Category: Nature

More Trees and Shrubs Planted

Despite the wet weather we have continued to plant trees and shrubs both Damsons and hedgerow whips which have been donated by residents. We have applied for 7 Green Flag awards for 2020, the Bee Loud Glade being this year’s newest addition. Brushcutting at the Goldsland Farm orchard has carried on between showers and holes for the new ponds are being dug – at least they will benefit from a few heavy downpours once in place. The Community Orchard was the location for a meeting with the Chair of St George’s Community Council who would like to get some wildlife initiatives off the ground and wanted to see what can be achieved.

We were invited to visit and give some advice on the newish orchard at Llandough Hospital and will continue to be involved with this project during the year. Few know of its existence but this large field of several acres immediately adjoins the hospital and will provide a welcome retreat for patients and visitors. It consists partly of meadow but with a traditional orchard at the higher end of the field. Although planted up with 67 apple trees two years ago, more than half of the trees have perished due it is thought to late planting and the hot summer. We remember the summer well as we spent many hours watering the newly-planted fruit trees at the Goldsland Farm orchard but we had the benefit of cattle drinking troughs a short distance from the trees and lost only one of our 36 trees. A new round of planting will take place in the next couple of months at Llandough and this time they will be molly-coddled! Robert Reader who farms at Burdons Farm has generously agreed to cut the field which has become tussocky in places and with Blackthorn sprouting all over.

For any readers who have either been treated at the hospital or know others who have and would like to give something back, here is your opportunity! Just contact us and we can put you in touch with Hester Adams who is running the project for the Health Board. We shall be reporting progress in future issues of What’s On.

Raffle At The Reindeer Cafe

We were delighted to receive over £400 from the raffle at the Reindeer Cafe organised by Mike and Glenys Tucker. A portion will go towards the purchase of a battery-operated brushcutter as we are finding that as the orchards and other sites get established it is brushcutting and strimming that take up much of our time. An improvement in the weather would be welcome with many of our sites boggy although not flooded. It does mean that working on the sites is not only unpleasant with all the rain but can cause damage to the soil. A local house clearance has resulted in the donation of a wheelbarrow, some timber and tools – these are always welcome. We have applied for funding from the RHS for the purchase of trees, shrubs and plants that are good for pollinators at the Bee Loud Glade and would hope to hear in January if we have been successful. Bright days and sharp frosts can create great photo opportunities as this photo from the Upper Orchid Field from a few years ago shows. Why not get out and enjoy your countryside!

The odd dry day has allowed us to get out and potter in the orchards. Even in mid-November we were picking apples in the Welsh Orchard. However, the main activities were pruning the fruit trees, strimming and re-locating plants in the herb garden that were becoming invasive, such as Comfrey. The hedgerow in the Community Orchard has had a good trim and we have continued to plant apple, plum and damson trees down at Goldsland.

Whilst the heavy rain has caused it to be a bit wet in parts of the Community Orchard, think back to how things were before we planted the orchard. The photo shows the whole area where the orchard is now, under water up to the nearby goalpost, during the winter before we started planting.

Upper Orchid Field

Visitors to the Upper Orchid Field will have noticed that the field has been cut and the cuttings removed which is essential to keep the meadow in the best condition for wildflowers to flourish. It is just over 10 years since some residents expressed concern that the field was becoming overgrown and was half-way to becoming woodland. The Wenvoe Wildlife Group was formed and we have been keeping an eye on it as best we can. The Vale of Glamorgan Council, who own the field, agreed to carry out an annual cut but 5 years ago they decided they could no longer afford to do this. The field is now cut by a local contractor with the costs shared between the Wildlife Group and the Wenvoe Community Council. This is one of less than a handful of wildflower meadows left in or near Cardiff but no funding is received from any public body to help to maintain it. The weather has not been conducive to conservation work but we shall continue to plant hedgerow saplings and clear vegetation if and when the sun shines. Our thanks to residents who have donated a Bay tree and 2 Damsons; the latter seem to do well locally. Our harvest of apples continues to go well with the Medlars just waiting for the first frosts. This year’s revelation has been Bullace* which is relatively uncommon in local hedgerows. We have planted it in the Wild Orchard near St Lythans where it has cropped well this year and has proved great for jams and pies

*The Bullace is a variety of plum. It bears edible fruit similar to those of the damson, and like the damson is considered to be a strain of the insititia subspecies of Prunus domestica

So Much Going On

First a big ‘thank you’ to Frey and Isla for donating a very healthy Hazel to the group. It will be planted out at Goldsland Farm in the Cider Orchard alongside a Public Right of Way helping to form part of a hedge which will both protect the young fruit trees and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Further up the track is the new pollinator patch, referred to as The Bee Loud Glade. Plants, shrubs and trees that can supply pollen and nectar to bees and other insects are being planted there and we aim to add a bench or two and a pond over the winter period. We are delighted that Gwenfo Primary School will be involved with this project by helping with the design, raising funds for the plants and planting them. If all goes to plan we shall be submitting this Glade as our 7th Green Flag site for 2020.

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We have been working on the Community Orchard at the far end of the Playing Fields, having cut the grass and topped up the pond which was quite low after a lengthy dry period. Some patches have been left as tussocks which are good for wildlife such as small mammals, bees and butterflies. This year a grass called Meadow Foxtail has done particularly well which shows it is progressing towards a meadow community rather than just having coarser grasses such as Cocksfoot and False Oat Grass. Some of the trees have had reasonable crops including an old variety called Tom Putt. This dates back to the 1700s and was originally widely planted in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset where it became known as the Cottage Apple. It can be used as for cider, eating or cooking and a number of cider producers still use it for their cider.

The wildflower patch in Grange Park has again been a bit of a disappointment. In the 5 years that we have been planting it the amount of sunlight which manages to get through the gaps in the massive Horse Chestnut and Pines has reduced and the plants that have grown have a pronounced lean towards the light. Some of the trees are due to be trimmed by the Council but it is unlikely that this will make much difference so we shall be looking at other possible locations in the park which are in full sun. However first we must await the proposals from the Council to alter the layout and locations of the play areas.

If you have any spare stakes or bits of bamboo with reasonable-sized holes, the group can always make use of them. Throwing out an old beach wind-break? The poles make good stakes for young trees and bamboos are used to replace those in bee hotels. We cut down 12 cm lengths from bamboos so can make use of old and broken pieces.