Category: Nature

Vale Wildflower project

 

We were delighted to be offered £356 by Waitrose in Cowbridge and this will be used to buy wildflower seed for planting on our existing sites. We also hope to give away small packs of seed at the Craft Fair and Open Farm Sunday. If you voted for us with your green tokens, many thanks. And if you missed out on that, don't worry as you will have another chance, this time at Waitrose Barry during March. Look out for the Vale Wildflower project. Not only do we plant our own seed but we distribute to many other groups including the Vale Council and those who look after Old Hall Gardens in Cowbridge. We continue to clear the undergrowth around the watercress beds at Goldsland Farm (see photo) and have started planting the new orchard. The pace hots up with Spring coming so there is always plenty do if you would like to come and join us.

 

 

Ash Trees Disaster

 

Ash trees are one of our natives and are particularly common around the parish. In face we have spent 10 years trying to eliminate them from the meadow part of the Upper Orchid Field. But what would our countryside look like if they all went? This is not as unlikely as you might think. We have previously commented in Whats On about the rate of tree loss by human action what with new housing, cycle ways or action by individual householders. This is matched by a replanting record in Wales that is woefully short of the targets set by the Welsh Government. However this is as nothing compared with the threat created by Ash Dieback or Chalara, a lethal fungus first reported in Britain in 2012. In an experiment in 2013, 155,000 ash saplings were planted and only 2.5% remain disease free now. Not only is there a potential impact on the 955 mammals, birds, insects, lichens and fungi that use the trees but it will affect the council tax payer, through the additional cost of removing dead and dying trees, particularly where these overhang roads, parks or houses. And the most amazing thing is that even though it is a native species we imported 5.2 million ash trees from abroad between 2003 and 2011. Many of the pests and diseases our trees and plants are suffering from have been imported on shrubs and trees from abroad. It may be that we as consumers might have to consider asking our garden centres where the plants that we are buying have come from. Scientists are working on a variety of ways to help address the problem but timescales for developing disease-resistant strains can be measured in decades and Chalara is with us now. But, you might say, there are plenty of other types of tree around. The photo shows a veteran Sweet Chestnut tree near Cowbridge which we also have growing on Grange Park and in the woods near the Upper Orchid Field. Another killer fungus has destroyed 3.5 billion Chestnuts in the USA and last summer it reached East London, Devon and Dorset.

 

 

Spring is Just Around the Corner

 

Daffodil bulbs are well on their way, pigeons are nesting, Easter eggs in shops, moles are looking for a mate and leaving small piles of earth in gardens where there not wanted, spring must be close.It is only February I know but loads to be getting on with. If you are ordering plants or seeds from catalogues you need to get in quickly as some favourites will soon be out of stock. Planning ahead, are you going to enter the village show later in the year, if so then some special seed will give an advantage. Seed from specialist growers does cost more but we're not entering to come last are we?

Winter flowering shrubs that have that have stopped producing flowers should be cut back now as the more new growth they put on throughout the coming year the better the display.Winter flowering Jasmine is one that benefits from early pruning.

Lily bulbs can be potted up now and place Dahlia tubers in a light warm place to encourage them to sprout before planting out, be careful not to let them dry out. Root cuttings of perennial Poppies can be taken. At the end of the month cut back the stems of potted fuchsias that are under cover and put in a warm place to promote new growth. Keep dead heading winter pansies, they will go on for a long while yet.

Hardy annuals can be sown in pots and will be good for filling in gaps throughout the year if you stagger the sowing, also wildlife love them. A tip from the RHS, when weeds start to grow then its time to sow hardy annuals. Sweet peas sown now and put in a cold frame will prolong the season along with the autumn sown ones that can now be potted up.

The lawn may not be looking at its best this time of year but edging will need to be done and grass cut if you can possibly get on to it. If you delay the first cut to long it will become difficult to manage. Keep sweeping those worm casts away. Turf can be laid now if ground conditions allow.

We are fortunate to live in what the Police say is a low crime area but we must not become complacent. Don't leave machinery and tools on view, put a good lock on garden buildings. It only takes a minute for a thief to relieve you of anything not locked up. Shed alarms are a good cheap deterrent.

This is the time of year when we might be thinking of some major changes to the outside area. If your going to need contractors to help with the work now is the time as their books are not as full this time of year. Get at the very least two quotes and do not be pressured into any contract. To find good people can be challenging, the best way is to speak to people who have had work done. Please do not accept offers from people who come knocking at your door, you may get lucky but newspapers are full of stories about work not completed and over charging.

Need to know more about gardening? then the environment team is for you. They meet on Mondays usually twice a month and help keep Wenvoe looking good. The team includes amongst others Trevor Ieuin and Brian, these gardeners have loads of knowledge and its free. Take care and happy gardening

 

 

Prepare for Spring

 

Happy new year everyone.

I hope you're enjoying all the gardening goodies you were given at Christmas as, once people know that you're interested in horticulture, it's guaranteed that future presents will include items connected to the garden.

It might be difficult to get motivated when you're still fighting your way through sweets and the extras you bought or baked just in case a bus stopped outside your house over the New Year. As we know time waits for no one and there is plenty to be getting on with. The R H S has a top ten of things to do in January:-

1. Recycle your old xmas tree by shredding it to use as mulch

2. Clean pots and greenhouse ready for spring.

3. Dig over any vacant plots.

4. Disperse worm casts on lawn.

5. Inspect stored dahlia and begonia tubers for drying out and rot.

6. prune apple and pear trees.

7. Start forcing rhubarb, covering with a large upturned pot.

8. Plan your vegetable crop rotation for the coming season.

9. Keep putting out food and water for the birds.

10. If you have a peach or nectarine plant now is is the time to cover it with polythene to protect against peach leaf curl.

Broad beans can be sown now in pots and put in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.

Sow lettuce, brassicas, spinach and salad onions indoors for extra early crops. Onion seed can be planted if you have a heated propagator.

Trees and shrubs can still be moved now as long as the ground is not frozen. Bare root plants can still be put in now. With the weather so changeable please make sure that any stakes and ties are as they should be. Wind rock can ruin shrubs and trees. If we have snow we must not let it build up on shrubs if we can help it as branches can break which will invariably spoil the shape of the plant. Wisteria can be trimmed now, cut back to 2 or 3 buds but avoid cutting any flower buds. January is the last chance to sow seeds of native trees and shrubs that need frost to germinate.

Summer bulbs and seed potatoes will be available to purchase from the middle of the month, just be careful and keep them safe from frosts. Cut some of the old leaves off hellebores to expose the flowers.

Having watched Blue Planet 2 and seen the devastation caused by plastic on marine life, I will be making it my duty to always have a bag on me when I visit a garden centre as we do when supermarket shopping. It’s just a pity that all pots and trays are plastic. It comes down to economics and unless governments pass legislation this will continue, but anything we can do will help.

Have a happy New Year. Happy gardening.

Orchard Update

 

We have been out and about when the weather permitted. Some more willows have been planted in the Community Orchard along with the King James 1st Mulberry donated by a resident. 4 Bullace have been planted in the Wild Orchard, St Lythans, two each of the varieties Shepherds Bullace and Langley Bullace. These are like small plums or large sloes. Our remote camera traps are showing some nice shots of foxes and pheasants but no rarities as yet.

 

 

Winter Preparations

 

 

A huge thank you to everyone who gave to Children in Need through The Village Gardener at the end of October. Some of you may not have realised, but your tips and donations raised £100. Brilliant.

There is an unusual vegetable taking over the garden at Judy Holmes house. A three year old cabbage which was grown from seed. Judy accidentally mowed the top off it and thought she would use it for cooking. She put it in water to keep it fresh and roots grew from the side. This remarkable cabbage is still providing for Judy with enough left to feed any insects that need sustenance. On the subject of greens, don't forget to put your sprouts on to boil or they will never be of the right consistency for Christmas dinner. The 1st of December should give them enough time.

As I’m writing this the weather is still unseasonably warm, which means that grass is still growing and will need cutting if dry enough to get on to, but keep the cut high. Slugs are still in abundance so a recommendation from the intrepid explorer, Joyce Hoy, will help. Joyce says to spray the rims of your terracotta pots with WD40, if pots are plastic soak a piece of string in WD40 and tie around the rim.

We still have time to plant bulbs especially tulips and then look forward to lovely colour in spring. There should be some bargains to be had now as shops and garden centres try to clear stock. If you have spare space, why not try some hardwood cuttings of deciduous trees and shrubs. Willow is good to try. Using this year’s growth, cut pieces into 6'' lengths. Cut on an angle above a bud so that water runs off and then cut again straight across just below a pair of buds. Plant outside to about 2/3rds of its length. Tree cuttings can take until next autumn to root. The same techniques can be used on honeysuckle, vines and fruit bushes.

Cold weather will be with us at some point so check your outside taps are covered. The RSPB say that the need to provide water for birds is just as important at this time of year as ponds and puddles are frozen. Their tips include putting a light ball in the birdbath as the slightest breeze will move it and this will help stop water freezing. Another good tip is lining the bath with polythene, so you can lift out the ice.

The BBCs Gardeners World series ended last month and I know how much you enjoy the programme with Monty Don. It is a great programme and we always watch it. That said two items really wound me up. The first was when presenter Adam Frost was mulching a huge border, on which weed control fabric had been put down, with Grow Sure Smart Ground Cover. This mulch is £9.90 a bag and i promise you all it is not worth it, any mulch will do the job. The second was towards the end of the series. Monty Don was shown raking leaves off a lawn then spreading them on a path only to run a mower over them to break them down to use as mulch. Just run the mower over the grass on a higher setting, with the grass box on and all the leaves are picked up and mulched at the same time. Roll on the next series.

Leading up to Christmas the one plant most of us buy or are given will be poinsettias. To care for these, keep on a warm window sill, only water when top of compost feels dry then give it a good soaking and feed once a week.

 

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas, take care and happy gardening.

 

 

Many New Members

 

It is great that so many new members of the group are coming from people who have recently moved into the village. Whether you are a specialist or generalist, whether you prefer digging and planting or spotting and recording, there is plenty of opportunity for everyone who cares about wildlife to do something positive. In the last month, when weather permits and it has not been wonderful, we have been strimming the vegetation, thinning out trees, planting bulbs in the wildflower planters, digging out self-sown trees, weeding vegetable patches, planting trees, trimming our hedgerows, treating our timber structures, putting up notices and leaflet dispensers. In the coming weeks we hope to plant up our fifth orchard, dig in some new Bullace trees, cut back a small wildflower meadow and generally get on top of things before Spring arrives and it all starts over again. For more detail follow us on Facebook – Wenvoe Wildlife Group.

 

 

round the Mulberry Bush

 

Thanks to a donation from a Wenvoe resident the Wildlife Group has just planted a new Mulberry in the Community Orchard. Mulberries are not new to Wenvoe – there is a fine, mature tree at the top of the village that drips with fruit in late summer. But they are unusual and far less common than they used to be. The Community Orchard already has some interesting fruit in addition to the usual suspects, apple, plum, pear, cherry, greengage. You do not see Medlars too much these days but some new Medlar orchards are being planted around London and our 4 Medlars seem happy with our climate and soil and fruit regularly. Quince is also seldom seen but we have one fruit still persisting in the Community Orchard in mid November. So why not a Mulberry? It produces delicious fruit, the birds usually get to it first, but smaller mammals also find them irresistible. They have an interesting history and associations with our culture.

Our variety is called King James 1st (aka Chelsea) and it dates from the 17th century and thereby hangs a tale. King James was anxious to break the French monopoly on silk and the Mulberry is the main food of the Silkworm which produces it. Unfortunately he imported thousands of black Mulberries but it is the white Mulberry which the moths go for and these do not grow well in Britain. So the project did nothing for a British silk industry but the 4 acre Mulberry garden near Buckingham Palace was a popular recreational spot. Mulberries can be found in many of our stately homes, particularly those dating back to Jacobean times. We have fine specimens at St Fagans and near Llandaff Cathedral. They are incredibly long-lived – the artist Gainsborough who was born in 1727 had one growing in his garden which was already over 100 years old and is still there!

And who has not sung the rhyme 'Here we go round the Mulberry Bush'. There are many theories as to its origins but little proof so when you encourage your little ones to dance around the Mulberry bush why not come up with your own story. And if you think it is a good one, get in touch with the Wildlife Group who can publish it on the Community Orchard noticeboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Future Projects

 

To those of you, particularly those moving into Wenvoe, if you have an interest in wildlife and would like to help our furry and feathered friends, not to mention flowers, trees, lichens and insects, do get in touch with the Wildlife Group. We now have 7 sites and there is always plenty to be done. Over the coming months we shall be planting an orchard (yes, another one – our fifth!), putting in 3 ponds, opening up a sunken lane, pruning our 100+ apple and pear trees, creating a lichen trail, strimming, clearing and mulching. We shall be planting Bullace and Mulberry and preparing the wildflower beds for next year. We are already beginning to see more wildlife moving in – especially small mammals such as voles and shrews and the butterflies were also enjoying the windfalls. The caterpillar in the photo is a Yellow Tail moth.

During October we hosted a visit from members of Cadoxton Conservation Group and it is great to see the progress they have been making in Barry – follow them on Facebook. And talking Facebook, don't forget to check our Facebook pages – it is often the most up-to-date and visual means of keeping in touch.

 

 

 

Conkers vs Spiders

 

I must admit that since I was a child, I’ve not been able to tolerate spiders, so I dread the reported invasion of giant spiders in the house this autumn . There are many gadgets and products on the market to remove spiders from the home and according to old wives tales, there are also natural methods Leaving conkers on window ledges is said to stop spiders entering the house, but scientists haven’t proved whether the saponin compound found in conkers is effective. Some swear by peppermint oil which has a high concentration of pulegone and methone which are natural pesticides. Drop 15-20 drops of the pure oil into water and add to a spray. Similarly eucalyptus oil or white wine vinegar mixed with water and then sprayed around the home are said to be good repellents. So I am going to have a go with the conker method- no problem with collecting conkers in this village is there?

 

 

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