garden as long it pleases you.

Lawns do not need a high nitrogen fertiliser now as this will encourage a lush growth that will be damaged by Autumn weather. The lawn should have a fertiliser with a high potassium content to encourage root growth. Ant nests have been a big problem this year; it’s best to sweep the mound before mowing.

Camellia and rhododendrons should be watered well now to encourage bud development for next year’s display. The dahlias will need extra staking to hold up the heavy blooms. Time to take cuttings of fuchsias and pelargoniums to increase stock. Black spot on roses gets more prevalent as summer goes on; damaged and fallen leaves should be put in bin or burned and not composted. Rose clear is an effective remedy for this along with other rose diseases. Lily beetle can devastate your lily displays; the brown sludge they leave is their larvae, so wipe off the leaves. To catch the culprit, you need to venture out after dark and pick them off the plant. We are told about the overuse of weed killer and the damage it can cause to the environment but used carefully it is extremely effective. During the early Autumn it can be used to kill off persistent perennial weeds like ground elder and bindweed before they start to fade and recoup for next year. Trying to eliminate these weeds by digging out is soul destroying.

On the veg patches and allotments a lot of produce will be ready for harvesting. Feed sweetcorn with tomato fertiliser to get the best cobs. This feed is also good for cucumber, pepper and aubergine plants. Keep removing the leaves below the first trusses on tomato plants to increase circulation and help prevent disease. Pinch out the tops of runner beans to increase side shoots and hopefully more beans. Keep picking the beans before they get stringy. Runner beans freeze well. The spent canes of summer fruiting raspberries can be cut down to the ground leaving the new canes for next year.

Of course, the dreaded cabbage white will be laying eggs on the underside of your brassica leaves so squash them in your fingers, as if they are left alone the crop will be devastated.

Next month sees the long awaited return of the Village Show, so if you are at all competitive then enter some of your produce. There will also be baking and craft competitions.

Take care and happy gardening.

 

Wildlife Is All Around

There Is Wildlife All Around

Look up – look down; there is wildlife around. Scan the skies for a sighting of the Red Kite, being spotted more frequently around the parish. Common in Shakespeare’s London where they helped to keep the streets clean by scavenging for dead animals, the Red Kite has been here in Wales far longer than Homo Sapiens. Bones have been found in Gower caves dating back 120,000 years along with those of lions, bison and rhinos. In mediaeval times the birds were protected but by the 16th century, farmers were poisoning them in the mistaken belief that they killed lambs and a bounty was put on them by the king – you could earn yourself a penny for every one you killed. By the beginning of the 20th century they were extinct in England and Scotland and there were just two breeding pairs in mid Wales. With protection and reintroductions from abroad we are now back up to around 4,500 breeding pairs in the UK. It is the National Bird of Wales so look up and see if you can spot one.

Many of you have a pond in your garden, so look down and you could well find a newt or two. If you do have them they are likely to be the Smooth or Common Newt. The small Palmate Newts tend not to be found here but the very large and rare Great Crested Newt has been found in the parish but usually in larger ponds in the countryside. Create a pond, large or small, and newts will soon find their way to it. Whilst they seek out ponds to breed, newts spend much of the year on the land. They breathe air so if you are patient you will often see them breaking the surface to take in air. Better still go out after dark and shine a torch into your pond as newts are more active at night. Many residents have reported having them in their ponds but as they love eating tadpoles you might not get so many frogs. A young newt is called an ‘eft’.

 

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