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Danesbury Fernery

Researching and Restoring the Danesbury Victorian Fernery

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You are here: Home / Archives for Reports

Reports

Report of Working Parties – Thursday 20th February 2020

20th February 2020 By John Roper Leave a Comment

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.

Work Party No 1 – Local Nature Reserve – Leader Andrew Beattie

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.

Work Party No 2 – Fernery Garden – Leader Harry Ward

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.

Filed Under: News, Work Parties

Report of Working Parties – 21st November 2019

26th November 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Weather Foretold

The forecast ‘gentle breeze’ was more akin to a ‘strong easterly freeze’.

Those in the Fernery Gardening Group found very little of the usual shelter in the dell, and most volunteers packed up and departed just as soon as the factory whistle blew at 12 p.m.

Work Party No 1 – The Local Nature Reserve

A group of 7 volunteers led by Andrew Beattie were kept very busy continuing the work started a couple of months ago in the Ancient Track. Apart from the ongoing need to tidy up the entry to the track from the Codicote road and clear it to its full length, the prime task was to clear the ground to receive primrose plugs in the next couple of months.

Nettles and brambles were cleared with little help from the strimmer which unfortunately needed endless cable re-loading. Tired elders were lopped, and cuttings were cleared away as much as possible to the top of the banks and out of sight.

Nina raked leaves along the full length of the track, and as the overall clearance work continued the team began to reveal ferns previously hidden.

Photos by Andrew Beattie
Photo by Andrew Beattie

Lucy uncovered an interesting Hart’s tongue fern tucked in a rotting log that is covered with candle snuff fungus.

The access path from the Codicote road is now clear once again and provides easy access to the track and the Nature Reserve.

Work Party No 2 – Fernery Garden

More work was carried out on the North Bank introducing more logs and old branches to retain the slope.

Harry and Alan worked to further cover the terram with a mix of soil and bark chippings.

Sarah led a team planting some 750 many very large Cammassia bulbs – the cold weather stopped them completing the task.

These giant plants will produce a rich blue bloom in the Spring/summer months.

Jenny with help from Sue and Christine continued the task of weeding and managing the wild flower bed at the top of the North Bank.

Filed Under: News, Reports, Work Parties

Report of Working parties – Thursday 17th October 2019

16th November 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

On a beautiful sunny day we had two very busy groups of volunteers out working.

Local Nature Reserve Working Party – adopting The Clock Meadow

This was the first visit by the volunteers to this site in the South East corner of the Fernery Field, by the Old London Road entrance behind Clock House Gardens. The Council’s contractors undertook a preparatory and very basic clearance of scrub earlier in the year, but this area has not been managed since the Borough Council acquired the Danesbury Nature Reserve in 1998.

Chris James from the Borough Council was present to introduce the volunteers to the site, which she named The Clock Meadow.

This was the start of what will be many visits. Along the way it will be decided to what degree we might be able to encourage the rich diversity of wildlife already in evidence.

A small band of volunteers led by Andrew Beattie started the task of selective clearance of scrub and elder, and lopping branches from trees in need of management.

A Public Footpath crosses this site, leading to the cattle fence and kissing gate entrance to the Fernery Field proper. It is a very well used path, and a section of regular walkers, and local dog walkers will for the first time enjoy new vistas as they open up.

The Fernery Gardening Group

Work continued led by Harry Ward, planting plants and shrubs in the Parsons Bed and above the grotto before the Autumn sets in.

Filed Under: News, Reports, Work Parties

Report of Work Parties – Thursday 19th September 2019 and subsequent days.

22nd September 2019 By John Roper 2 Comments

Two work parties met up at the Fernery to receive instructions from the leaders and to collect tools.

Working Party on the Local Nature Reserve – Habitat Management

Andrew Beattie led a small team which continued previous months’ work in the Ancient Track on the Park Field. Much of the work was to clear scrub on the banks, exposing the natural ferns, bluebells and primroses which were becoming smothered.

It is hoped that now that the Autumn and Winter months are facing us, work for the volunteers in the Fernery Garden will ease off. With more volunteers working in the Local Nature Reserve we will be able to build an interesting habitat management programme.

We do need more volunteers to work on the Nature Reserve, particularly between now and March/April 2020 when birds start their nesting.

The Fernery Gardening Group

Harry Ward led a team which faced multiple tasks. Maydencroft were on site undertaking the final excavation programme for 2019.

Rabbit Proofing

Harry and Alan completed the task of fixing wire all around the extended wild flower beds on the North Bank in order to keep rabbits out.

Excavation

The Maydencroft team had three primary tasks to carry out over two days:

  1. To dig-out the zigzag bed at the North end of the Dell in order to discover if it was an original ‘Anthony Parsons’ bed, with solid base and drainage holes. This would enable the volunteers to test the soils for ancient fern spores, and then re-build it as a swampy bed over a waterproof membrane.
  2. To drill out the three very heavy, but rotten, Oak Logs (felled in recent weeks from outside Waitrose in Welwyn Garden City), and position them on the East Bank ready for use as natural planters.
  3. To excavate the South grassy bank to see if more planting beds, steps or paths are buried under the spoil.

Digging out Anthony Parsons’ zigzag bed

This bed was cleared and we could see the Cement base with drainage holes, in perfect order, just as Anthony Parsons first built it 160 years ago.

To our amazement, the zigzag planting bed precisely matches the description of its construction in Robinson’s Book of 1870. Solid Portland Cement bases presumed to be covering layers of brick and tiles, and with 3″ drain pipes. The side pipes and their bases are about 4″ higher than the main base and drains, so clearly designed to drain to the bottom. But it is not at all clear where the lowest pipe would have drained to, because it is currently below ground level.

Colin took samples of the soils from these beds so that he can start tests for ancient fern spores. The beds were then re-filled with soils over a membrane designed to retain water and encourage wet-loving ferns. But 21 days later on 10th October 2019 it was decided that the smaller ‘arrow bed’ should be left exposed as having architectural and historical interest for visitors.

Therefore, after heavy rains, Harry once again dug out the, by now, saturated and heavy soils (the membrane clearly beginning to work), before fixing temporary safety ribbons.

We look forward to a Report in due course from Colin on his fern spore discoveries, and a Progress Report as he tries to cultivate the ferns which were originally planted in these beds.

Oak Log Planters

We are fortunate to have been offered logs from the ancient Oak recently felled from Hunters Bridge near Waitrose in Welwyn Garden City.

Subsequently Colin and Harry manoeuvred the stumps into their final positions in the shade on the East Bank and, after lining the two hollow logs, they filled them with soil mixed with leaf mould, ready for planting with ferns. The third log will be drilled out ready for planting later.

Excavating the South Bank

Unfortunately time ran out before the work was completed.

The brick edged path that led in a curve into the slope did not, as we had expected, run up the slope and end in steps, but mysteriously turned right towards the base of the dropping well, implying a circular platform in front of the grotto. But this needs further testing – and tons of soil would need to be removed.

A wall runs in a large curve left to right half way up the slope, and it became apparent that this wall would have joined the wall in the May Bed, just about where we have introduced one of the new wooden steps.

And just above that wall is another retaining wall which initially looked to be protecting a path running above the planting bed – but this ‘path’ suddenly narrowed and fizzled out into an irregularly shaped ‘bed’. Many large roots were removed during this process and it is likely that whatever path or bed is underneath, the soil will have been dislodged over the years by the Lime Tree.

This excavation has left us with more questions that when we started, and more study of the South Bank is now needed.

Filed Under: News, Work Parties

Report of the BPS Visit – Saturday 20th July 2019

13th August 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

The Danesbury volunteers welcomed our visitors from the East Anglia Group of the British Pteridological (Fern) Society led by Peter Blake.

As reported on 2nd July 2019 this was a return of the Autumn 2018 visit to Norwich which was hosted by Peter Blake and his colleagues.

A group of 12 members enjoyed being shown around the Danesbury Fernery. Peter Blake and Nick Lodge had seen the Fernery on 15th March 2018 and were very impressed with progress since then. As our BPS lead member responsible for the visit, Andrew welcomed the visitors to the site: Colin presented our ferns, Sarah presented the herbaceous beds, and Jenny presented the North Wild Flower Bank.

We were glad to receive many helpful comments and words of advice from the BPS members as they moved around the Fernery.

The Friends of the Danesbury Fernery (FODF) are benefiting in many ways from our association with the BPS East Anglian Regional Group who are very generous in their advice, their offering of plants, and personal donations.

After the visit we all enjoyed the splendid hospitality of lunch at Sarah’s house organised with the help of Hilary and Harry Ward and Anne and Andrew Beattie and others.

Filed Under: News, Reports, Visits

Report of Work Party – Thursday 18th July 2019

13th August 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Nature Reserve Maintenance Group

A small group of 4x volunteers led jointly by Lucy Alexander and Richard Darby with Nina, continued clearing the ancient track, this time at the top (East) end, with Chris James in attendance. Because the strimmer was in use at the Fernery, Richard put our scythe to good use for the first time for very many months/years, and very effective it was too, as the following photos show.

  • Photo by Andrew Beattie 18.7.19
  • Photo by Andrew Beattie 18.7.19

Fernery Gardening Group

Andrew led this work party and the following Report is gleaned from his Safety Report to the Borough Council.

Largely in preparation for the visit of the Anglia Group of the British Pteridological (Fern) Society which took place two days later on Saturday 20th July 2019, 10 volunteers worked in the Fernery mulching, weeding, strimming, planting. Colin put in extra time planting and labelling new ferns. Extra tidying up included the task of cleaning chalk graffiti from the grotto (thanks to Ann Hayden) and removing rubbish in the Dropping Well.

The site was brought up to an immaculate state as shown in the photos taken in the Report of the 20th July 2019 Fern Society visit.

Filed Under: News, Reports, Work Parties

Anglia in Bloom – Judging

25th July 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

9th July 2019 RHS Judges with Ann MacDonald WHBC and volunteer Harry Ward

The RHS judges visited the Fernery 12 months after their 2018 visit which resulted in the Friends of Danesbury Fernery winning the 2018 Anglia in Bloom Conservation Award.

Filed Under: Garden News, News, Visits

Report of Working Party and Open Day – Thursday 20th June 2019

22nd June 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

The team worked very hard to prepare the site for the Welwyn Festival Open Garden Evening on Thursday 20th June 2019.

Extra scheduled working parties had been operating on Thursdays for many weeks, together with many other ad hoc meetings to complete the planting, particularly of Jenny’s Wild Flowers on the Northern Bank.

Organised by Andrew, the Sherrardspark Wood Wardens donated two fine oak logs which were installed as benches with Alan and Harry’s help.

They have been fixed facing each other on the Northern Bank and Southern Banks, and they provide magnificent views across the dell. They are already very popular and in regular use.

The following photos were take at the Scheduled Working Party on the morning of Thursday 20th June when 23 volunteers turned out to help with final preparations.

  • Working on the ‘Money Bed’ – near the newly installed South Bank bench
  • Finishing off the beds with timber edging.
  • New steps have been built into the slope above the Top Path
  • The Grotto was tidied up ready for the visitors
  • Andrew cleaned the edges with the strimmer.
  • The volunteers take an Elevensies break.
  • The Grotto Sump exposed for visitors.
  • The mechanics of the Water system being exposed for visitors.
  • The Dell looking ship-shape
  • Jenny identifies the wild flowers
  • Wild Flowers on the Northern Bank
  • Jenny and her flowers on the North Bank
  • Opening time – nearly 200 visitors enjoyed the visit.
  • A snap-shot of visitors
  • The transformation is almost complete.

Filed Under: News, Work Parties

Report of Working Party – Thursday 16th May 2019

19th May 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Tasks

We had a very good turnout of 13 volunteers all of whom worked in the Fernery. on a dry and bright day. Fewer record photos than usual were taken because we were so busy!

Weeding and planting

Jenny brought more wild flower plugs to plant in the Northern Chalk Slopes and in the Southern perimeter, with Sue and Sara’s help.

The team continued the work of weeding the fern beds, which are beginning to show nicely, Colin had more ferns to plant in the Parsons Bed. More mulch is needed to help suppress weeds and maintain dampness.

Nettles Clearing

Andrew cleared some more nettles on the North East Bank in preparation for later fern planting. But the denseness of the root systems is causing a problem, and it is possible that we might have to resort to weed killers once we have reduced the tops to encourage fresh growth.

Watering

Nina worked non-stop filling watering cans and watering all the recently planted specimen trees.

John hosed most of the planting beds.

Geo-Phys studies

Cathy Walker was on site and started detecting fragments of lead and iron in the areas above the grotto.

Excavations

Arrangements have been made with the WHBC for Maydencroft to be on site next month – probably in the week of the 3rd June 2019.

We are meeting with the Borough Council on site on Monday 20th May to finalise times and dates, and agree the task list.

It is anticipated that we will ask Maydencroft to restrict their work to the South side of the Dell as follows:

  • uncover and level what are believed to be 2x planting beds on the Southern Slopes
  • uncover the Drainage Sump in front of the Grotto once again, and secure it for ease of future access
  • fit a safety grill to the face of the cistern, and clean out the cistern itself
  • test the tap near the basin
  • prepare a channel to allow us to bury a hose extension to the Full Stop

Communications – WhatsApp Fernery Gardening Group

Linking messages to the website was tested last month and worked well. We will continue with links so that we can contain the number of emails.

But we still need to encourage more active volunteers to register with the WhatsApp Fernery Gardening Group. Active volunteers who have mobile phones and would like to join this group should send a mobile message to John and he will add you to the Group.

2019 Danesbury Leaflet

A new draft is in preparation and will go to the printers in the week commencing 20th May 2019. We will print 500 copies and have them ready for the Open Evening, when all visitors will be given a copy..

Ad Hoc Gardening Groups – Safety Issues

A second reminder is not out of place – please all note carefully.

We should be mindful of an informal, and practical, rule agreed with WHBC that if work in the Fernery is restricted just to gardening, then it is not necessary for a First Aid qualified member to be present, provided that a minimum of two members are present at all times, for safety and security reasons.

We should also always be aware of the need for assessing the risks before work commences.

We have to be especially mindful that the overhanging trees present a potential hazard in high winds, and we should also not underestimate the hazards of dragging the hose reel extension around the slopes when watering. It is for this last reason that we are going to rig-up a permanently buried hose extension from the grotto area to the Jig-saw bed so that we do not have to physically move the extension reel around, but simply plug the end connectors into the main reel and tools.

Next Working Party Meetings

Thursday 23rd May 2019

Thursday 30th May 2019

Thursday 6th June 2019

Thursday 13th June 2019

Thursday 20th June 2019

Filed Under: News, Reports

Report of Working Parties – Thursday 21st March 2019

27th March 2019 By John Roper Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: News, Work Parties

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Earlier News

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Copyright © 2021 Friends of Danesbury Local Nature Reserve. Non attributed Photography by John Roper.