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Danesbury Fernery

Researching and Restoring the Danesbury Victorian Fernery

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You are here: Home / 2018 / Archives for June 2018

Archives for June 2018

Work Party Report – 21st June 2018

27th June 2018 By John Roper Leave a Comment

For the first time since September 2016 a small working party of volunteers returned to the Park Field to resume our traditional role of ‘scrub-bashing’, while a second work party continued to tackle recently scheduled tasks in the Fernery.

Park Field

We started to clear the scrub around the sequoia at the entrance to the Park Field next to the new cattle corral. Strimmers were used to gain access to the scrub growing around the base of the sequoia, and then loppers.

We expect that next month we will continue to clear scrub at this point, before moving further along the same path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fernery

Harry led the team to install wire around the entire three-tiered May Bed which has recently been planted with geraniums, before weeding and watering all the beds. The dropping well basin was also cleaned out once again following the successful experimental fill on Open Day the previous weekend.

Filed Under: News, Work Parties

Welwyn Festival Open Gardens Day – Sunday 17th June 2018

19th June 2018 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Welwyn Festival Open Day 2018

Rewards

The 2018 Open Garden Day was another great success, and a reward for all the hard work that the volunteers have put in over the past 12 months.

In June 2017, following the success of our first Open Day, the volunteers collectively believed that we could not merit holding another Open Garden for at least two more years because we doubted that we would have achieved sufficient change.

We were wrong!

Some 200 visitors were amazed to see the progress made in the past year.

Excavations Progress 2017-18

We have found the ‘lost path’ that would have run from the rustic bridge over the gorge to the North of the site

 

Site of Rustic bridge
Watering system

 

 

We have discovered how the Victorians got water  to the site

We have uncovered at least three more of Anthony Parson’s special planting beds that he recorded in 1883 journals

We have uncovered yet more evidence of a path on the South side of the dell in the past few weeks

 

We have discovered more and more puddingstone and welcomed the Hertfordshire Puddingstone Group

We have discovered a drainage pipe from the Basin  of the Dropping Well that feeds into a huge sump in front of the grotto

We have discovered Victorian underground water pipes around the dell with convenient ‘hydrants’ or standpipes for watering purposes

We have discovered that the source of the water comes either from the House itself or from wells between the Fernery and the House

As an experiment, during the course of the afternoon we ran a hosepipe from our mains feed down the face of the dropping well and into the basin and then on to the drainage sump. In this way we created a trickle effect which the Victorians might have similarly produced by opening a tap to let water flow from the cistern.

The experiment was very successful and we now seriously wonder if water would ever have been pumped around the cascade to the dropping well and then back up to the cistern.

Garden Restoration Progress 2017-18

We have witnessed the healthy growth of all the ferns which we planted in 2017 in the rock face itself

We have planted 100 trees around the perimeter to start to recreate a micro-climate of shade and dampness that ferns need in the dell

We have sought guidance from, and welcomed a visit from, the British Pteridological Society (Fern Society)

We have unearthed an original Anthony Parson’s tiered planting bed on the East side, now well planted with ferns

Having unearthed it, we have planted another bed, the main ‘Central Bed’, to Sarah Marsh’s wonderful design.

 

 

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council

In achieving most of the above in the past 12 months we have been actively encouraged and supported by Ann MacDonalds’ Department

As agreed at the beginning of this Project, when the going has got tough, and the volunteers would otherwise have struggled, mechanical equipment has been brought onto the site.

It is largely due to the skilled and careful approach by the Maydencroft operatives that so much has been uncovered.

CPRE Award

As part of the CPRE Rural Living Awards for 2017, the Friends of Danesbury Local Nature Reserve received a Community Commendation

Teamwork

Underpinning absolutely everything has been the enthusiastic teamwork of our volunteers, some of whom regularly join us from the Sherrardspark Wood Wardens, and from the Friends of Mardley Heath. They are led by our more than capable Committee (the so-called HOD5) all of whom have put an enormous amount of personal time and commitment into this Project since it started in September 2015.

 

 

Filed Under: News, Reports

Notice of Work Party – Thursday 21st June 2018 – After The Lord Mayor’s Show

18th June 2018 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Work Re-structure

We have mentioned before that for the Months of July August and September we will cease excavation work in the Fernery and return to the Park Field to carry out some essential maintenance that we have been neglecting over the past year while we have been developing the Fernery.

But because we have so recently completed a major cleanup of the Fernery in readiness for the Open Day, then one month earlier than forecast we are going to take the opportunity of splitting ourselves into two groups – one to continue caring for the Fernery Garden, and a second group to work in the Nature Reserve Park Field.

Fernery Gardening Group

Normal service resumes.

Rabbit Wire Fixing

The key task for this Thursday is to fix Rabbit Wire around the entire three-terraced May Bed. This is an urgent task because rabbits love to nibble geraniums, and new ones were planted as recently as the Open Day.

Sarah has purchased a new roll of wire especially for this task, which is to be found in the Tool Shed.

Watering

Resume watering the Central Bed and the newly planted ferns and plants in other beds.

Do Not Water – we are reminded that the well-established ferns on the rockface should NOT be watered because their roots are finding their own source down inside the rockface, which leads to long term strength health and resilience.

Park Maintenance Group

A small group of volunteers will work in the Park field to:

  • resume the task of cutting back scrub which is encroaching on pathways,
  • lower the crowns of young trees, and
  • clear the scrub from around the base of the Wellingtonia tree close to the cattle corral.

Saws and loppers will be brought to the Fernery Shed where we will all meet as usual.

Meeting Place

The full team will meet at the Fernery at 10 a.m. for briefing and allocation of tasks, and for the issue of appropriate tools.

If possible a First Aider will attend each group, but failing that, then the respective leaders will maintain telephone contact.

For those not familiar with the location of the Fernery, full details may be found on the website, but simply stated the closest access point is North Ride, on the Danesbury Estate, AL6 9RD.

Either park in North Ride, or take the right hand fork of the unmade Road which leads to Danesbury Park Road, and an entrance is about 500 metres on the right not far from a lay-by.

Tea Breaks

Tea breaks will of necessity be separate, but we will aim to meet up together as a group at 12 p.m. in the Fernery for a de-brief.

Please bring  a drink with you, and wear strong boots or shoes and have strong gardening gloves too.

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: News, Notices

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Copyright © 2021 Friends of Danesbury Local Nature Reserve. Non attributed Photography by John Roper.