The London Plane tree clad with ivy on Arnold circus is about to lose its seasonal visitors of blackbirds, Wrens, Robins, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Greenfinches and Chaffinches together with spiders and insects like butterflies, moths and bees. This mature tree and attached ivy has provided spring nesting places, a natural food source for creatures throughout the year, winter hibernation for bees, moths and butterflies and winter roosting and shelter for small birds. The Friends would prefer that the ivy could be cut back from the branches using a cherry picker and be regularly maintained to prevent it from becoming top heavy. With the renovation works about to start the tree will lose the ivy in the new plans for the garden. read more…
Thousands of spring bulbs have been planted over the past years. In a few weeks’ time, the renovation process is going to start and the ground will be ploughed up for future planting. So we are trying to retrieve as many as possible and find new homes for them – permanent or temporary – in the meantime.
Children at Virginia School have been resonsible for planting them over the years. Last week children from Year 3 came up onto the Circus to help lift them and store them.
They dug and discovered hidden bulbs, and found out – from Andy – how to tell a daffodil bulb from a crocus or a bluebell.
They transferred them to a series of tubs that will find their way into planters at different points on the Boundary Estate.
Rineys, the Council’s contractors who will be carrying out the works on Arnold Circus, will be taking some soil samples in the gardens on Monday 9th November. They will be digging two small holes to a maximum depth of 70cm in two places – one on the top tier near the perimeter railings and one in one of the lower planting beds – to confirm the soil satisfies the Council’s health and safety requirements. The holes will be covered up immediately afterwards.
LDA Design have developed detailed planting proposals based on discussions with local gardeners. Please write any comments about the plans below on the blog, or email to finnwilliams@hotmail.com. All comments will be relayed to the designers on Wednesday 18th November.
Click on the image for a higher quality version
Planting Plan
Please click on the link to view a PDF copy of the minutes for the October Trustees meeting.
