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.
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!→
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.
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→
I am writing this as the temperature outside is minus 1 degree C and snow is forecast. So much for spring! Cold spring temperatures make a gardeners life difficult as it is not warm enough for seed sowing except with heat and tender new growth can easily get scorched by the cold winds. Continue reading March Newsletter→
Thanks to Brigit Strawbridge for a lovely, engaging talk in February. We can now tell the difference between flies and bees, solitary and bumble bees, and enjoyed discovering that the bumblebees that you see asleep in the morning are the males – the females are out working! We had some bee friendly seeds and pollinator identification charts available on the evening, and we discussed options for building our own bee-hotels. Continue reading February Newsletter→
In 2017 we ventured into the topic of pollinators with a talk on Butterflies. At the AGM it was proposed that we continue the pollinator theme in 2018 by focussing on bees, so we have designed our 2018 programme around bees. We want you to come to the events, but also get involved, doing things to support bees and other pollinators. While the honey bee is an excellent pollinator, we want to focus on wild bees – bumble bees and solitary bees. You do know the difference don’t you? No? – then come along to our events to find out! Continue reading January newsletter→
Well, what a great show we had this year. A massive “thank you” to everyone – you turned out in your hundreds and made all the hard work and angst worthwhile. And thank goodness for lovely weather – such a huge contrast with last year’s miserable showing of a day! Continue reading Flower Show 2017→
