Reports

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Excavating the South Bank

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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.

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.

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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.

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Fernery Garden Working Party

Led by John and Sarah, 11 volunteers continued the work of planting and weeding.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.