• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Danesbury Fernery

Researching and Restoring the Danesbury Victorian Fernery

  • Who we are.
  • Where we are
  • News
  • Notices
  • Reports
    • Work Parties
    • Visits
  • Garden and Gardening
    • Design Objectives
    • Planting Record
      • Planting Record – trees, shrubs and flowers
      • Wild Flower Planting Record
    • Garden News
    • Index
      • Ferns – Index
      • Planting Index
      • Wild Flower Index
  • Research
    • Danesbury House and Families
    • Ferns and the Fernery
    • Geology
  • Calendar
    • FODF
    • British Pteridological Society
  • Contacts
  • Galleries
    • Victorian Fernery
      • Excavation – stages
      • Garden Restoration – stages
      • Ferns
      • Wild Flowers – Planted
    • Local Nature Reserve
      • Butterflies/Invertebrates
      • Fungi
      • Wild Flowers – Nature Reserve
  • Links
  • Funding
You are here: Home / 2019 / Archives for November 2019

Archives for November 2019

No Voting required to join Our Party in the Fernery on 12th December from 10 a.m.

27th November 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Photo by Lucy Alexander

Friends of Danesbury Nature Reserve/Fernery – please note carefully

Our annual Working Party is one week early in December – THE SECOND THURSDAY – to do a bit of work and then celebrate all the hard work we have carried out during the year.

Nature Reserve Working Party – led by Andrew Beattie

After collecting their tools from the shed this Working Party will be working in the (new) Clock Meadow at the South East corner of the Fernery Field. They will continue the great scrub bashing start they made in October which will lead to habitat improvement in the New Year.

The Fernery Gardening Group

Led by Harry Ward this Working Party will continue bulb planting, site clearance and maintenance work, and anything else they can think of. Bridge building will be a month or so away – with more celebrations planned no doubt.

The Christmas Party

At the blast of the Fernery Whistle, all work will stop, tools will be returned to the shed, and the Party will begin.

Good weather Location – in the Fernery

Bad weather location – 6 Roman Way, by kind invitation of Hilary and Harry Ward.

Refreshments

Food and bites

  • Hilary is producing Sausage rolls and other ‘naughty goodies’
  • Sue is preparing flap jacks
  • Sara is baking Spiced Xmas Muffins
  • Jenny is producing chocolate cup cakes
  • John has already bought Stohlen (not stolen) cake

Drinks

  • Hilary and Harry are providing Mulled Wine
  • Colin is providing non-alcoholic beverages.

Before or After the real one – this Party will be worth a Vote – so please do not miss it!

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Filed Under: News

Report of Working Parties – 21st November 2019

26th November 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Weather Foretold

The forecast ‘gentle breeze’ was more akin to a ‘strong easterly freeze’.

Those in the Fernery Gardening Group found very little of the usual shelter in the dell, and most volunteers packed up and departed just as soon as the factory whistle blew at 12 p.m.

Work Party No 1 – The Local Nature Reserve

A group of 7 volunteers led by Andrew Beattie were kept very busy continuing the work started a couple of months ago in the Ancient Track. Apart from the ongoing need to tidy up the entry to the track from the Codicote road and clear it to its full length, the prime task was to clear the ground to receive primrose plugs in the next couple of months.

Nettles and brambles were cleared with little help from the strimmer which unfortunately needed endless cable re-loading. Tired elders were lopped, and cuttings were cleared away as much as possible to the top of the banks and out of sight.

Nina raked leaves along the full length of the track, and as the overall clearance work continued the team began to reveal ferns previously hidden.

Photos by Andrew Beattie
Photo by Andrew Beattie

Lucy uncovered an interesting Hart’s tongue fern tucked in a rotting log that is covered with candle snuff fungus.

The access path from the Codicote road is now clear once again and provides easy access to the track and the Nature Reserve.

Work Party No 2 – Fernery Garden

More work was carried out on the North Bank introducing more logs and old branches to retain the slope.

Harry and Alan worked to further cover the terram with a mix of soil and bark chippings.

Sarah led a team planting some 750 many very large Cammassia bulbs – the cold weather stopped them completing the task.

These giant plants will produce a rich blue bloom in the Spring/summer months.

Jenny with help from Sue and Christine continued the task of weeding and managing the wild flower bed at the top of the North Bank.

Filed Under: News, Reports, Work Parties

Fernery Garden – Frost Protection

16th November 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

The volunteers use the WhatsApp Fernery Gardening Group page to arrange ad hoc meetings that are needed to keep on top of the many tasks needed to keep Presentation standards high.

At this time of the year it is necessary to protect the more delicate plants in preparation of the advancing frosts.

On Monday 11th October 2019 Harry Ward fitted patent Hilary Ward frost proofing bags which will do very nicely thank you.

Filed Under: Garden News, News

Report of Working parties – Thursday 17th October 2019

16th November 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

On a beautiful sunny day we had two very busy groups of volunteers out working.

Local Nature Reserve Working Party – adopting The Clock Meadow

This was the first visit by the volunteers to this site in the South East corner of the Fernery Field, by the Old London Road entrance behind Clock House Gardens. The Council’s contractors undertook a preparatory and very basic clearance of scrub earlier in the year, but this area has not been managed since the Borough Council acquired the Danesbury Nature Reserve in 1998.

Chris James from the Borough Council was present to introduce the volunteers to the site, which she named The Clock Meadow.

This was the start of what will be many visits. Along the way it will be decided to what degree we might be able to encourage the rich diversity of wildlife already in evidence.

A small band of volunteers led by Andrew Beattie started the task of selective clearance of scrub and elder, and lopping branches from trees in need of management.

A Public Footpath crosses this site, leading to the cattle fence and kissing gate entrance to the Fernery Field proper. It is a very well used path, and a section of regular walkers, and local dog walkers will for the first time enjoy new vistas as they open up.

The Fernery Gardening Group

Work continued led by Harry Ward, planting plants and shrubs in the Parsons Bed and above the grotto before the Autumn sets in.

Filed Under: News, Reports, Work Parties

Notice of Work Parties – Thursday 21st November 2019

15th November 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Given the constraints of the weather, and the number of volunteers on site, we are planning to operate two Work Parties on the 21st November:

  1. Local Nature Reserve – Leader Andrew Beattie
  2. The Fernery – Leader Harry Ward

Weather Forecast- long range

Light rain showers and a moderate breeze

Work Party No 1 – Local Nature Reserve

Park Field – Ghylls Hill – The Ancient Track – Habitat Improvement

With next month’s December meeting in mind when, for practical reasons, we will want both working parties working closer together to more easily join up for Seasonal celebrations, we have decided to return this month to the Ancient Track to continue the maintenance work of earlier work parties. The work area is reasonably sheltered and whatever the weather we look forward to a good turnout of non-gardening scrub-bashing volunteers.

A lot of scrub is re-growing at the bottom (Codicote Road) end of the Track and at the kissing gate access, which will be cleared once again with the strimmer.

We will also use loppers to clear scrub and bramble trailers along the banks, and rakes to reveal more of the established ferns and hopefully the bluebells that have been smothered (although not visible at present). We will also prepare the ground for the expected arrival of primrose plugs in the New Year.

Volunteers for the Local Nature Reserve Working Party should collect bow saws, loppers and springy wire rakes from the Fernery shed, and the spare First Aid Kit, before moving down to Ghylls Hill.

Clock Meadow – December and successive months.

This is the name we are giving to the newly managed area at the South East entrance to the Fernery Field by the Old London Road and Clock House Gardens.

We will re-visit the Clock Meadow in December 2019, because it is in line of sight of the Fernery (almost). In December the Clock Meadow volunteers will more easily be able to join up with the Fernery Gardeners for Seasonal Celebrations.

Having started and made such good progress with this area behind Clock House Gardens Chris James is keen for us to undertake more pruning, and removal of elders and some cherry suckers in December and beyond.

In the New Year we will begin wider publicity for this exciting new area of Danesbury which offers so much opportunity for habitat improvement, It is an area on the Nature Reserve which hasn’t previously felt the impact of the volunteer Friends of Danesbury. It will be seen by a different set of visitors to Danesbury Park as they follow the Public Footpath from the old Service Road behind the former Clock Hotel.

Work Party No 2 – Fernery Garden

  1. We have more old branches to fix in position to aid soil retention on the North Bank and further work to cover the terram with a mix of soil and bark chippings
  2. Bulb planting – we have a supply of spring bulbs from the Borough Council which need to be planted – the scale of this task might entail further ad hoc meetings
  3. Jenny needs support to weed and maintain the wild flower beds on the North Bank
  4. Colin has ferns to be planted in the tanked bed, and further fern transplanting and weeding.
  5. We will undertake general maintenance tasks including raking the Leaf drop for storage on the compost heap.

Meeting Place – both Work Parties

All volunteers should meet at the Fernery at 9.30 am where the leaders will allocate tasks and distribute tools as appropriate for the two working parties. Volunteers are asked to decide before arriving which of the two working parties they would like to join, as this helps the organisation.

How to find the Fernery

If you have not visited us before you will be made very welcome. Please read the directions to find us.

Bring a hot drink and refreshments with you, and wear strong boots or shoes and good quality gardening gloves. All tools will be provided.

On your first visit the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (the Owners) require that you complete a personal details Form which will be retained by them for Public Liability Insurance purposes.

Filed Under: News, Work Parties

Gardening Group – ad hoc meeting Thursday 24th October 2019

3rd November 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

A small group of regulars worked hard before the rain came, with more ‘last minute’ planting before Autumn sets in.

The group was joined by Chris Evans who was making a welcome visit once again, all the way from North Wales!

Filed Under: Garden and Gardening, Garden News, News

Primary Sidebar

Earlier News

Notice of Work Parties – Thursday 17th October 2019

Objectives We will operate two Working parties: Local Nature reserve - … [Read More...] about Notice of Work Parties – Thursday 17th October 2019

Report of Work Parties – Thursday 19th September 2019 and subsequent days.

Two work parties met up at the Fernery to receive instructions from the leaders … [Read More...] about Report of Work Parties – Thursday 19th September 2019 and subsequent days.

Notice of Work Parties – Thursday 19th September 2019

Objectives We will again be operating two work parties this … [Read More...] about Notice of Work Parties – Thursday 19th September 2019

Archives

  • November 2019 (6)
  • October 2019 (1)
  • September 2019 (5)
  • August 2019 (3)
  • July 2019 (5)
  • June 2019 (2)
  • May 2019 (5)
  • April 2019 (6)
  • March 2019 (8)
  • February 2019 (7)
  • January 2019 (1)
  • December 2018 (4)
  • November 2018 (7)
  • October 2018 (4)
  • September 2018 (3)
  • August 2018 (4)
  • July 2018 (2)
  • June 2018 (3)
  • May 2018 (4)
  • April 2018 (5)
  • March 2018 (5)
  • February 2018 (3)
  • January 2018 (2)
  • December 2017 (3)
  • November 2017 (4)
  • October 2017 (3)
  • September 2017 (7)
  • August 2017 (2)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • Full Archive

Follow Us Online

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2019 Friends of Danesbury Local Nature Reserve. Non attributed Photography by John Roper.