March Gardening Notes by Louise Buchanan

 

We need volunteers to help us to work on various projects around the village. No knowledge of gardening required- although great if you do have experience . It would be lovely if we had a list of people we could contact directly , as well as making announcements via email and poster.

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All sessions are just for as long as you can manage, led by one of our committee and sometime involve drinks and cake [!]

 

Our latest and biggest project to date is a new garden within the Fernhurst Surgery to bring some light and colour to what had become a very overgrown bramble and grass filled area. Bramdean have been very generous in initial clearing of the bed as well as providing 3 tonnes of top soil . Ongoing areas are The Blackdown Bed opposite Crossways Fruiterers , Planters outside the Village Hall and the rewilding area on the corner of The Leys. In previous years mass planting of daffodils around the village as well as areas planted with crocus and snowdrops -within the school grounds as well as outside the Hub and the grass at the top of Hogs Hill. They all help to make Fernhurst look great as well as benefiting nature.

 

Today is a rare dry day as I write this- who knows what March weather will bring. I am continuing to share my garden with nature. One thing I will be doing more of, is creating mini ponds -just an old washing up bowl sunk into a flower bed can create a new home. Make sure you create a pile of stones inside it ,so that anything that gets in -can also get out. Using an old plant pot just shorter than the maximum water height and filling this with stones from the garden makes a platform that can be built up to above the waterline- but stops your heap from all ending up at the bottom. Wait for rain to fill it up-wont take long- and wait to be amazed. From seemingly nowhere newts arrived in my minipond- if you shine an ordinary torch after dark into the water it is fascinating to see who has moved in. Nearby I also pile up  a small woodpile-just fallen sticks – again a home for many garden creatures.

 

Remember not all slugs are garden pests, enjoy your garden and look forward to meeting you at a volunteer garden session soon.