Category: Nature

What To Do In Autumn

 

The Village Show on 9th sept was a great advertisement for village life. A big thank you to the scouts for putting on a great day. I now know from personal experience what it takes to compete with the likes of Annie Bennett, Gordon Jones and the colossus that is Phil Morant. I spoke to a lot of people who wished they had entered in more categories plus others who hadn't entered this year but wished they had. So next year it could be standing room only. Let’s hope so and let’s give the organisers our support. One thing that I still cannot fathom is the outcome of my Tesco potatoes entry. Three specimens – all of them nearly exactly the same size – came nowhere. I believe I was robbed and the judges didn't even wear masks. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

All plants given to the environment group have now been planted on the village green so thanks to all who donated. Most of the gaps have now been filled. When travelling around the village it is good to see the effort that a lot of villagers make to keep Wenvoe clean and tidy.

This year seems to have been particularly bad for a lot of lawns, especially on slopes. I believe the wet summer has had a detrimental effect by washing any goodness out the soil. Having spoken to green keepers and trawled google for advice to share, the consensus is that lime is the answer and should be applied in the Autumn on a dry but not frosty day. The lawn will then have all winter to absorb the lime. Dealing with moss in lawns is time consuming and, if you get a contractor in, very expensive. While looking for moss killer at garden centres I came across a lawn treatment that claims you don't have to rake out the moss after treatment. It’s called Mo Bacter and was trialled on BBCs Beechgrove Garden series with outstanding reviews. They have it at the local garden centre. I don't know how good it is but I will be giving it a try in the Spring after liming. If your planning on laying new turf the Royal Horticultural Society reckon now is a good time and they should know.

Things to get done in October. Gardening at this time can seem like a lot of effort for little return, but work done now is well worth it such as clearing borders, cutting back and planting for next year with cheap perennials from garden centres. I have picked up really good plants at this time of year, a lot of which can be split, giving you multiple plants. October advice from the Eden Project Cornwall includes the following. 1. Divide herbaceous perennials. 2. Plant out spring flowers such as wallflowers. 3. Plant prepared hyacinths in vases for scent and colour in the house. 4. This is the time of year to cover up your garden furniture and clean out greenhouses, ponds and water butts.

On the veg patch, now is the time to divide established rhubarb crowns to create new plants. Planting out spring cabbage is another job to be done now. Tip from Jeff Dowling at the allotment. If you're going to use farmyard or horse manure, get it

quite fresh and cover it with a sheet till it rots down so that the goodness is kept in. Well rotted manure that has been left to the elements will have had all nutrients washed out of it before you use it.

I hope that you are enjoying the produce at this time of year. There is nothing quite like eating fruit and veg in season, whether it's consumed fresh or made into jams, pickles, tarts and wine. Don't forget to plant garlic now, pointy end up. Quite apt really with Halloween imminent.

Happy gardening.

 

 

A New Arbour

We have erected an arbour in the Elizabethan Orchard – see photo – and will be planting Honeysuckle to grow up the sides. Shakespeare often refers to Woodbine which some believe is Honeysuckle but he also refers to Woodbine entwined with Honeysuckle which suggests it may be something else. It is disappointing to have to report that one of the newly planted heritage Gooseberry varieties we planted has been stolen. Increased use of CCTV and distribution of our wildlife cameras may provide evidence that the police can make use of. We shall also be planting 20 bulbs of Spiked Star of Bethlehem which is the flower featured on our logo as the parish has the only confirmed and established site for this in Wales, where it has been growing for at least 20 years and probably longer. We have had printed our own T Shirts, thanks to Linda Evans, which you will see being worn by members when working in the orchards and nature reserves. This features the logo front and back. Our next major project will be the planting of the orchard at Goldsland Farm which will consist mainly of apples, including some cider varieties and perry pears

 

 

Sputnik Pea Gall

 

 

This fellow traveler took off sixty years ago and it was the first of its kind. The second one carried a dog and the photo shows one of several found down at Goldsland Farm. Confused? Well, the first artificial earth satellite was, of course, Sputnik, which is Russian for Satellite or Fellow Traveller and this was launched in 1957. Later that year Sputnik 2 went into space with the dog Laika on board. And the gall in the photo is the Sputnik or Spiked Pea Gall and it is usually found on Dog Rose which was the case down at Goldsland. It is caused by a small wasp which lays its eggs in the leaves – each gall houses one grub. The Sputniks were launched in Kazakhstan which is the home of the apple – over many hundreds, possibly thousands, of years they worked their way to the west along the silk roads and with the help of traders and the guts of animals. After years of putting up with the mouth-puckering crab-apple, finally the sweet apple arrived and for our ancestors it was a life-changing event.

 

 

Village Green Planting

 

We have started work on the Village Green this month planting some new shrubs and young trees. We will be pleased to hear from you of any work around the village that you think the team are able to carry out. Any suggestions will be considered and may be left in one of the What’s On boxes or can be mentioned to one of the team. This month we meet on the 4th and 18th, as usual at 9.30 at the Community Centre.

 

 

Volunteer of The Year

 

 

We were delighted to hear that Mervyn Greenwood was runner-up in the Wales Volunteer of the Year awards judged by Keep Wales Tidy. It is a great achievement, particularly bearing in mind how many hundreds, possibly thousands, of volunteers there are in Wales. The judges commented: 'The application clearly shows the amazing work Mervyn does at Wenvoe Wildlife Group and his passion for the environment and the area'. Mervyn was presented with a certificate from Keep Wales Tidy and vouchers by the Wildlife Group.

Continuing our interest in Lichens we arranged for a survey to be carried out of the Lichens down at Goldsland Farm which we intend to be the basis of a Lichen Trail around the area. This is a very specialised subject and we were very pleased that Tracey Lovering from Plantlife could fit us into her busy schedule. We have now completed the programme of activities and purchases with the generous grant from Tescos. This has provided us with noticeboards, benches, arbours, tools, an orchard, wildflowers, bee hotels, hedgehog homes, nest boxes, raised beds, grass-cutting machines and strimmers, plants, remote cameras – to mention just a few.

This has been our best year for fruit from the orchards including a good selection of apples (possible around 50 kgs), quite a few plums and damsons, a handful of pears and the usual crop of medlars. If you try out any of the fruit let us know what you think – personal preferences can vary but any feedback we get is useful. Our fifth orchard will be planted down at Goldsland soon and we have heard that Dyffryn Gardens is going ahead with their new orchard in the coming months.

 

 

 

August Miscellany

 

The Village Show Sept 9th at the Community centre is a must for all villagers. You will see a range of talents from the folk of this parish,its quite unbelievable what some of these people can do. Please go along, these local events take a lot of organisation and foot fall is so important.

At the end of July the allotment holders held a Gardeners Question Time in the Wenvoe Arms. The panel of Joyce, Phil, Trevor and a representative from Pughs Garden Centre answered any queries and Phil brought along samples of produce from his plot. It was entertaining and long may it continue.

We will soon be thinking of Autumn Weed and Feed for our lawns. Don't use any of the product you have been using in the spring or summer as this will have to much nitrogen and will encourage top growth which is not good for this time of year. When applying don't put any more on the grass than the instructions say. If using a spreader check the flow rate. I am as guilty as others for not checking or watering well enough if we have a dry spell after distribution.

If anyone has a potted shrub they no longer want then the environment team would be interested. We will gladly collect and use them to fill in gaps around village.

When the team met on the 7th August Ian Moody put us to work on the village green. While working next to the war memorial two boys of about 10 were talking to each other. One said 'I think that’s a memorial to World War 2' then, on inspection, he said 'no it's not, it's to World War 1.' The other boy then asked 'where's the one for World War 3?'

There will be a lot of shrubs to be cut back at this time of year but be careful as shrubs that flower in spring should be left alone for now. These should be cut back after they flower in the Spring, just after flowering. If you have the patience and room, scoop up autumn leaves, dampen if dry and put into bin bags. Make a couple of holes for aeration and put them away (maybe behind a garden shed) until next autumn. It might seem hard to believe but you will

then have the very best compost for bulbs. When you consider the cost of compost to buy its a good option.

Taking cuttings at this time of year can be very productive and fuschias are very reliable, Take about 4 to 5 ins of new growth, cut just below a joint and leave the top two leaves in place. Dip in rooting compound and pot up. Rose cuttings are a bit hit and miss but they are great if they take. Just cut about 10 to 12 ins of new growth and trim the bottom at a bud. Take an inch off the top, strip the leaves and push into soil to half its length. It will take a long while before it takes but is fantastic if it does.

Going into the Autumn, fences should be checked for loose or rotting panels and posts. A quick fix now will save being out there in high winds, grappling with panels that think they ought to be anywhere other than in your garden.

September is harvest time. Allotments, fruit gardens and veg patches are at their best. There is so much to be had by sharing the spoils with good friends and neighbours. It is one of lifes great pleasures.

Happy gardening

 

 

Orchard News for July

 

 

We have managed to get all four of our sites accepted as having achieved the Green Flag standard so The Upper Orchid Field, Community Orchard, Elizabethan Orchard and now the Welsh Orchard will be proudly flying their Green Flag pennants. To put this achievement in context we are the only village in the county to have a Community Green Flag the others being 3 in Barry and 2 in Cowbridge. We have more than towns like Merthyr and Bridgend and Newport has none. This is down to the support of the Vale of Glamorgan Council who own two of the sites, the Reader family who own and help us to look after the other two; the members of the Wildlife Group who maintain the sites and those of you who visit and respect them. We are aiming for 5 next year.

Year 3 children from Wenvoe Primary School came to the Community Orchard on a nature ramble. They hunted for insects and wildlife in the grasses and the pond and spotted a number of different species. They also looked at the bee hotel and learnt about how important these kind of wildlife habitats are for insects, birds and small mammals. The children took a few apples and some herbs back to the classroom to try, to see how the apples are different from the ones they get in the supermarket. They also looked at the pumpkins which are growing well, ready for them to pick for Halloween.

We mentioned the Rooster challenge a few months back where you follow a set of 5 clues which can be found on the noticeboards on the Upper Orchid Field, Community Orchard, Elizabethan Orchard, Goldsland Farm and Wild Orchard. The challenge has been completed so the first prize has been awarded but a runner-up prize is still on offer so why not have a go. Next correct entry gets £10 in garden vouchers.

There is quite a bit of fruit coming along in the orchards. The photo shows a still young apple tree but with over 100 fruit on it. It is an adopted Welsh apple tree known as Afal Coch Cynnar, originally Devonshire Quarrenden. This was first introduced in 1676, is very good for bees and other insects and tastes of strawberries.

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Notes

 

 

Summer holidays are here and the children are off school – playing football on your lawn and trying not to let the ball flatten your flowers, bless em. Before going away, water well and rely on inclement weather or good friends to water for you. We are advised to save water but water butts are usually empty at this time of year. Grey water is an option, it just takes a bit more effort. A water timer is effective and especially so in the green house. The cheaper ones that are available on line work really well. With ground drying out, mulching will help retain moisture in the soil.

Dry spells in summer do no favours for our lawns so raise the cutting height and allow clippings to stay on the grass. You may have to cut more often but this will help. Try not to use lawn weedkillers at this time, they are a lot more effective in the autumn when it's damper.

We went to Duffryn gardens a couple of weeks ago to see what has been done to the borders at the front of the house. They had been turned into veg patches to show what was done during World War 1. They were really worth seeing as were the rest or the gardens. Staying on the good garden theme, Sylvia’s bungalow on Nant Isaf, as you turn into the village by the Walston Castle, would gladden anyones heart. Not so easy to see are Gerry Crump's and Ieuan Williams' gardens in Rectory Close. They may not thank me for drawing attention to them but I'll take the risk. Wherever you go in Wenvoe at this time of year there are good gardens; the roses at Mr & Mrs Cottle's on Gwenfo Drive or Mr Miller’s well laid out front garden in Grange Close to name just a couple.

It has been a very good year for the roses and ours have given their best show to date. Just keep dead heading and watch out for disease but there is no need to feed them anymore. Make sure you keep the ground beneath roses clear of any fallen leaves as these can harbour disease.

When deadheading in our garden we've been bitten by an irritating little insect which we now know to be a Flower Bug. It's only 4mm in length and in some places has been used to control greenfly and

red spider mite since the nineties. It lives in shrubs at this time of year, is oval in shape and has reflective wings. The bite stings then itches and can be slow to heal.

The R H S has some tips for fruit growers in August. Apple trees that are trained or cordoned should be pruned now to allow light to ripen fruit and for good cropping next year. With summer fruiting raspberries, the canes that bore fruit this year should be cut down to ground level and 6-8 of the new growth canes per plant kept for next year’s fruit. Pot up strawberry runners now for new plants next year. Wisteria needs to be pruned now, it’s usually done February time and then again in Summer.

If some of your favourite plants are producing seed it’s a good idea to collect them. They may not be exactly the same next year, as often happens, but it's well worth trying.

You need to be ordering your spring flowering bulbs now to make sure you have the best choice. If you want Hyacinths for Christmas you will have to order prepared bulbs. Sorry to mention Christmas in August but that’s gardening for you.

Happy gardening.

 

 

 

 

Mysterious Nature

 

Sometimes nature can be a bit baffling. In the photo a Rush (the long straight stalk) has grown through the Alder leaf – both are undamaged. How can this happen? Does the Alder leaf sit quietly without moving until the Rush grows through it? Or did a gust of wind force the Alder leaf down on the Rush, leaving it impaled? There are shortcomings with both explanations.

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Maybe you have a better idea?

Then there is the question of the Marble Gall. These round galls which are marble sized and shaped grow on Oak and are very common. They have been used for centuries for making the ink that was used to write important documents such as Magna Carta (1215). There are even traces of the ink on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Because the gall is very common now many people assume they were collected in the countryside but the Marble Gall only appeared here in the 18th century when the Turkey Oak was introduced to Britain – the insect that creates the gall needs the Turkey Oak to complete its life cycle. So were the galls imported? – the best were supposed to come from Aleppo which is in Syria – some distance away.

Further probing reveals that there was indeed a substantial trade in these galls with Britain importing around 2,500 tons in 1880. So even after the gall could be found in England and Wales the Aleppo gall was being brought in because they had a higher content of the tannins essential for producing the best ink. There are recipes online for making the ink so if you want to have a go at home or try it in the classroom you can still do so using the our local Marble Galls which grow all around the parish.

 

 

 

Seasonal Advice

 

 

I hope all is well with your gardens, it's a busy time as always. Dead heading, regular feeding, weeding and watering are a must to prolong the flowering season. Cut back your herbaceous geraniums and you should get another show of flowers this summer. When watering the tomato plants, try to keep the leaves dry. Wet or damp leaves can promote fungus growth. If this is the case then spraying with fungicide is necessary. Any shrubs that have flowered can be trimmed back now, but please look up on line or in a book to see how much you can safely take off, it's very difficult to stick the bits back on if you've been over enthusiastic. Runner beans are going to get black fly at sometime and the best way of dealing with this is to rub it off with your fingers – a bit yuck but it works.

Clare Ellis and a few volunteers from the Library had a plant sale at the end of May to raise funds. The plants on sale were great value. Gordon Jones brought brilliant plants along, better than you would find in most Garden centres.

This is the time of year when roses are in their pomp, all the effort in early spring will have paid off. Just keep dead heading and feed again now, also watch out for pests and disease.

While working in Greave Close I met up with Gwyndaf Breese. He was attending a garden next to his own and showed me the work he has done and is in the process of doing. The garden is in a lot of shade but this cottage garden shows that this man knows his plants. Gwyndaf's front garden has a lot of wood sculpture in it, demonstrating his love of all things wooden. There is a lot I don't know about this man and his talents so I will be taking a note pad the next time I see him. A bit of science now . Clive Phillips of Burdens Lane has spent most of his life in horticulture. Clive told me that a lot of us are missing a trick and not checking the PH of the soil. The alkaline or acidity of a substance is measured in PH units with a scale running from 0–14. A PH of 7 is neutral, lower numbers are acidic whilst above 7 is alkaline. Most plants like a PH of 6.5. The way to achieve this is with lime and a well balanced fertiliser. Blueberry,Azalias and Rhododendrons insist on a PH of 4.5 to 5.5. The Wenvoe area sits on limestone so you would think there would be enough lime in the soil, but increasingly wet winters and improved drainage means that a lot of nutrients get washed away.

On the 11th June I went with Glen to Llysworney near Cowbridge where six gardens were open under the National Garden Scheme. It was a really good day out, great gardens and lovely people. The criteria is strict but nothing to get in the way of some of the gardens in Wenvoe. There must be some who would love to show off their gardens and raise money for good causes.

This month the allotment holders held an informal meeting at the Wenvoe Arms as a get together and to exchange views. Quite a lot was discussed and plans are afoot to put together a newsletter to keep people informed of progress. Anything that promotes gardening has to be a good thing. Happy gardening

 

 

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