Researching and Restoring the Danesbury Victorian Fernery
We are reopening the Fernery, but at weekends only, from 9am Saturday to 5pm Sunday, until further notice.
These restricted opening times will allow visitors taking exercise to enjoy the Spring bulbs, whilst limiting damage to paths and grass.
Once the weather improves and the paths dry out, the Fernery will reopen as normal.
The Friends of Danesbury Fernery thank you for your understanding and support.
Resulting from the recent extremely wet weather the Fernery Paths have inevitably suffered heavily from the footfall of our many visitors.
With our eyes on the current adverse weather streams approaching the country the Friends of Danesbury Fernery Committee have reluctantly agreed with the Borough Council that we should close the Fernery with immediate effect until Saturday 13th February 2021:
We do regret having to take this step and we look forward to seeing you all again in February 2021 so that you can enjoy the fruits of the volunteers’ labours.
The volunteers have planted thousands more bulbs since last Autumn and we look forward to a spectacular show of Spring Flowers.
We thank you all for your patience and understanding.
The Borough Council have given us permission to re-commence Work Parties on the Danesbury Local Nature Reserve, but it will take time for us all to settle into new Protocols for safe working, including the necessary sanitisation of shared tools, as well as social distancing.
These protocols have been circulated to all regular Friends of Danesbury.
Andrew Beattie has expressed a wish to stand down as Leader of the Nature Reserve, and tomorrow might be his last. So we are looking for good support.
Team Structure
We can no longer operate a second team in the Ancient Track down to the Codicote Road junction with Danesbury Park Road as we only have one designated and qualified leader available tomorrow.
Andrew has therefore agreed with Chris James that if we do have sufficient numbers to operate two teams, then they should work in closer proximity to each other for safety reasons, and both under Andrew’s direction.
Meeting Place
Volunteers should meet at the Cattle Corral at the entrance to the Park Field, at the top end of North Ride.
Team 1 Starts at the kissing gate by the corral on the approach road to Danesbury house working up to the top of the path, clear low hanging branches as close to the ground as possible, cut back bramble trailers, self seeded hawthorns on the park side of path again as close to ground as possible. All cuttings to be taken to the top (I will bring a couple of jumbo sacks to be filled and dragged up). Tools to be secateurs, loppers and bow saw. If volunteers can bring their own tools this will help although I can sanitise a couple from the Fernery shed.
Team 2 (if there are sufficient numbers) will work on clearing the Boundary Edge path that runs parallel to the entrance road to Danesbury Park, but inside on the Nature Reserve. This is described by Chris James as having ‘some sticky-out bits’.
Safety Issues
Andrew has listed the precautions that we all need to take, which includes the need/preference for volunteers to bring their own (favourite) tools, to avoid the need to sanitise shared tools.
We look forward to meeting you all again.
On Thursday 5th March 2020 John and Colin gave a Talk ‘Recovering and Restoring Danesbury Fernery’ to the Ashwell Horticultural Society (Chris James’s own). This is turning out to be the last for long time as next month’s scheduled Talk at the Ryde & District Gardening club has had to be abandoned until April 2021, and it remains to be seen if normality returns in time for us to give a scheduled Talk on November 18th 2020 to the St Ives Gardening Club..
It is very sad that many Ashwell members were intending to visit us as a direct result of our Talk but, hopefully, that will still happen sometime in the future.
One advantage of giving Talks is the chance to reflect on just how much we have all achieved in the 4 years or so since we started.
And a few of the volunteers who will return to work in the Fernery garden just as soon as they can.
We have received a directive from Ann MacDonald, the Landscape & Ecology Manager, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, that due to the spread of Covid-19, no more volunteer Working Parties are to operate on the Borough’s nature reserves and gardens for the time being.
From Tuesday 17th March 2020 all work parties must stop until further notice.
For the same reason we have been advised that the 2020 Welwyn Festival programme has been cancelled. We will not therefore be holding our planned Open Gardens evening on 25th June 2020.
As forecast in our Notice of the 20th February Work Party we took delivery of a large order of Spring and Summer Bulbs after the date of the Work Party.
This photo shows 3000 x single snowdrops, 3000 x double snowdrops, and 1000 x aconites, all ‘in the green’ and laid out before planting to enjoy the sun and rain after their long journey.
These were all planted by a group of volunteers who formed an ad hoc working party on Tuesday 3rd March.
The following day the volunteers woke up to the realisation that some 30 trays of 500 Erythroniums Pagodas (dog-tooth violets) had also been delivered, potted up in trays, and ready for planting.
And on a third consecutive day, a smaller group of volunteers planted 500 x cylamen corms.
We cannot wait to see the result.
We had a good turn out of 14 volunteers working on the Nature Reserve, and in the Fernery.
The weather forecast was just about right, and we managed to undertake some good work in cold and gusty conditions before the rains came down at 11 a.m. just as we started to make our exodus.
Andrew led a team planting 100x primrose plugs along the banks of the Ancient Track, from the kissing gate at the Codicote Road end up to the steps.
Branches and debris that had been brought down by the recent storms were cleared away from the track, and bramble trailers cut back to reveal the daffodils and blue bells which are showing.
Clock Meadow
Time and resources did not allow any work in this area.
Conditions
We are paying the price for not managing to complete the job of clearing all of the leaf drop before the storms and rains came, and the paths are muddied as a result. We need a few dry and warm(er) days to bring the leaf blower back into effective action.
But happily the winds seem not to have done any lasting damage to the trees and shrubs. The two new hollies are surviving despite the immediate attention given them by the resident rabbits.
Planting
The Fernery Garden team focused on planting the 100x primrose plugs supplied by WHBC and the 90x cowslips cultivated by Jenny.
The expected large delivery of bulbs did not materialise; they are now due on 24th February. If the weather conditions are suitable we might well arrange an extra work party to get these planted.
Garden Maintenance
We fixed protective tubes around the new hollies, both of which were showing signs of rabbit chew.
The team continued the arduous task of raking up wet, heavy and muddy leaf drop, and weeding the main flower beds.
Plant report
Despite the grey February conditions, the Fernery looks amazingly attractive, with its promise of more colour and interest to come.
Ferns, bulbs and perennials are recovering around the Fernery, and snow drops are beginning to show their heads on the South Bank. We have not yet managed to count the 10,000 snowdrops that we planted last year.
Dependant as we are on the constraints of the weather, and the number of volunteers on site, we are planning to operate two Work Parties on the 20th February:
Gusty winds and hail showers!
If we have to call the meeting off this week, then we will publish another date as soon as we can. But please keep Thursday 27th February clear if we do choose to drop by one week.
Volunteers for the Local Nature Reserve Working Parties should collect the spare First Aid Kit, bow saws, loppers and springy wire rakes from the Fernery shed before moving to the allocated work site.
Park Field – Ghylls Hill – The Ancient Track – Primrose Planting
We have now received a pack of 100x primrose plugs from the Borough Council, to be planted. If resources permit, then we will also continue the work of recent months continuing the clearance of the Ancient Track on the Park Field, and other tasks to be scheduled.
The work area is reasonably sheltered and whatever the weather we look forward to a good turnout of non-gardening scrub-bashing volunteers.
Clock Meadow
The Leader will decide on the day, depending on the resources available and weather conditions, if the Nature Reserve Work Party can be split to allow tasks to allocated in the Clock Meadow on the Fernery Field.
Garden Maintenance Tasks
Last month the Work Party completed many, if not all, of the scheduled tasks, including the planting of 2x Holly Trees.
A few days later, whilst photographing some of the spring flowers which are showing beautifully, we witnessed Alan who had, on his own volition, returned to the site to reinforce the stakes supporting the new Holly Trees to keep them secure in the forthcoming storms. We don’t thank Dennis, but we do thank Alan.
We have taken delivery of a pack of 100x Primroses from the Borough Council which are ready to be planted – whatever the weather!
But we are still awaiting the delivery of thousands of new bulbs which are on order from Lubbe of Lisse, Spalding. We are advised that they should now arrive next week and, if the weather forces us to cancel this week’s Work Party, then we are likely to re-arrange the meeting for the following week, when the ground should be nice and ‘moist’, and just ready for bulb planting.
Soft Landscaping tasks – specified by Harry Ward
Harry will be specifying tasks, which will follow the recent mix of maintenance and soft landscaping.
All volunteers should meet at the Fernery at 9.30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. start, where the leaders will allocate tasks and distribute tools as appropriate for the working parties. Before arriving, volunteers are asked to consider which of the two working parties they would prefer to join, i.e. the Nature Reserve, or the Fernery, as this helps team organisation.
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 only.
The weather forecast was just about right, and before a sharp wind from the South blew up, a beautiful clear and crisp morning encouraged a large turnout of 19 volunteers.
No work was undertaken on the Park Field as Chris James (WHBC Landscape & Ecology Officer) prioritised the work in the Clock Meadow, and this is where a group of 7 volunteers, led by Andrew, set to work.
Clock Meadow
The ‘Clock Meadow‘ is the name we have given to the newly managed area at the Public Footpath entrance to the SE corner of the Fernery Field, behind the Clock House Gardens development.
Worked picked up from last month and continued with more pruning, and the removal of elders and general scrub clearance.
Planting
Harry and Alan, ably supervised by Ann, planted two more hollies on the North East perimeter.
Garden Maintenance
The team raked up the leaf drop, and weeded the main flower beds.
Alan fixed more old branches in position on the North Bank to aid soil retention, and further covered the terram with a mix of soil and bark chippings. Jenny continued planting and weeding wild flowers..
After a well deserved elevenses break the team were able to look back on the dell, which is looking good despite the muddy conditions.
Plant report
Ferns, bulbs and perennials are already recovering around the Fernery, and snow drops are beginning to show their heads on the South Bank.
Dependant as we are on the constraints of the weather, and the number of volunteers on site, we are planning to operate two Work Parties on the 16th January:
Light rain showers and a moderate breeze, but the rain is forecast not to arrive until 1300hrs!
Volunteers for the Local Nature Reserve Working Parties should collect the spare First Aid Kit, bow saws, loppers and springy wire rakes from the Fernery shed before moving to the allocated work site.
Park Field – Ghylls Hill – The Ancient Track – Habitat Improvement
We will continue the work of recent months continuing the clearance of the Ancient Track on the Park Field. We await the delivery of primrose plugs from the Borough Council.
The work area is reasonably sheltered and whatever the weather we look forward to a good turnout of non-gardening scrub-bashing volunteers.
Clock Meadow – January and successive months.
Clock Meadow is the name we have given to the newly managed area at the South East Public Footpath entrance to the Fernery Field by the Old London Road and behind Clock House Gardens.
Having started and made such early progress with this area Chris James (WH Borough Council Landscape & Ecology Officer) is keen for us to continue to undertake more pruning, and the removal of elders and some cherry suckers.
Garden Maintenance Tasks – specified by Sarah Marsh and Harry Ward
Soft Landscaping tasks – specified by Harry Ward
All volunteers should meet at the Fernery at 9.30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. start, where the leaders will allocate tasks and distribute tools as appropriate for the working parties. Before arriving, volunteers are asked to consider which of the two working parties they would prefer to join, i.e. the Nature Reserve, or the Fernery, as this helps team organisation.
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 only.