April 2015 - lots of planting and more Green Gym days

Ongoing work to flatten the Meadow.

2nd April

Forget-me-not, Wood Anemone and Primrose planted in the Top Strip.

6th April

(Easter Monday). Wood Cranesbill planted in Top Strip.

7th April

White Violets planted in Top Strip. Ponies collected and taken to Geltsdale. Campion planted on grassy bank in SW corner, Alchemilla and Wild Strawberry planted on Crag. Bendy Larch in NE Strip felled; stile built at western end of Top Strip.

8th April

Purple Violets planted in top strip; Larch felled in NE plantation. Pied wagtails on top grazing.

10th April

Green Gym: Pat freed more trees in Pit Wood; Tim planted Teazel and Honesty on spoil heaps west of Meadow; Sally planted Leopard's Bane, Monkshood and Dame's Violet in Pit Wood near the spring; John made a stile into the Pit Wood; Clare did more Meadow flattening!

11th April

Green Gym: Mel and John felled the second bendy Larch in the NE plantation; Sally planted Bladder Campion, Solidago and Yellow Loosestrife on spoil heaps in the Top Strip; Clare and Sally started the Ramsons Ramble at the far end of the Top Strip path; Clare continued to hone her mattock management skills on the Meadow. Mel and John planted one Rowan and one Birch from Sally. Stoat hunting at east end of the Crag base.

13th April

John rotovated the eastern quarter of the Wildflower Meadow and 2 paths from the gate to the stiles in the north fence. More work on these paths and banking up the edges of the wet areas in the Meadow. More mattocking.

Seed mix (Sweet Cicely, Garlic Mustard, Wild Carrot, Wild Parsnip and Weld) scattered in Scrub, on Top Grazing and along eastern edge of Meadow.

17th April

We decided to distribute the plug plants around the Meadow by delineating several circles laid out with string and apportioning the plants between them.; Foxglove and Hedge Woundwort planted under Hawthorn stands on Meadow; Wood Sorrel planted in Top Strip and more Geranium Sylvaticum. Brash on paths.

18th April

More path brash in Meadow; 3 circles planted, one by entrance; Plantains to ward off serpents and serpent-like thoughts planted in quincunx and triangle either site of gate; tray of Sweet Cicely seedlings planted on north edge of Scrub; discovered bank of Cowslips on spoil heap west of Meadow.

19th April

Trip to Egglestone Hall Gardens to buy 3 Spindle Trees, 1 Wild Cherry, 1 Damson and 1 Rowan.

20th April

1 more circle planted; Wild Cherry, Damson, Rowan planted. (NB we were to discover later that planting specimen trees on a meadow is Not a Good Thing, so we had to move them!)

22nd April

Bird box survey.

23rd April

Eastern quarter of Meadow seeded.

24th April

2 more circles and 3 Spindle Trees planted.

25th April

Spoilheap planting.

27th and 28th April

Digger for roadway from lower entrance and ponds on Meadow.

29th April

Bonfire prep.