2023. The beginning of September saw us in the grip of another heatwave, although thankfully with some slightly misty starts to help quench the earth.
There was quite a mixture of jobs for the day. Amy and I started by wire brushing and washing down the bottom of the main gates by the car park. The gates were recently pressure washed to remove the algae, unfortunately some parts had started to corrode and there was an area damaged by 'dog marking'.
Next, we loaded up the jeep and set off around the park. First stop was a bit of watering, followed by cleaning and oiling some of the wooden sculptures. The sculptures were brushed and washed down, and left to dry. We also cut back some of the surrounding branches to open out the area.
The Green Man prior to washing down...
Then it was back again for oiling before moving on. As we were heading towards the Tawny Owl, I spotted more of the Caper Spurge that we had removed earlier in the year. After pulling up a few, it was decided to let the rather tall surrounding nettles die back before returning.
Back at the main gates, it was time to apply a new coat of paint to the affected areas.
Last task of the day was away from the hot sun. The laurel that had previously been cut down was starting to grow back in several parts of the woods. It was amazing how much it had grown in just 7 months. Armed with loppers, we set about clipping them back to ground level, including a couple of maturing bushes that had been missed last time.
My next visit started by filling some buckets with soil. We know how dogs love to dig, unfortunately any holes big or small can be hazardous, especially if they become hidden by grass. Park benches are often the scene of the crime. If you spot any holes, it would certainly help to report this so hazards can be kept to a minimum.
The new apple orchard is coming along nicely. However, quite a few young poplar trees had started to sprout up and needed cutting back.
The woodland track running by the Hall School was our next port of call. The route was becoming overgrown along it's edges, so we opened this out by removing some holly and laurel.
Our main task for this day was at the willow tunnel in the picnic area. It is an ideal time of the year to shape the new growth around the evolving tunnel. If the stems are too thick, they are not pliable enough to shape, especially if they are pointing skyward. We carefully selected which shoots could be used and then 'fashioned' them as necessary. They were then held in place with cable ties. The rest of the new growth is removed.
Fortunately, there was a tremendous amount growth this year, so plenty to choose from.
This illustrates the excess growth not used!
It was a cooler start for yesterday's visit, but we soon warmed up with our first activity. Following the recent bad weather, the rain-water 'run off' channel near Church Street had become clogged with mud. This needed to be redefined and opened out a bit where it pools.
Back near the apple orchard (on the corner of the Victorian pond), some larger poplar trees needed cutting down and lopping. These will be woodchipped later.
This area is to revert to just grass.
The biggest job of the day was clearing a much overgrown planted bed of mainly young Beech trees.
Amy began by strimming around the edges and I used shears to start to uncover the different plants. Then it was a case of more intensive cutting back and delicately removing the many large brambles that were entwined in the larger bushes.
A very satisfying transformation!
What will we be getting up to next? Find out in a few weeks time.
Looks like a very knackering but satisfying day - any chance of making a willow tunnel in our garden? xo
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