Notice of Work Party Thursday 16th November 2017

Start Time and Place

We meet at the Fernery at the top end of North Ride, Welwyn, AL6 9RD  starting at 10 a.m.

Please note that team leaders and tools will be on site from 9 a.m for those who prefer to start earlier. Work continues until lunchtime and volunteers should wear strong boots, gardening gloves and bring a hot drink for refreshment. Tools will be provided.

Tasks for Thursday 16th November 2017

Garden Maintenance 

Strimming and leaf blowing: The site looks quite tidy at the moment and it is uncertain that we will need to do any strimming this month. But leaves have dropped since the last work party in October and we must blow them up and stack them in the composting bays. We will have a wheelbarrow to help us.

If we do want to strim, then Andrew and I have to re-string the strimmers in a hurry because they are both strung up (?)

Weeding. Depending on available resources, we must continue to pull the weeds in the planting beds.

Planting Beds. It has been decided to try to locate the special beds that Anthony Parsons developed to bring on his quality ferns.

We might therefore carefully drive steel rods down first and then undertake some test digging of the planting beds near the entrance to see if we can find evidence of his brick and slate-lined base.

Excavation – depending on resources available

• Continue exploring the direction of the top steps started in August.

• Continue excavation of the rock work foundations to link the top path with others, and then try to excavate the path itself.

Fencing

If Stephen is is with the team then we will lift and re-site the panels that he uncovered in September.

Other Issues

Water mains standpipe cabinet

We need to check that all the supplied keys work properly, as there is evidence that some do not.

Since the last work party, Andrew has fitted some hooks to hang hand tools off the ground and thereby maximise the space available for hand-tool storage.

Entrance Poles

The Committee have yet to agree with the WHBC the priority and timescale for the next stage. Research is needed to try to establish what the entrance might have looked like before making major decisions.

But as a short-term expedient, it is likely that plans will be made to dress the poles with timber and it has been suggested that suitable timber might be found on a dead tree on the lower side of the Fernery Field.

Small Hand Tools Needed.

We will  need to buy some small hand tools, e.g. trowels and hand forks, as we have been over-reliant on Andrew’s private collection.

So, please have a look in your sheds and greenhouses, to see if you have spare tools that you could donate to the FOD.

Future Meeting Dates

Apart from appearing under the Calendar Tab on this website, all meetings are now published in the Welwyn Magazine, conveniently in the Dates for Your Diary column on the back page.

Our inaugural meeting of the Saturday Fernery Garden Friends on November 4th was unfortunately rained off. We will now see what the response will be to the next meeting on Saturday 2nd December. You are reminded that in order to get this project underway, it will be necessary in the first instance for volunteers to stand by to act as leaders.

Social Media – progress

Did you enjoy the Halloween theme on our Facebook page @danesbury fernery ?

Have you been following the very positive Twitters emanating from CEO Rob Bridge?

Have you seen the good Press coverage that we have been receiving?

Have seen the piece about the Friends of the Fernery in WH Life dropped through our letter boxes earlier this week?

The High Sheriff of Hertfordshire (who Andrew and I were introduced to recently – as your representatives) wants to visit us personally, and soon  – but his secretary has not given us a date yet. Perhaps he might come on the 14th December and enjoy Mulled Wine with us? As it happens, the Borough Council have urged us to nominate ourselves for the High Sheriff’s Awards for 2017/2018 (in the Volunteering category) which, sparing our blushes, we have of course agreed to do.