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• New Fernery Fencing
• Anglia in Bloom
• The Fernery Open Garden Volunteers Rewarded
• Welwyn Festival Open Garden
• The King’s Representative visits the Fernery

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 recent times it has become evident to all walkers and users of the Park Field that habitat management by the Council contractors, and indeed by the volunteers, has fallen off over the past year. The Council’s normal Management Plan schedules have been disrupted by the strains on resources that has affected many services.

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But with the easing of lockdown rules, it is now safe for the volunteers to resume work on the Nature Reserve as the bird nesting season is over, and Harry is therefore planning to lead the first of this Autumn Season’s work parties, as described below.

Group 1 – Fernery Gardening Group

Jenny will lead this Group which will continue general management of the borders and beds. As colder months approach work will undoubtedly switch towards seasonal leaf gathering and mulching.

Group 2 – Local Nature Reserve

Harry will lead this Group. The priority will be to make a start on cutting back the considerable undergrowth of brambles and nettles which continues to invade both the main paths and the perimeter paths on the Park Field.

Beyond this work, and as the Autumn/Winter season develops, projects on the lower slopes will continue to manage and arrest the uncontrolled spread of scrub in order to preserve the grassland which is at the heart of the 2013-2023 Management Plan’s objectives.

Where to Meet

All volunteers should meet at the Fernery Shed at 9.30 a.m. for a prompt 10 a.m. start.

Volunteers are asked to consider in advance which Work Party they would prefer to join as this helps the leaders organise groups and distribute tools.

If you are a new volunteer and are not sure where the Danesbury Fernery is located, please go to the website where a map will show you where we are.

New Volunteers

New volunteers will be asked to complete a Registration Form which the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council will retain confidentially for Public Liability Insurance purposes.

Please make sure that you are wearing boots or other suitable footwear, and suitable gloves, and also bring a hot drink and refreshment for break-time.

Tools will be provided.

Covid-19 Rules and Tools

The application of current rules are the responsibiity of all individuals and groups of individuals.

For this reason, it would be helpful at this time if volunteers bring their own ‘favourite’ hand-tools so that we do not have to worry about sharing and disinfecting.

In this context, those favouring gardening work should perhaps bring trowels, small forks and secateurs, whereas potential ‘scrub bashers’ might bring their favourite loppers and/or bow saws.

If you have any queries please contact any committee membver or

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 have been working extra hard over the past weeks and months to prepare the site.

The following photos were taken by Jenny, Harry and Andy.

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This was a welcome opportunity for all the volunteers, and for the community as a whole, to come together and celebrate all our hard work after a prolonged period of lockdown and constraint; to celebrate the successful recovery and restoration of this long-lost Victorian Fernery, and to be entertained by the Welwyn Harmony Chorus, and comforted by the presence of PCSOs Crystal Howes and Sarah Skene from the Safer Neighbourhod Team.

The event was presented under the banner of the Committee of the Welwyn Autumn Festival, whose local charities will ultimately benefit from the success of this event, as will the FODF too, as we face future Fernery costs for repair and restoration of the Pulhamite rockwork, replanting and ongoing maintenance.

The message to all the visitors was clear – we do need more volunteers!

And, donations are always welcome and received with thanks..

We will update this Report as more details and information emerge.

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:

1. Helping Jenny in the Wild Flower beds
2. Bark up the beds where the Oak bough landed to tidy them up and
3. Remove the grass on the paths close to the edges to smarten up their appearance.

Fernery Group 2 – Leader Harry

Group 2 will concentrate on General Site work :

1. Continue to cut back the nettles and undergrowth that has grown alongside the Victorian wrought iron fence inside the Fernery
2. Remove the piles of dead nettles and place in the new compost area
3. Clear the nettles leading to the vehicle gate which we’ll be using during the Open Garden event, together with mowing the grass and
4. Fill all badger and rabbit holes where they’re on or close to the paths.

Weather Forecast

The long range forecast is for Light Rain and a gentle breeze – but believe none of it!

Meeting Point

We aim to meet at the Fernery from 9.30am for a prompt 10am start.

New Volunteers

If you are unsure how to get to the Fernery, please go to the website to find out Where We Are. Wear strong boots and clothing suitable for gardening type work, and bring a drink for refreshment.

COVID 19 Safety

Please note that as Individuals, and as a group, we must follow all current Covid Rules. Where possible please therefore bring your own favourite hand tools to avoid the need to share.

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 suggested donation.

Entertainment

The WELWYN HARMONY CHORUS will perform after 6pm.

The Fernery

There have been many changes to the Fernery Garden since the 2019 Welwyn Festival Open Garden and the Garden looks beautiful now at all times of the year.

All major restoration work has been completed and a ‘rustic bridge’ has been installed.

All the beds are well stocked and we have many named varieties of ferns.

The Volunteers

Please speak to any of the volunteers on site and offer your help. We do need more volunteers. You do not have to be an experienced gardener, but you do need to be a willing helper.

Funds and Funding

We welcome donations to:

The Friends of Danesbury Fernery

Sort Code 30-98-97

Account No. 66874760

We need funds to help with:

Rockwork Restoration

Re-planting

Ongoing Maintenance

Welwyn Festival Committee

We are grateful to the Welwyn Festival Committee for allowing us to promote the Open Fernery Garden as part of a resuscitated Welwyn Festival Autumn Programme. We wish them every success and encouragement.

50% of the Entrance Monies taken this evening will be donated to the Festival Committee for the benefit of Welwyn’s charities.

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 extent of any re-planting required.

The Fencing

The wooden barrier at the top of the slope will need repairing, but none of the iron fencing has been damaged.

The Shredded Branches & Logs

Some cut branches will be used to repair the barrier at the top of the West slope, and conveniently Harry has already used some to extend the circular edging of the Spring bulb bed on the top of the West bank.

Most of the branches have been shredded and will be used for mulch when they rot down.

The cut logs have been left on site for future purposes.

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 split from the trunk eventually separated on its own accord, fortunately while the Maydencroft operatives were standing clear. The task of cutting up the main bough will be made much easier and safer as a result.

The following is a frame from a video shot by Harry Ward showing the separated bough being dragged out of the way after the branches had been removed..

The cut and shredded timber will be retained on site for future use.

First thoughts are that the Pulhamite rockwork has not been damaged because the weight of the main bough appears to have been carried by the path above the grotto.

But sadly there will likely be a need to re-plant on the West side of the Fernery on the bank above the path and on top of the grotto itself, and the wooden rail above will need repair.

But fingers crossed, we have been lucky if there has been no damage to the rockwork and to the original iron fencing. We will produce a further Report later after an examination has been made to make sure that the site is safe to re-open.

We have every hope that the Fernery will be safe to re-open this weekend.

We need your help

We do need more volunteers, so perhaps this will be your opportunity to step forward and see how you can help us get straight as quickly as possible.

Contact –

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 scheduled to carry out this work on Friday 23rd July 2021.

Allowing time for subsequent assessment of possible damage to the Pulhamite rockwork, the Fernery has to remain closed to the Public,

We hope that the Fernery will be open again for the weekend, but very heavy rain is forecast!

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This beautiful bench supplied by Vanstone Park Garden Centre has been generously sponsored by Kate Harwood of the Hertfordshire Gardens Trust, and we look forward to welcoming her to try it out for herself.

The new bench complements the North Bank bench installed in 2019 which was kindly given us by volunteer Mike Smith, it being ‘surplus to requirement’ following a personal house move.

Together with the two existing benches constructed from Sherrardspark oak planks donated by the Wood Wardens (who helped us clear the Fernery site in 2015-2017), Danesbury’s volunteers are now able to offer visitors an all year-round place to rest for quiet contemplation, with fantastic views of a modern interpretation of the garden that the Victorians designed and built in 1860, with its Pulhamite grotto and rockwork, spread out before them.

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 was keen to see for herself what we have achieved and what we are planning. Colin, our very own BPS representative, showed her around, and John explained the background and history of the Danesbury Fernery following which Ursula joined the gardening group and became actively involved. We look forward to her next visit.

Tony continued valuable work cleaning the rockwork and removing recent graffiti.

The Gardening Group led by Sarah and Jenny, with Mark and Nina, continued weeding the flower beds, and carrying out maintenance work.

Preparing for our new bench

We are very pleased to announce that the Hertfordshire Gardens Trust have offered to sponsor the purchase of a new bench. This will be sited on the top of the South Bank with superb views over the Grotto and the Dell.

Harry, our Secretary, negotiated a generous deal with the Vanstone Park Garden Centre management enabling him and Alan to start work to prepare the site. It is planned to install the bench next week.