This took place on a very warm evening in July! We have been tracking the wild flowers and grasses throughout the Spring and these were added to the final total. There were a similar number of species compared to the 57 species we identified last year. A complete list will be posted when available.
Many thanks to Sonny, Viv, Terry and Eleanor for conduction the survey.
One of the aims of the Orchard is to create a habitat which encourages a diverse wildlife. On Friday evening of 10th July, Terry, a retired environmentalist and life long naturalist set up a moth trap. The following morning we had over 30 adults and children attending the trap opening. It was amazing to see the huge variety of moths caught in the trap. They were carefully removed and placed into specimen pots for everyone to see the vivid colours and markings on the moths’ wings. The moths were then released into the orchard to continue adding to the variety of wildlife who make their homes in the Orchard.
Many thanks to Terry for organising the event and to Noel and Viv who helped him identify the moths. We recorded 31 species of moth.
We ran our first ever spoon carving event on Saturday 4th July. It was a lovely sunny day so we were able to hold this event outside. Seven people attended the event and were shown how to carve a greenwood spoon using hand held woodworking tools. Many thanks to Chris and Simon for organising and leading the event. Everyone really enjoyed themselves, learnt some traditional skills and had their own unique spoon to take home!
Orchard members have been tidying the Forest Garden so that we can plant more herbs for ground cover and hopefully discourage weeds from growing. A big thank you to Lynn who kindly grew hundreds of herb plants for us to carpet plant the cleared areas. These will be glorious once they are established and will attract wild life and pollinators.
So far we have planted chamomile, thyme, dill, parsley and carraway with more varieties to come.
We are once again taking part in No Mow May run by the Plantlife Charity. Not mowing your grass is one of the easiest ways of helping the environment. Letting wildflowers grow supports bees, butterflies and pollinators.
This year the pattern mown in the central square shows how many flowers can grow when left unmown. Even just leaving a small unmown patch in your garden can make all the difference.
We now have a new flag to fly in the orchard. Many thanks to Sonny and Lynn for creating our unique flag. The flag pole was created from a birch tree which needed removing from the orchard.
Despite the unseasonal cool weather, the orchard has been bathed in pink and white blossom. If you didn’t get a chance to visit there are still the wild flower meadows to see and wander through.
Why not indulge in some forest bathing as well. Bring a blanket or seat, choose a tree and sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of the trees and birds!
Our Blossom Trail is back again this year. Signs are up around the village directing visitors to the Orchard. Everyone is welcome to walk around the beautiful orchard and enjoy the blossom!
Members of the Orchard switched off their lights and headed up to the Orchard on a cool, windy evening to celebrate Earth Hour. Millions of people around the world celebrate this every year, highlighting the awareness of climate change. Despite the cold, breezy weather, the sky was very clear and we were able to see stars and planets. An orchard member talked to us about what we could observe and we were able to see Jupiter’s moons via a telescope. Afterwards, coffee and biscuits were much welcomed.
Orchard members created a new dead hedge during our recent work morning. Dead hedging makes use of the sticks and branches from tree pruning and provides hiding places and nesting habitats for all sorts of creatures, as well as food for insects. They are quick and easy to make and leave little impact on the environment.
Lanchester Community Orchard 