The Official Wenvoe Homepage
ENVIRONMENT GROUP
On a lovely December morning the Environment team met up on the village green to plant daffodil bulbs donated by Dyffryn gardens. A great turnout for the final meeting of the year; thankfully Ieuan turned up to bring the average age down a notch. Our next outing will be on the 11th January back at the village green at 9.30. Please bring cutting equipment and a rake. Tel 07704340840 to join this eclectic bunch.
WILDLIFE GROUP
As we head into a New Year it is worth pausing to review how we got on in 2020. Covid managed to affect many people’s lives and for those who had friends or family catch the virus it may well have been a difficult year. However, one consequence has been the number of people who have started exploring the countryside and discovering our Community Orchards and Nature Reserves. These have been created by the Community and for the Community and without the following we would not be where we are today. First a thank you to the landowners, principally the Reader family who have allowed us to create several wildlife oases on their farms. Then there are those who donate and in the last few months this has included 4 benches (Tricia, Ann and Abi), some tools and a small pond (Pat) and not least, the Tuckers who managed to raise a fantastic sum for the group from the Reindeer event. We refurbished and installed two new noticeboards donated by the Village Hall Committee and Community Council. Some individuals have donated plants (Sue & Mike) and many have volunteered for the Group either by clearing bramble, cutting back trees, planting hedgerows and fruit trees, painting noticeboards and repairing benches. Lee and Dominique walk all the way from Barry before working hard at the Goldsland sites. John Smith cut the Goldsland Orchard for us saving goodness knows how many volunteering manhours. Many helpers are from outside Wenvoe (Peter from Radyr, Pat and Roger from Llanishen, Phil and Shirley from Dinas Powys). So to all those who have helped, particularly those who have not been mentioned but do sterling work for us, a sincere vote of thanks. We hope to be in touch with you all again this year.
And for those who wondered about the photo we included in our article last month, this is East Orchard castle near St Athan – a surprising ruin complete with house, barn, chapel and dovecote.
RSPB BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH 29-31St January 2021
Many readers will already know about the Big Garden Birdwatch and many will have taken part previously. It is free and easy to take part. Here are the basic things you need to know. If you require more information or need a guide to garden birds go to rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. It’s a great activity whether you live alone or within a family and you can even do the birdwatch if you are house-bound.
Pick a time;- You can choose any hour between 29 and 31 January.
Tell RSPB what you see:- Count the birds that land in your garden or park, or on your balcony. Ignore any birds that are still in flight. To avoid double-counting just record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time – not a running total. e.g. if you see one starling back and forwards that counts as one. If you see 2 together then that counts as two etc.
Submit your results:- Online: You can submit your results online at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch from 29 January until 19 February. By post: If you’d rather send your results by post, you can download a submission form. Please post your results to RSPB before 15 February. Every count is important so, if you don’t see anything, please submit your result. Finding out which birds don’t visit your garden or park is as important as understanding those which do.
Have fun!
THE VILLAGE GARDENER
Gardeners World tips for January.
Environment team to do list.
Here we go again, full of enthusiasm for the forthcoming year. A good start would be to get the mower serviced and sharpen all the pruning tools. Cleaning all those pots, which you have been promising yourself you will do, will help in controlling any disease. Open the greenhouse once a day to allow fresh air to circulate.
It can be the coldest time of the year right now but with days getting longer you will notice some things in the garden will start to move. The first thing to address are the worm casts on the lawn. Left alone these manage to catch any weed seed in the vicinity then proceed to germinate it. Just brush over the lawn to flatten them. Branches taken off the now defunct real Christmas tree can be placed around plants to help warm up the soil. Apparently, this method is used quite a bit on the continent. Be careful not to tread on any bulbs you may have planted in the lawn. If allowed, windowsills are great for bringing on early plants but don’t panic as those grown later cause less work and they do have a habit of catching up. Sowing lobelia seeds is a tedious job but the end result is spectacular if you can plant them thin enough. If ever you are not sure how well you should be doing just sneak a peek at Mr Crumps garden in Rectory close, if you can’t see over the fence go to Ieuans a couple of doors down as these two never get it wrong. I Have to mention Mr Frank Millar of Grange Close. Those of you that have met him will know what an incredible man he is. When the body stopped him gardening at ground level, veg trugs were the answer. Last year Frank grew some lovely stuff, mostly veg. Mr Millars past is an incredible story, which I hope he puts into print if he’s not too busy.
Christmas usually means that some of your gifts will be plants, Amaryllis are quite popular but along with pots of daffs are sometimes neglected. Just follow the advice on the label, it’s well worth it.
Just a note to say that British Soil will be closed until Jan 8th.
Take care and happy gardening.
Nature Notes
Private Gardens In The UK
Private gardens in the UK cover an area bigger than all the Nature Reserves combined, estimated at over 10 million acres. Just as our countryside and woodland is shrinking, so is the amount of garden space which wildlife can use as more gardens become wholly or partially paved over or covered with decking, replaced with artificial grass or sheds and offices. This is the season for New Year resolutions so please take some time to think about how you and the family impact on your environment. Anyone can feed the birds or leave a little patch of lawn or flower-bed to go a bit wild. Will hedgehogs become an animal that our children only read about in books? In the last 20 years numbers have declined by 30% in urban areas and 50% in rural ones and this on top of massive declines in the 20th century. But there are several things you can do to help, such as by creating small gaps in your fence to allow them to move from garden to garden. Try planting pollinator-friendly plants, shrubs and trees – for more on this visit the Bee Loud Glade near the Goldsland Orchard. And what about a pond?
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
They do not have to be large. The one in the picture cost 97p with a black bucket popped into a hole. It includes two plants, Purple Loosestrife and Marsh Marigold (Kingcups). In the summer it was full of Rat-tailed Maggots which may sound awful but are the larvae of the attractive Hoverfly, the Drone Fly. So, why not make a difference yourself.
The Village Gardener Tips for December
Victoria of the Walled Garden. Tips for December.
Pete Ferris. Gardening on a wet day.
What a year it has been, with all that’s gone on in the world, the garden has been a refuge from bad news. People who work on the land, whether farmers or gardeners, always knew the benefits of working with plants and the soil. Joining local walkers or the Wildlife Group with all their activities, will get you closer to nature and improve wellbeing. If you want to join one of these groups, the numbers are in the front of this magazine. We are all looking forward to a better time in 2021 when hopefully groups can start to meet again. I will be looking forward to the Wenvoe Open Garden event and an Autumn show.
Even at this time of year the green house is quite full, with plants that need protecting against wind or frost. If you can, put the plants outside on a mild day and give it a thorough clean. This will help keep the plants free of disease.
There is one thing assured this year and that is the amount of cardboard that we will need to deal with coming up to Christmas. It can be used a lot around the garden in a variety of ways. The compost bin will benefit from cardboard as it adds carbon and will help when you have lots of grass clippings to break down. It is brilliant for putting on ground that you need to clear, as by the time it rots down the weeds will have died. Putting cardboard down where you need a path, then covering with bark also stops weeds.
At the start of November quite a few new people started work on their allotments. Under the watchful eye of councillor Colin, they were getting stuck into the tasks at hand. These days we must be careful of thieves who see the allotments as a chance to pilfer. So, take note from some of the other allotment holders and don’t leave any tools on site. There is one thing the new starters will never be short of and that’s advice from the other plot holders.
Thanks for all your comments throughout the year. None of us are ever too old to learn, unless you go by the name of Gordon Jones who can give sound advice on everything. Special thanks to Joyce Hoy for being able to name any plant I show her.
Take care and have a lovely Christmas and a great new year.
The Welsh Have No Use For Orchards nor Gardens!
(The Welsh) have no use for orchards nor gardens’. So said Gerald of Wales, the 12th/13th century historian and archdeacon of Brecon.
We described in the previous two issues something of the background and history of the sweet apple – so did Wales really miss out? You will often come across old farmhouses called Ty’n y Berllan (the house in the orchard) and apples feature prominently in Welsh mythology. In the Mabinogi collection, Pwyll’s men are ordered to ‘wait outside the court in the orchard’. King Arthur’s Avalon derives from the Welsh ‘afallen’ or apple tree.
The Welsh king, Hywel Dda, set out in the 10th century the values of different assets and a sweet apple tree was worth 60 pennies, equivalent to 60 lambs or 15 pigs. There are many references in the Middle Ages to apple-growing whether in poetry, land-use records or folk traditions. There were 12 acres of orchards on the lands of Llanthony Priory and even this far back vines, pears and other Mediterranean fruit were grown. St Donats featured orchards which were ‘fair things to behold’. The Physicians of Myddfai (visit our Welsh orchard to find out more) praised the medicinal value of apples.
By the end of the 18th century the colourful Iolo Morganwg was compiling a list of 147 apple varieties then growing in Glamorgan and Gwent. From the large country houses to the small peasant cottages, apple trees could usually be found and all the way from Glamorgan to Anglesey. By 1899 there were 6,500 acres of orchard recorded of which 4,000 were in Monmouthshire. Love spoons were often carved in applewood and the old custom of wassailing was celebrated. Even David Lloyd George was praised for the quality of the apples he grew. Many varieties were of Welsh origin such as Cissy and St Cecilia. Others like Morgan Sweet were a favourite with the miners (which they enjoyed with Caerphilly cheese) as the juice, which was tangy yet sweet, was refreshing when working down the pits.
All of these can be sampled in our Wenvoe orchards with St Cecilia judged the top apple this year. Did Gerald of Wales get it right? What do you think? Much of the information here is taken from a little book called the Apples of Wales by Carwyn Graves, published in 2018 and a great read if you find the topic interesting.
And finally, just to get the little grey cells working, where are the ruins featured in the photo and what is the connection with this article? A clue for you – it is less than 10 miles from Wenvoe.
Betty James “must do” list for November
Wenvoe over 90s ramblers club tips
Leaf mould is one of gardening’s great composts, it’s so easy to make and improves soil structure. You can also use it for bringing on seedlings. The best use as far as I know is for growing bulbs. It doesn’t necessarily need a compost bin, just fill bin bags with leaves then damp down. put a few holes in the bags and place out of the way. A good way of looking after bare patches in the borders or allotments is to plant what’s known as green manure. This not only protects soil from erosion, it inhibits weed growth and can then be dug in come spring to add nutrients to the soil.
Even with shorter days and inclement weather there are still plenty of jobs to be done. On the rare dry days a bit of weeding is always needed. Bare root shrubs and trees are available to order. They are cheaper bought this way and have a very high success rate. Planted now, they will establish a good root system over the winter. Keep raking up the leaves, especially those on grass, otherwise the grass will take ages to recover. There is still time to plant some garlic cloves; they need a cold spell to form clusters.
Ash dieback is taking hold in the village with a number of trees already taken out. If any of your trees have lost their leaves prematurely then get them checked out. At present there is no way back for infected trees with this disease. The latest survey suggests that only 5% of ash trees have a resistance.
New rules on leaving the EU mean that imported plants from Europe will have stringent tests to deal with pests and disease. I would have thought that should have been in place already. The upshot of this is that garden centres say it will mean an increase at the checkout on already highly priced plants. As a country we have allowed some diseases to take a stronghold around the south of the country. It beggars belief that we cannot grow enough plants in this country. Surely, for the prices garden centres charge, we ought to be able to compete and most of all be safer from pest and disease. While we were in lockdown during the early spring, people found old packets of seed and, looking around our area, gardens flourished. Irene and Dave in Vennwood really showed what you can do with a packet of seeds.
Take care and happy gardening
Wildlife Group Activities
Our newest recruit is a Peregrine Falcon – plastic of course but don’t tell the crows! Benches and similar structures that we install in our sites can prove popular, not only with people, but also crows, rooks and starlings with all the associated deposits that come with them. Our Peregrine is intended to deter them. We shall see – but as crows are pretty 
intelligent it is possible that they will realise that although the Peregrine is the fastest bird, even fastest animal, on the planet, believed to achieve speeds of 200 mph when diving, ours is somewhat static, achieving just the odd wobble in high winds.
We had another good conservation day working on the Upper Orchid Field and re-opened a number of the paths which had become overgrown with brambles and Blackthorn. The challenge now is to keep the paths open so if you have occasion to walk there, consider taking a pair of secateurs and snipping away at the odd bit of undergrowth. Hopefully, the contractor will have been able to cut the field by the time you read this but access has proved a bit of a problem with the takeover of Cemex.
Waitrose have again come up with a donation to Wildlife Group funds, for which we are most grateful. Even before Covid, applying for grants was becoming harder as funding bodies increasingly favoured larger organisations and those living in deprived areas. For example the much-publicised Local Places for Nature capital grant starts at £10,000 and the Biffa landfill tax refund at £5,000. The Small Grants scheme is ‘currently closed to applicants’. Community Packages for Nature offered by the Welsh Government must be ‘located in areas of high physical environment deprivation with limited access to nature’.
We are doing particularly well for apples this year as our trees start to mature with the Welsh Orchard producing an abundance. An apple-tasting session found that Cissy came out top closely followed by Afal Wern. Equal third were Machen, St Cecilia and Pig Aderyn. Cissy dates back to the 18th century. It was raised by a Mr Tamplin from the Malpas area who called the apple after his sister. The Elizabethan Orchard has produced its first Walnuts and Figs. Work on the Bee Lod Glade is progressing with the planting of Escallonia, Eucryphia, Euonymous, Gipsywort, Evening Primrose and Purple Loosestrife. Planting containers have been constructed out of recycled timber. A 100+ tree hedgerow from the Woodland Trust is due for delivery during November.