Further working party:
PPAA Committee are very grateful for the valuable help given by the last working party.
Given the scale of the task it was always going to be that further work would be needed however, and so volunteers are invited to meet again for this on Saturday, 25th April, at 10:30.
As before the meeting place will be by the PPA communal poly tunnel by the southeast gate.
The invitation’s to all on site again, not just those who’ve previously volunteered. Would those interested please contact PPAA Committee (whether they’ve done this before or not).
Sincere thanks,
Mike Powell, Sue Pasek, PPAA Committee
TLC needed around the site:
The planting of pollinator-supporting, flowering shrubs at various points around the site last season was successful, with a considerable number having found suitable homes. PPAA Committee are very grateful to those who volunteered to help with the planting.
Unfortunately, however, many of these are now in danger of being completely smothered by weeds, and a few have already been lost to this.
What is needed, then, is for volunteers to weed around the shrubs, and then, ideally, to apply a good layer of manure as a weed-suppressant mulch and also to fertilise the shrubs. A layer ten to fifteen centimetres thick should avert the need to keep re-weeding the plantings.
Everyone on site is invited to have a look and to see what they might do in this regard, not just those who kindly helped with the plantings. There’s no need to inform anyone if they should fancy a bit of pottering on this. (Committee members are otherwise heavily subscribed at the moment.)
(It’s apparent that a fair few PPA plot holders consider themselves to be ecologically-engaged and concerned people, so this is also a golden opportunity for them to invest something of themselves in improving things in that way on PPA!)
PPA Website Team
Incidentally, we’re delighted to report that our cameras have captured hedgehogs on site.
Could everyone please make sure that there aren’t any heaps of loose netting lying about their plots, which are death traps for these very welcome visitors, and also regularly check any fixed netting for possible trapping.
May their numbers be many!
Admin
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So if I understood we need to find the ‘pollinator-supporting flowering shrubs’ and then tidy and manure about them. I’ll show my ignorance here but will these be obvious when site, as I can’t work these out from picture…
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Hi Anon,
Thanks for your comment.
If you read the captions to the pictures, then I think that the locations are made reasonably clear?
Whatever, there are plantings: to the south of the southeast gate in the verge; to the south of the abandoned cubicles by plot seventeen; by the listed wall on Road Three, by the abandoned RCG toilet near plot 90, and on the bank by the wood chip pen in the Western Avenue end car park. Those locations may be found on this plan.
There’s no obligation on anyone to do anything in this regard, but all efforts will be sincerely appreciated.
Admin
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I know the locations. I just don’t know which plants you’re talking about. I assume when I’m on site the shrubs to tend to will be obvious.
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Ah, got you.
There are two kinds of fuchsia, native and burgundy elder, and St. John’s wort, hypericum. They’re quite small as yet, about 30-60cm high, typically, and the fuchsias haven’t really awoken.
Some weeds e.g. forget-me-not, cranesbill etc. aren’t a problem, but the stickyweed is a choking menace, and there are others too.
There are abelias being grown on too for planting out when they’re big enough. These flower profusely from June to November and are a real bee magnet. We also have some honeysuckle to add to the hedge.
(A nearby plot holder has kindly offered to “adopt” the planting near the southernmost cubicles, which will be great, incidentally.)
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We will be there on the 25th at 10.30
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