Hello Conservation Volunteers
The task this time for our volunteers along with a team from the Parks dept. was to create a perennial wildflower bed on the old tennis courts in Bingham Park near the newly planted fruit trees.
As we arrived Darron and Luke from Parks had just started to mark out the boundary of the area with the mechanical turf cutter before proceeding to cut the turf into strips across it.
With the volunteers splitting themselves up into "turfers", "barrowers" and "dumpers" the FoPV volunteers were ready to start with the labouring.
The turfers were let loose with spades and forks to cut and roll up the turf strips into manageable lots and load into the wheelbarrows.
The barrowers wheeled the wheelbarrows over to the bank edge where the turf was dropped off.
The dumpers were then responsible for disposing of the turf down the bank side where it will compost down.
Once the turf had all been removed the area was checked over and it was evident a lot of twitch/couch grass was still present along with docks. Where possible some was dug out, but it was not feasible to remove it all.
The next step was for the Parks team to use the mechanical rotavator to go over the whole area breaking up the compacted soil and any grass and plant debris was removed.
Next, onto the easier task of sowing the wildflower seeds. Andy from Parks had obtained 3 mixes of native wildflower seeds of perennials, biennials and annuals, also including a cornflower mix which will produce flowers during this first summer whilst the others become established during the second season. There is some yellow rattle included in the mix which should help a little to reduce the grass growth.
Here are the links to the seeds sown:-
The final step was a careful light raking of the claggy soil, trying not to walk on it too much. Hopefully, in the summer we should have some colourful flowers to which bees, butterflies and other insects should be attracted.
So, with it all completed it was a final task of loading all the tools back onto the council van and go home just before it rained heavy!
The plan is to create another native wildflower bed nearby in Autumn this year or Spring next year depending upon how this area grows.
A big thank you to everybody who turned up to help with all the labouring and the Parks dept. for their assistance in creating this first bed.
The next work morning is on Tuesday 25th March.
Lyndon
A Selection of photos from the work morning
Darron and Luke starting to cut the outline in the turf
Cutting, removing and disposing of the turf over the bank edge
Barrowers queuing up to unload the turf
Martin dropping off a barrow load for John to throw down the bank
Jane trying out a new sport of turf lobbing making a new world record!
Turf almost all off and rotavating underway
Typical! 15 people watching Luke working!
"We plough the field and scatter......."! Tom, Luke, Jane, Gill and Darron
Raking the seed in
The completed bed
Meet the team!
