Definitely Autumn
The cobwebs acted as pretty effective mist-catchers this morning… Continue reading Definitely Autumn
Category: Biodiversity
Digging in
Another beautiful sunny autumn Sunday. The plan for today was to see how far we could get digging out some ponds and scrapes to help intentionally store water on the land in the mini-nature reserve. We’ve tried to time the … Continue reading Digging in
End of summer working party
The beginning of September already. The hottest, driest summer anyone can remember ended with a little rain. The rainwater collection tanks and damp meadow gratefully absorbed it, but where the ground was compacted, the rain barely made an impression. Rainwater … Continue reading End of summer working party
Purple Hairstreak(s)
It was very windy, and the butterflies were sitting it out on this plum tree – so no purple wings were actually seen, but the underwings are definitely Purple Hairstreak! This is a butterfly that is reliant on Oak Trees … Continue reading Purple Hairstreak(s)
Nettles and (Ragged Robin) petals
The sudden burst of wet weather following the very warm, dry spring has resulted in an explosion of nettles across the project plot, so today’s working party set out to pull those up and give the fruit trees and bushes … Continue reading Nettles and (Ragged Robin) petals
Lots of lovely caterpillars!
Wonderful to see a clutch of Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars on a patch of nettles on the project plot this week. Along with many other butterfly species, they’ve had a rough ride with the recent wet springs, but hopefully the dry … Continue reading Lots of lovely caterpillars!
Build it, they will come
It’s brilliant to be able to wander round (in wellies!) in the mini nature reserve and spot who is currently living there. The willows that we pollarded at the end of last year are sprouting nicely. The other trees (willow, … Continue reading Build it, they will come
Muddy boots & blue skies
A small working party today – just three of us – and the kind of glorious blue sky that reminds and reassures you that Spring really is on its way. We combed over the site for the first sign of … Continue reading Muddy boots & blue skies
Creating new habitats
Using the wood cut on site, we have created two new habitats for wildlife: Dead Hedges For gardeners who want to encourage wildlife and would prefer not to set bonfires, making a dead hedge is a win-win solution. Dead hedges … Continue reading Creating new habitats
Working with the tree surgeons
In glorious autumn sunshine, we gathered a working party to assist the tree surgeons with a bit of overdue tree and hedge maintenance. We have a hedge (mostly hawthorn, but mixed with some elder and cherry) down the boundary of … Continue reading Working with the tree surgeons
Urban Allotment: climate resilience & community 