Weeding & Planting 21st May, 2-4 pm – Wildlife Pond (Next to Big Pond)

Last session we made good progress on the raised bed overlooking the wildlife pond, where we’ll return to it on Sunday 21st May 2023 between 2 and 4 p.m.

Our plan is to weed it and plant it up with cottage-garden style perennials, annuals and bulbs that are appropriate to the site. And, importantly, are ‘pollinator-friendly’. The bulbs will help give some winter colour.

Some of the plants we hope to add to the bed are creeping jenny; sweet woodruff; hardy geraniums; bugle; alchemilla, lysimachia, tellima and pulmonaria. The first three are not only attractive looking plants, but also fast-growing ground cover – one of the best ways to deal with weeds! 

Talking of weeds, there is a large patch of ground elder on the bed which may take sometime to clear. Like most pernicious weeds ground elder can regenerate from even tiny pieces of root left in the soil. If it proves very stubborn we can cover it over with something like old carpet, which might have to be left in place for a year. But, better than using weedkiller.

The funny-looking brown and white stuff on part of the bed is spent mushroom substrate – mushroom compost in other words. We will be adding more, and some good old farmyard muck too, this will help enrich the soil.

All you need are solid shoes and gardening gloves. If you’d like to join us contact us here.