Next Work Party Meeting – Thursday 15th February 2018 We next meet in the Fernery at 10 am. on Thursday 15th February 2018, when the BBC forecasts that it will a case of ‘Sunny Intervals and Breezy’ Outline Work Plan – Immediate Priority – Garden Restoration It is important that all volunteers understand that because […]
Draft Planting List – February 2018
This is the first draft planting list for the Fernery, produced by Sarah Marsh and approved by the Borough Council. It is planned that these will be purchased and planted in April 2018 – but some bare-rooted specimens will be purchased in February 2018 for earlier planting. Overall Design Objectives Perennials for the centre of […]
Garden Adviser Appointment
The Garden Designer We are delighted to announce that Sarah Marsh has volunteered to be our Fernery Garden Adviser. Sarah has also agreed to be our Fernery Gardening Group leader and we will now more confidently build a Gardening Group membership who will work under her direction to achieve our goals. It is planned to […]
Work Party Report – 18th January 2018
We had an excellent turn-out on a cold but bright morning, and we welcomed some new faces too. Excavation work The Dell We continued our exploration of the brick wall foundations in the dell at the North end of the site. We extended our discoveries further, adding to the excitement of it all, but we […]
Notice of Work Party 18th January 2018
We meet again this coming Thursday 18th January 2018 and we have to expect that the Fernery will be a bit cold and a bit grey as it was when these photos were taken last week. The ground underfoot is currently very heavy. The plan will be to continue the work left off last November, […]
Christmas (non) Work Party Report – 14th December 2017
Christmas Gathering 14th December 2017 The weather was kind to the Friends who braved the ice and cold to celebrate the successes of the second year of restoration. But in fact most of the snow had melted away with the overnight rains and it was a sunny and clear day, but still quite cold. We discovered […]
British Pteridological Society (BPS) Membership Confirmed
Treasurer Andrew has succeeded in arranging a group membership for “The Danesbury Fernery Volunteer Group“ The BPS are very interested in our Project and Andrew has already had contact from Dr Alison Evans, BPS Membership Secretary, and Dr Peter Blake acting Representative for the East Anglia section. As East Anglia Area representative, Peter Blake (from […]
High Sheriff’s Award 2018 – FOD fail to be short listed
We have received notice from the Hertfordshire Community Foundation that unfortunately the Friends of Danesbury LNR have not been short-listed by the High Sheriff’s Panel for the 2018 Award. We are advised that a large number of nominations are received from a wide range of fantastic organisations in the county, and that it is always […]
How Parsons grew specimen Ferns
The following is an extract from Alpine Flowers for English Gardens by William Robinson and published in London by John Murray, Albermarle Street in 1870 Source: https://archive.org/details/alpineflowersfo00robigoog (Ed: I have corrected a few original typing/printing errors and introduced emphasis where helpful). Part I – The Rock Garden (pages 24-26 Popular and almost universally cultivated as hardy ferns […]
Work Party Report – 16th November 2017
Tasks Undertaken A total of 13 volunteers met and carried out weeding of planting beds, nettle strimming, more fencing reparation, and some further excavation which left us with yet more unanswered questions. We also welcomed two Swedish visitors to the site and gave them a brief introduction. Garden Maintenance Strimming and leaf blowing: The site […]