Category: Nature

Trees, All Is Not Well

Trees, All Is Not Well

 

Walk past the top of Walston Close and you will see, next to the pavement, this magnificent tree – a candidate for Wenvoe’s Favourite Tree – although you may well have your own nominations! It is Eucriphia Nymanensis and it is covered head to foot in blossom with an attendant army of bees taking in the pollen and nectar. We are fortunate in the village to have a range of interesting and mature trees. Those of us struggling in the hot spell will have appreciated our mature trees, not least in and around the Village Green. Trees, as we know, keep us cooler, absorb carbon and help our sense of well-being.

However, all is not well with the regular cutting down of trees which are seldom replaced. Examples of losses in the last couple of years include a Walnut in Station Road, Tulip Tree outside the Community Centre, Weeping Silver Lime in Gwenfo Drive, Loquat near the library and Balm of Gilead Poplar in the churchyard. There may be reasons for their removal but what reasons can there be for not planting a replacement?

Things look a bit brighter in Grange Park where the Vale Council have planted several trees to replace losses and on the Village Green and small patch of land outside the Church Hall there have been individual plantings and trees donated by residents. The Wildlife Group have planted around 150 fruit trees in the orchards and on the perimeter of the Upper Orchid Field around 30 native trees have been placed over the last 15 years.

How do you feel about our trees and is it now time, as some are suggesting, for residents, councils and businesses to take concerted action to reverse the trend? As Persian singer/songwriter Sina Shahbazi sings in his song, Protect The Trees

From the roots to the sky

Their spirit will rise

A beacon of hope

When nature cries

Let’s honour the trust

For the ones yet to be

A legacy green

As far as we see

Protect the trees

Protect our home

Together we stand

We’re not alone

The Sites Are In Tip-Top Condition.

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

The Sites Are In Tip-Top Condition.

Activities this month included strimming the Welsh Orchard, continuing to clear the Upper Orchid Field and working on the Community Orchard. We attended the Playing Fields Open Day but had very few visitors to the Community Orchard – not surprising as the weather was pretty miserable. The willows on the Community Orchard are due to be cut back at the end of the month but they will continue to provide a screen at the northern end of the orchard. Most of the fruit seems to be doing well and the Shepherds Bullace is already being harvested by enthusiastic jam-makers. We still get asked where the orchards are so you can pick up a leaflet showing their locations from the Tuckers’ noticeboard dispenser outside 29 Vennwood Close.

We were delighted to hear that our 7 sites had all passed the Green Flag assessment. Another independent vote of confidence in the quality and accessibility of the nature reserves. Thanks are due to the members of the group, landowners and residents who aim to keep the sites in tip-top condition.

 

Wenvoe’s Favourite Tree

Wenvoe’s Favourite Tree

Regular sightings of one or more Polecats on the wildlife cameras near the village has now confirmed that we have an established population of this rare and elusive mammal. It was once heavily persecuted and was on the verge of extinction. They were declared as vermin during Elizabeth I’s reign and the word was used to describe a vagabond.

By 1915 it was just hanging on in mid Wales and some border counties. However, it is now protected by law and making a comeback but there were only 896 confirmed sightings for the whole of the UK during 2024. Interestingly, there are no records in the last 5 years for Cardiff and Wenvoe – until now!! Most will be familiar with ferrets, but these are the domesticated version of the Polecat.

Polecats have a long history in mythology and folklore. Associated with the God Dionysus of wine, fertility and revelry fame but also the Norse Goddess Freya representing love, fertility and beauty and often depicted alongside her. They were valued by farmers and villagers for their pest control abilities, keeping down populations of rats and mice but also for their fur which was particularly warm and durable. Great to know that not only do we have a species coming back from the brink, but they can be really useful to us in helping to control our rodent population.

Trying To Keep The Garden Colourful

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Trying To Keep The Garden Colourful

A report by Police UK suggests that thieves target properties with unkempt gardens, as it gives the impression that the owners are away. The report goes on to recommend keeping the plants in the front of the house below a metre, so you can see people approaching. The side and back should have high hedges with prickly shrubs like pyracantha or Berberis. Fences with trellis on top and a climbing rose running through it is another alternative. Gravel also makes it difficult for unwanted people to approach quietly. Keep gates locked and don’t leave tools around which could be used to help gain entry. Solar lights in paths or borders which are on permanently in the garden just show the intruder the way to the property.

Trying to keep the garden colourful throughout the growing season is always a challenge and can be expensive, so choose plants with a long flowering time like pelargoniums, begonias, dahlias and marigolds, which will give a display until the autumn with just a bit of dead heading. Roses will give you a good long season and the second flush will start this month. When taking off the spent blooms of roses don’t just remove the flower, cut it back to a leaf joint; this will keep the stems stronger and the plant looking its best.

A garden should have a compost bin, If done properly this can save you money, especially with the poor quality of what even the renowned labels are putting in their colourful bags. Don’t just throw anything in without a thought, as this will result in poor compost and you won’t bother again. Dave Jones in Vennwood uses kitchen scraps with used compost and small woody material to produce a sweet-smelling mix. Grass cuttings mixed with leaves and small woody stems will give good results if kept moist. This will create heat which will break down the material.

Since he’s been on a meter Gareth Williams of Greave Close has been using the washing up water on his lawn, with the unexpected result of killing the moss in the grass and not hurting any wildlife in the process.

New potatoes with runner beans is a favourite dish of many people and this month they will be harvested at the allotments, along with strawberries and raspberries. If the weather is inclement this month, this can bring blight to the potatoes, especially if they’ve been planted too close together with no room for air flow. At the first sign of blight remove all the stalks and destroy. Do not put in the compost. Dig up the potatoes straight away and they will be fine. Any ground cleared now will have cabbage and kale planted along with some potatoes which will be ready for Christmas dinner.

Take care and happy gardening.

Hedgerows Are Invaluable

Hedgerows Are Invaluable

You can stand anywhere in the village with a view of the countryside, and you will see hedgerows. Along Port Road, Old Port Road and around the school as well. You could be forgiven for thinking they are common and unthreatened. Yet since 1950 the UK has lost 118,000 miles of hedgerow. This is what the Woodland Trust says:

Hedgerows are invaluable. Who doesn’t love seeing a hedgerow, brimming with blossom and alive with pollinators? Thousands of species depend on hedgerows for food, shelter and moving through the countryside. Hedgerows are also extremely beneficial for the land, reducing soil erosion and flooding, storing carbon, extending growing seasons, providing shade, sustaining pollinators and providing natural pest control. Over 500 plant species, 60 species of nesting birds, hundreds of invertebrates and almost all our native small mammal species depend on hedgerows. Many are ancient landmarks, some of the oldest and steadiest semi-natural features in our landscape.

The Wildlife Group, with the help of the Woodland Trust, WWG members and groups such as the Scouts, have planted new hedgerows which you can see on the Community Orchard, around the Goldsland Orchard, the Bee Loud Glade and Cae Ysbyty. These are increasingly full of fruit and berries such as Rowan, Damson, Guelder Rose (see photo), Hawthorn and Wayfaring Tree. But we need more if wildlife is to flourish so if you have sufficient land, a large garden, farm, smallholding or even allotment areas, consider planting a hedge. They cost little and in the right circumstances you can get free trees from the Woodland Trust.

Take Time To Sit And Enjoy

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Take Time To Sit And Enjoy

Hope you are all pleased with your gardening efforts so far this year. As June kicks us off into the main flowering season, especially with geums and the first flush of the roses, don’t forget to try and take time to sit and enjoy it when you can. People who are patient will always get good results. May was so warm that Silvia Davies had planted out her summer bedding by the middle of the month. It’s probably best for all of us to follow her lead as she really does know her stuff. Pelargoniums that were bought as plug plants and kept under glass until the end of May, then planted out, will flourish and give us colour until the end of September. Lupins are coming into their own now. If you bought some that were grown by Barry Oliver, they would have been brought up in what is known locally as Barry time, meaning they will take a while to be at their best but will form a lovely display and with a little care will last for ages. If you haven’t cleared the mess left by forget-me-nots, then you will now be inundated with this annual next Spring.

Mulching the bare soil will help retain moisture and if it’s put on a couple of inches thick will slow weeds down considerably. The dry weather had certainly stopped the slugs’ movement, but as soon as we have rain, they will be out in force so be on the lookout. Beer traps work wonderfully even if they are a bit messy. If you are thinking of planting a climber on a boundary, put it on the north side of the garden. Putting these on the south side, means that your neighbour will be enjoying the blooms.

Allotments at Twyn Yr Odyn have never looked so good according to the old folk (Bernard & Colin). This is a great effort from the allotmenteers, especially the new folk. A lot of effort will now go into protecting the crops from pests and diseases. The police team up there put their runner beans in early. This isn’t against the law, but you do have to be careful of cold nights, high winds and young rabbits, who have no respect for authority. Rabbit stew and beans will give you all the energy you need to keep on digging, according to Gareth Lewis.

Take care and happy gardening

An Incredibly Successful Plant Sale

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

An Incredibly Successful Plant Sale

After an incredibly successful Plant Sale run by Glenys and Mike Tucker, the Group benefited from a donation of £2,132. Our thanks to all who supported the event, bought raffle tickets or plants and other produce, donated takings from their tables or just had a cup of tea. This helps to ensure we have sufficient funds to purchase benches, plant trees, refurbish noticeboards and sponsor youth workshops and school projects. We are most grateful.

Most people will have heard that vandals burned down the noticeboard/bee hotel on the Community Orchard. We shall be replacing it, but this will take a few months of planning and design. Meanwhile we shall be installing a smaller noticeboard near the planters, thanks to Martin Thomas.

Green Flag judging took place in May, and the judge was shown round by Sue Hoddell and Nicola Harmer. Fingers crossed for a good result.

The second Junior Wildlife Workshop takes place on 8th June. These tend to be heavily oversubscribed but a third will be planned for August.

If you are walking around the Orchid field meadow you might notice that a small area has been cleared of bracken. Please help us by stamping on and pulling any bracken you see at the side of the path. Even better come and help our small team next month. Thank you.

Pull-Up The Forget-Me-Nots

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Pull-Up The Forget-Me-Nots

Before anything else, pull-up the forget-me-nots, to stop heavy self-seeding and reduce spreading next year. They look awful if you allow them to die back. Treat roses for black spot at the first signs of this disease. Tie in the climbing roses as they put a spurt on, also support the bush roses in readiness for the expected heavy and numerous blooms. Prune the spring flowering shrubs as soon as their blooms fade, to allow for good seasonal growth and flowering next Spring. Trim back the aubrieta after flowering to encourage a second bloom.

Take cuttings of pelargoniums and fuchsia as they will propagate easily at this time of year. We have a nationwide problem with fuchsias at the present, because of fuchsia gall mite. Removing affected parts helps but this is not a cure. Some gardeners have given up on them.

We all know how tiresome weeding is, but it has and always will be an absolutely essential activity. The planting up of hanging baskets is a job for May. These displays will always do better if you can keep them in a greenhouse or covered up at night until the end of the month.

Watering is becoming an increasing problem as we are having longer dry spells, using the washing up water will have no detrimental effect on plants. Placing water butts alongside down pipes, will help enormously towards saving tap water use.

On the allotments, gardeners are busy trying to keep up with the new season’s growth. Barry H has been watering every day to keep his well tendered plants healthy. On another plot first year apple trees are having the blossom removed to strengthen the young trees, which will give a better harvest in the coming years.

Protecting crops is a demanding and essential task especially with young plants and early cropping varieties. Netting is efficient but must be done diligently to stop birds being trapped inside. Mice seem to be the hardest to overcome, they will without doubt eat your strawberries the night before you’ve decided to pick them. Young runner bean plants are a magnet for pests. Other than having 24- hour security, you just need a bit of luck. All the effort is always worthwhile and that’s shown by the folk who love their plots.

Come along to the Tucker’s VE80 Wartime Plant Sale on Saturday 10 May in the Church Hall. Buy some lovely plants, try some wartime recipe food and dress in clothes of the era. And of course, buy raffle tickets in aid of Wenvoe Wildlife Group.

Take care and happy gardening

Things Are Starting To Grow

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Things Are Starting To Grow

A cold start to March held back seed sowing, unless you had some form of heat to help germination. Now with longer days and a little more warmth things are starting to grow and seedlings catch up quickly. Patience is always the best way forward to get things done. With young plants we have to be aware of their needs, by protecting them from cold nights and most importantly, be very careful with watering. Too much and they will rot in the trays or too little and they’ll wilt. Try to check on them each day, it will be worth the effort.

Snowdrops, crocus and daffodils are the first to go over. A few steps now will guarantee a good display next year. As soon as the flowers die back, cut them off or they will try to set seed which will take energy away from the bulb. Do not cut back the foliage until it dies back, the leaves are where the bulb gets its nutrients from to store energy for next year.

Weeds will, without doubt, be growing faster now than anything you’ve planted so keep on top of them, or they will smother any young plants or older ones given the chance. Mulching around the plant is a good way to suppress weeds but only if you put it down at least 3” thick. Old compost is a good mulch, better still, if you see any of the tree surgeons working around our community, ask them for the stuff they are chipping, it’s perfect and they will be glad for you to have it. If you feel that you must buy some, get a few bags of bark from British soil in Wenvoe. Don’t buy that scrulch from garden centres, it’s only straw and an expensive waste of time and money. If you want straw, buy a bale from a local farmer or Arthur Johns in Cowbridge. Honestly, just lay cardboard down on the soil, with some old compost on top and the job is done.

On the allotments, Bernard has put up a tent like the ones you see on crime dramas when a body has been discovered. It must be a new method he has worked out to get a better crop of something and he’s not willing to share it yet. It’s not anything sinister, as you can hear radio 4 being played from inside. The site is looking great with freshly dug ground and gardeners busy planting their young crops. All early potatoes are in and trays of young veg under cloches. Do not even contemplate planting runner beans yet, you need to wait for the ground to warm even more for this tender king of crops to have a fair chance, remember patience is key.

Don’t forget to come along to the Tuckers Wartime Plant Sale on 10 May in the church hall. There will be a good selection of plants, wartime recipes to sample, a good quality raffle. More details can be found elsewhere in this edition of the Wenvoe What’s On.

Happy gardening.

Working With Forest School

Wenvoe Wildlife Group

Working With Forest School

The Group are delighted to be working with Forest School to hold a series of three junior workshops for those aged 7- 11. The first takes place on April 6th at one of our orchards and runs for three hours with a variety of different activities. Places are limited and must be booked with further information on our Facebook page. Further workshops are planned to take place in June and August. The project is funded with money raised at the Tucker’s Plant and Reindeer events.

After the Upper Orchid Field was cut by John Crockford members have been working to clear invasive Bramble and Blackthorn around the perimeter of the site. If you see some old-fashioned hay ricks around the field, Annie and Nicola have been raking up the dead grasses and there was a great turnout on Ian’s working party session including Ian, Pat, Roger, Judy, V’iain, Jane, Carys and Debbie.

Following the donation of £100 by the Wildlife Group to the School for books, Nigel and Jude met with the children to hear which books they had chosen and why.. It was great to hear their enthusiasm over their selections.

 

 

 

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