2022 began with another litter picking exercise. We managed to fill a couple of sacks (mainly beer cans)!
Next job was to replace a gate post on the edge of the picnic area. the base of the old post had been concreted in, but we managed to break up the concrete enough to wiggle it out.
New post in and looking good.
Back at the willow tunnel, more planting was carried out to increase the density. Unfortunately, most of the cuttings stored in the water butt had not survived, so we pruned some of the other willows trees and left a bundle to put back in the tub.
The willow tunnel in winter.
January involved a lot of planting. There were a mixture of silver birch, crabapple, rowan, oak, wild cherry & downy birch. These seedlings are known as 'whips' and, each year, hundreds are provided free by the Woodland Trust.
We loaded up 'Zak' and set off for the first site on the edge of the east woods. We used canes to mark where the whips were to be planted.
The second site was on a corner, near the dead 'climbing tree'. We marked out as before, this time using plastic guards for added protection. Certainly a back breaking day, but well worth it.
The next job will be mulching the whole area with woodchip.
There was more planting the following week, this time was over at the recreation ground amongst the wooded area.
There were whips of Hawthorn, blackthorn, rowan, oak & downy birch.
We still had time, back at the park, to finish planting hazel in the 'nuttery'! 😅
It's incredible how much planting goes on, and the constant attention it takes to maintain the park and yet it all looks so natural, like it happened by itself :)
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