Thursday 17th August 2023

Bench Restoration

Following on from the installation of two new benches at the European Hornbeam, it seemed only natural to stick to a seat-based theme this week. There is a commemorative bench situated down near the pond. It has been looking somewhat unloved for a while.

A volunteer kindly spent some time power washing the bench to remove the build up of grime that has accumulated over the years. As can be seen from the accompanying video, the result was nothing short of spectacular.

Unfortunately, the bench has been subjected to a fire at some point in the past. Hopefully we can repair this damage and then later give it a finishing coat of teak oil.

The Herbarium Collection

Once again Jenny has spent some time today adding to our growing herbarium collection.

This work requires patience and a keen eye. The end results are wonderful. I am hopeful that at some point later in the year we shall able to display Jenny's hard work to the public.

The Deodar Cedar

As previously stated we have some lovely specimen trees that are located beside the car park at the Carisbrooke Road entrance. Last week we spent some time clearing around the Blue Atlas Cedar with fantastic results.

Our second candidate was the lovely Deodar Cedar that stands directly to the right of the visitor centre.

The long grasses that surround this specimen have been a frolicking ground for a lot of insects this year, including a great many Gatekeeper butterflies. Now this flora has gone to seed we took the opportunity to 'kill two birds with one stone'.

At the same time as cutting down the growth that surrounds the Deodar Cedar, to make it more visible and accessible, we gathered up the cut grasses and their seed heads and dispersed them across the planned 'Wild Meadow 2' area near the Limes and opposite the Persian Walnut.

The end result was pleasing, but not completed, as there is more strimming and cutting required to get it to the desired standard. But we have made a big hole in this job. Weather permitting we shall finish it next week.

In the last two weeks we have been joined by Robert and Phil who are keen to give a little time to the volunteering programme. I'd like to take this opportunity to say:

Welcome Aboard