News

Weather Forecast – long range Light cloud and a gentle breeze. Work party Leaders will decide on the day if recent heavy rain has made the Fernery footpaths unsafe for normal work. An announcement of cancellation will be made as soon as practicable via the WhatsApp groups. Management of Work on Danesbury Nature Reserve Over […]

We were able to welcome the Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, Cllr Peter Hebden and his wife, and other guests including County Councillor Tony Kingsbury, and some 200 visitors, to a wonderfully successful afternoon and evening organised by the Committee of the Friends of Danesbury Fernery (FODF) and supported by the entire team of volunteers who […]

Because this will be the last Work Party before we hold our 2nd September Welwyn Autumn Festival Open Garden event, we are not this month organising a Work Party in the Nature Reserve. We will instead organise 2 separate Fernery Groups. Fernery Group 1 – Leader Jenny Group One will concentrate on Fernery gardening jobs: […]

Open Garden Evening Thursday 2nd September 2021 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Outline plans are being made so please keep the date free in your diary. Full details will be available soon. Advance Details Entrance Fee £2 adults – children under 12 free Refreshments Prosecco, beer, soft drinks and nibbles will be available for a […]

Friday 23rd July 2021 The Fernery is open again. The Pulhamite Rockwork Thankfully there appears not to be any material damage to the rockwork. The Planting The planting in the bed above the West path, and the bed above the grotto itself has been damaged. Over the next few weeks the volunteers will assess the […]

Friday 23rd July The Borough Council responded rapidly and Maydencroft are already busy removing the fallen Oak limb. They are working from the bottom, removing branch by branch, in order to take the weight off. It has been estimated that the total weight is in the order of 4 tons. The bough which had been […]

The Fernery has been closed because an Oak on the West side has dropped a large bough on top of the grotto – we believe as a result of heavy rain. The Borough Council contractors, Maydencroft, have been directed to clear the site as a matter of urgency and to make it safe. They are […]

Harry and Alan prepared the ground last week and today, in threatening weather, they completed the task of installation with the help of Hilary who generously applied teak oil to its bottom. This beautiful bench supplied by Vanstone Park Garden Centre has been generously sponsored by Kate Harwood of the Hertfordshire Gardens Trust, and we […]

The weather forecast was only just correct. A small group met in the Fernery and stayed dry, but it was cold and very blustery. BPS Visitor We welcomed Ursula Schell. Ursula is a gardener at Audley End and a member of the British Pteridological Society (The Fern Society), who had heard about our work and […]

We are organising a Fernery Work Party on Thursday 20th May 2021 Because of the risk of disturbance to wildlife, we will not be organising Work Parties on the Danesbury Local Nature Reserve until September 2021 at the earliest. Volunteer Rules and Guidelines We will be able to work in accordance with the Covid-19 Rules […]