Thursday 13th April 2023

First order of the day was continuing to weave in our new willow structures. This will become a regular task as both of our tunnels will need a regular tidy to weave in the new growth as it comes. Hopefully, within the next few months, we should end up with two splendid willow tunnels covered in lovely lush green growth.

The second task of the day was to clear an area of Allium ursinum. This is probably better known as wild garlic, although it has many other common names including ramsons, cows's leek, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, or bear's garlic.

As the name suggests it bears a similar taste and smell as garlic and can be used in the kitchen. It is a very invasive species and has been spreading steadily from the neighbouring Knighton Hall site.

Being good ecologists we left a large section of wild garlic as our example specimen to retain diversity within the arboretum. The other areas towards the fenceline were dug up. Or at least some of them !