Sarah – “We have some new and very exciting plants to put in the Fernery”
This ‘call for action’ was broadcast on our WhatsApp Fernery Gardening Group on 26th March, and a busy team was formed at short notice.
News
Planting more snowdrops – 4th April 2019
Following the planting of 5000 x snowdrops ‘in the green’ on the 11th March 2019, (see earlier News item) we were offered another 5000 x plants by the WHBC.
A small team met on Thursday 4th April and added to the earlier plantings so that come the Spring of 2020 we will have a splendid full display of 10,000 snowdrops at the Entrance – on the left bank, and down the right-hand bank.
Notice of Working Party – Thursday 18th April 2019
Weather Forecast (Long Range)
Sunny intervals and a moderate breeze and warm.
Tasks
Depending on the number of volunteers and qualified leaders who turnout, we will aim to operate two separate work parties. We will all meet at The Fernery for initial briefings and to allocate of tasks and issue tools.
Leaders will be on site from 9.30 am to open the shed and select the tools that will be needed. It would help if volunteers could arrive earlier than 10 am and make their work preferences clear (i.e. scrub bashing or gardening) so that we can all make a prompt start.
Nature Reserve Work Party
We will continue the work of clearing the ancient track (Ghylls Hill) on the Park Field.
Fernery Garden Work Party
Wild Flower Beds
Jenny is bringing some more wild flower plugs for planting. The Wild Flower beds will need further wiring, and pegging and Harry and Alan will be helping.
Nettle Beds
A major task will be to continue the work started last year to clear the nettles on the North East Bank, in preparation for more fern planting.
Watering
Without a doubt we will need to water the principal trees that were planted last month and marked by Sarah, and as many others as possible. And we will need to make arrangements to establish a watering roster which worked so effectively last year.
Feed to the Dropping Well
Harry and Alan will cut a shallow channel on the South Path that will hide a mains water hose feed to the Cistern and Dropping Well. They will set up a tap and hose connection so that we can easily and safely simulate a water drop when we have visitors.
Lifting Daffodils
Another task for consideration will be to lift the daffodils on the South Bank if it is practical. They were planted in November 2016 and we can either store them or re-plant them elsewhere on the site.
The reason is that in May 2019 it is planned that Maydencroft will bring their digger in to excavate this slope and uncover the Parsons planting beds, and steps, believed to be hidden there.
Visitors
The Detectorists Cathy and Mike are planning to visit us again on Thursday, to continue their task of scanning the area around the Fernery with their metal detecting equipment. Andrew will supervise their work.
How to Find Us
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.
On arrival you will need to Register with us before you start work – for (WHBC) Insurance purposes.
British Pteridological Society – Calendar of events
Andrew Beattie is our Representative for the East Anglian Region.
Colin Adlam is also a Memberr of BPS.
Please ask Andrew for details of Regional and National events which might be of interest to you.
We are now running a separate Calendar for BPS activities, as they are reported to us.
WGC 2020 Centenerary – Walk Talk
Report of Working Parties – Thursday 21st March 2019
On a bright Spring-like morning 16 volunteers split into two groups.
Nature Reserve Working Party
Led by Andrew, 5 volunteers continued their work clearing the ancient track pathway and scrub on the Park Field leading down to the B656 Codicote Road.
Photo by Andrew Beattie 
Fernery Garden Working Party
Led by John and Sarah, 11 volunteers continued the work of planting and weeding.
Bexit
We are grateful to Mike Smith for donating a teak bench that had become redundant since his recent house move. Harry had rubbed it down and treated it with teak oil ready for installation.
However, although the 11 volunteers present had agreed unanimously where the bench should be sited, our two representatives Harry and Alan, after extended negotiations with Chris, the WHBC Officer, failed to meet her demands for securing it.
With some loss of dignity a backstop agreement was nevertheless reached, and our two cross benchers, Harry and Alan, wearily took the unwanted concrete posts back to the hardware store, and replaced them appropriately with chains (!)
In doing so they missed their Tea Break and flapjacks, and the (above) photo-shoot.
Rabbit rabbit rabbit…
The WHBC have secured the large hole on the South East corner with very strong galvanised wire, and a rabbit proof board has been placed directly beneath the field gate on the North west side.
But, the rabbits still cause us problems, and they are enjoying Jenny’s wild flowers more than they are supposed to.
We have tried laying chicken wire flat on top of the flowers to stop rabbits accessing the roots, but suspect that they will simply wait for the tops to show through and try nibbling them instead of pulling the roots out of the ground.
In the short term, apart from continuing to screen off planting areas with chicken wire and posts, we will probably delay cutting the grass on the banks until later in the summer, in the hope that the rabbits will prefer nibbling grass to wild flowers.
Flora and Fauna
The planting beds are beginning to show their colours and contrasts, and bees are beginning to get busy pollenating.
This bee found just inside the Entrance Gate is a bit of an unknown, and has been referred to the County Recorder for his opinion.
Since identified as Apis mellifera Linnaeus – Western or European Honey Bee | Caste: Worker
Identified by Steve Lings, Bees & Wasps Recorder for Herts Nat Hist Soc.
Notice of Work Party – Thursday 21st March 2019
Weather Forecast (Long Range)
Light cloud and a gentle breeze. Mild
Tasks
As with the earlier 2019 working parties we will aim to operate two separately managed groups. We will all meet at the Fernery for initial briefings, allocation of tasks, and distribution of appropriate tools.
Leaders will be on site by 9.30am to open the shed and prepare the tools. It would help matters if volunteers could arrive early at, say 9.30 am., and make their work preferences clear (i.e.scrub bashing or gardening) so that we can make a prompt start.
Local Nature Reserve Working Party
Andrew will lead a party to continue the work of clearing the Ancient Track on the lower slopes of the Park Field. Please meet at the Fernery to collect tools. (If you have not already seen the difference these work parties are making have a look at the Report of last months Working Party).
Fernery Garden Working Party
John will lead this group.
The principal task for the gardener will be to suppress the nettles.
This month Jenny will be planting more large plants of oxeye daisy, field scabious & wild clary on the chalk bank. But she is concerned that the rabbits are eating the wildflowers even the ones on a list they supposedly dislike!!.
The rabbits are being a nuisance and discussions are underway with the Borough Council to get the large hole in the fence on the South East corner repaired once and for all. A wooden guard is also needed under the field gate on the north side.
For this reason Jenny is planning to pot on many wildflowers for planting out in May when they have decent size roots so they’ll have a chance against the rabbits.
How to Find Us
If you have not visited the Fernery before please go to the website for directions.
Bring a hot drink and refreshments with you, and wear strong boots and good quality gardening gloves.
Planting Snowdrops – Monday 11th March 2019
On a bright morning a small dedicated team of 8x gardeners led by Sarah reached speeds of 2500 s.p.h. and completed the task of planting 5000 snowdrops by mid-day. These plants (in green) had been offered at short notice by the Borough Council and we can now look forward to a splendid showing early in 2020.
The principal planting areas were on the grassy banks near the Entrance, with the bulk being planted on the grass bank on the South side of the path.
Elevensies were taken as soon as the snowdrops had been planted, and after stoking up their energies, the team turned to the task of weeding the planting beds, and in particular the slope in the gorge where the new bluebells are beginning to come through.
Sarah completed the planting in the Parsons bed, which will look spectacular as it matures.
Report of Scouts Tree Planting – 23rd February 2019
A very successful work party was led by Andrew, with 4x other volunteers in support, with 8x scouts and 7x parents in attendance. Tony Cragg from the Welwyn Film Record Society was kept busy too.
Sarah supervised all the plantings, which were performed by small groups of scouts, each with a parent/helper. Sarah had marked out planting places in advance and each group got digging.
All roots were dusted with Sarah’s magic root powder. Specimen trees were staked and protected with rabbit wire.
Whips around the perimeter were protected with plastic tubes.
At the tea-break, John gave a brief introduction to the work in 1859/60 of the original Fernery Gardener, Anthony Parsons, and the rock-work construction by James Pulham & Sons of Broxbourne.
A few of the parents helped further by clearing out the water and debris lying in the dropping well.
All the scouts enjoyed themselves, and it was a first-time visit to the Fernery for many of the Parents.
The scouts are expected to pick up a hat-full of badges and awards for undertaking this valuable work with the Friends of Danesbury Fernery volunteers.
Report of Working Party – Thursday 21st February 2019
Weather
Sunny and mild as forecast. The ground was dry underfoot.
Tasks Completed
Nature Reserve – Park Field
Andrew led a team that continued last months work to clear the Ancient Track from the bottom (Codicote Road) end.
Brash was half hidden on the North Side of the bank, but will probably need to be burned off at some future date to keep things tidy.
The Fernery Garden
John led a team that planted more perennials in the Parsons Bed under Sarah’s supervision, and more wild flowers on the North Chalk Bank under Jenny’s supervision.
Alan dug out the shape of the Jigsaw bed at the North end of the Dell ready for grass seeding next month.
