Well, what a difference 12 months makes. Looking back at last August’s ramblings, I was bemoaning the amount of rainfall combined with a drop in temperatures and the impact that was having on the growth of plants in the garden. This year we have had the opposite, little or no rain combined with exceptionally high temperatures. This has persisted for about six weeks and only last weekend did we get any relief in the form of a decent amount of rainfall. Although nowhere near enough to make up for that which we have lacked, it did serve to refill my water butts. Rainwater is much more beneficial to plants than tap water which has been treated with all sorts of chemicals. We are now told that temperatures are set to rise again with little or no rainfall in the foreseeable future! Continue reading Alex’ August Ramblings
Alex’ July Ramblings
Last month I hailed the return of good growing weather in May. June turned out to be “Flaming June” and it appears there is no end in sight to the exceptional temperatures we are experiencing. Rainfall has and continues to be forecast to be extremely scarce. Gardeners will be spending many hours ensuring that plants have adequate water while hoping that no hose pipe ban will be introduced. Bristol Water has said that it is experiencing an increase of 17% in demand. It behoves us all to be judicious when using this precious resource. Having said that, my water butts are empty and I’m relying on mains supply. Continue reading Alex’ July Ramblings
June’s newsletter
It seems to me that a gardener’s life is fraught with perils. When you have avoided sticking the fork through your foot and poking your eye out on a bamboo cane or mowing your toes off whilst cutting the lawn you might like to sit back and admire the things you have planted. Continue reading June’s newsletter
Alex’ June Ramblings
Well, at last we have had some good growing weather! I hope it has encouraged everyone to get out into the garden to try and make up for lost time.
I have just returned from a trip to the Loire Valley in France where the daily temperatures have been remarkably high. The Loire Valley is a very productive area gardening wise and I took the opportunity to visit a number of gardens attached to chateaux. They ranged from the very formal at Villandry to the fanciful at Rivau. This was my second visit to the Loire and the thing that is most apparent since visiting some thirty years ago is a move to organic regimes. Continue reading Alex’ June Ramblings
Alex’ May Ramblings!
Well, April’s weather continues to frustrate gardeners with a very hot spell mid month which has curtailed the blooming season for some of my tulips and the remainder cold and wet so we have not had much opportunity to make up for lost time. I think we are still around five weeks behind where we might otherwise expect. Let’s hope that May turns out to be more favourable. Continue reading Alex’ May Ramblings!
Wellow Bug Hotel
Thank you to everyone who came along on Saturday to help build our first bug hotel. It was great fun as well as educational. Do go along to the village hall car park to have a look at it and maybe consider building one in your own garden. This one will provide a home for a variety of flying insects.
Bug Hotels in Wellow
We are intending to build several bug hotels around the village and we hope that you will be interested in supporting and helping us. We hope that the building of the hotels will be community events that the whole family can become engaged with.
The first bug hotel will be built on Saturday 21st April 2018 10.00 – midday. We have several sites in mind but are awaiting permission for the go ahead before deciding where the first one will be.
You can help by coming along on the day for an hour or so to help in the construction of the hotel. Please bring materials e.g. sticks, bamboo, fir cones, untreated wood etc, to put into the hotel. This will provide a habitat which will attract a range of bugs and bees to make their home in. We will also need some tools e.g. saws, hammers, screwdrivers etc.
Look here for further information
Alex’ April Ramblings!
For those who might have been looking for contributions earlier in the year I apologise for the lack of input. I can only put it down to a state akin to hibernation and the lack of some winter sun. We have endured some very cold and wet weather recently which with global warming, I thought was a thing of the past. We have recently had two snowfall episodes; the rainfall has prevented getting onto the garden and the weather forecasters are predicting a cold wet Easter. Continue reading Alex’ April Ramblings!
Plant Sale 12th May 2018
With the Easter weekend and its gardening potential almost upon us, it’s time for the annual reminder about the Hort Soc plant sale – which this year is on May 12th at the Village Hall 2-4pm. For new members, or those who haven’t been before, the Plant Sale is basically a plant bring and buy sale.
Helping & Encouraging Pollinators
Pollination, the transfer of pollen from the male anthers to the female stigma, is vital to enable fruit and seed to be produced, and it is these fruits and seeds that form a large part of the human diet. Pollination can be achieved by various means. Continue reading Helping & Encouraging Pollinators