September…

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The weather has finally started to turn chilly. A good way to keep warm is to get out into the garden and do some much needed weeding, of course, which is what we’ll soon be doing down at the Quay. We spotted several yellow fruits on the quince tree back in August, but a fleeting visit the other day revealed a lot more than we’d first thought – all looking rather fulsome and splendid!

As previously reported in August the crab apple tree is covered with fruit, so we should have some lovely colour in the Quay garden going into Autumn.

Oh, those summer nights…

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It has been over a year since we last posted any updates, but we have certainly not been resting on our laurels. The lack of rain in the last few months has proved a real challenge in keeping the Kingfisher and Quay beds looking their best, but many of the plants have struggled on, and are surviving. We are having a bit of a think about putting in more Mediterranean plants that will cope better with less rain, and more heat.

The Quay crab apple is heavily laden with fruit, and the quince tree has rewarded us with several fruits, which (if they survive) we hope to try to turn into quince jelly at some point.

We hope to dig out and re-plant one of the Kingfisher beds which is now dominated by the rosemary bushes we planted. This will happen later in the year when we will hopefully have more rainfall to allow new plants to establish.

Meanwhile, stay cool!

A random tidy…

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We popped down to the Kingfisher last Thursday – the one day that didn’t have rain forecast – just to do a little tidy up. We spent an hour or so doing a bit of weeding, some cutting back, and giving the Erigeron/Fleabane a trim. Good to see that the bees are still enjoying what is, after all, intended to be a nectar bar. The hot oranges, deep reds and rich purples look jewel-like in the sunshine, all set off by the sparkle of the Erigeron around the edges.

Our next tidy will be at the Quay Theatre site, as soon as we can gain access. The other bed at the Kingfisher will get a revamp in Spring of next year, but meanwhile the rosemary is doing well there, and will provide somewhere for the bees and butterflies to stop, once its flowers emerge.

June is bustin’ out all over…!

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Hello! It’s been a while – how have you been? Using all this lockdown time to work on your garden? The combination of torrential downpours and a lot of sunshine have made gardening interesting, to say the least.

Yesterday a couple of us met up (in a responsible, socially-distanced way, of course) to tackle the nectar bed at the Kingfisher. It had been looking very promising at the beginning of May…

Unfortunately, it then took a bit of a beating whilst work was going on at the Kingfisher – used as a resting place for a ladder and blocked off by fencing, with no access for us.

At last, yesterday, we finally managed to get to work – we removed the damaged plants, and trimmed back the fleabane around the edges.

We put in many new plants (donated by Sudbury in Bloom) to fill the gaps, and gave the soil a much needed drink – it’s all looking a lot healthier. As well as the red and purple of the salvias and verbena bonariensis, etc, there are sunny marigolds around the edges, and soon there will be pops of pale pink and white against the green. Next time you visit the gym or pool, do swing by to see how it looks!

April, and beyond…

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As you will have probably realised, we will not be doing a Friday Tidy this month.

Green spaces are so important to us all, and now possibly more than ever before – so if you are lucky enough to have a garden, hopefully you can get out there to get some fresh air and exercise. If not, perhaps you can have your daily exercise in a bit of green space close to home. Trees are blossoming, birds are building nests, the primroses are out and frogs are spawning – life goes on!

I saw these lovely windows in town the other day and thought I’d share them. Everyone is so grateful to every key worker who continues to work in difficult circumstances – thank you.

Stay safe, everyone.