Friday 31 October 2014

Two vols, one barrow + mulch: 31st Oct 2014

Mike and Alona came prepared for today's session, each bringing a spade and a fork. Our lightweight wheelbarrow came too, and journeyed to and fro from the hard-standing area near the orchard where our remaining mulch pile is located.

Although the last day of October, it was warm and sunny,  both volunteers working in short sleeves. Plants are still in flower in the plant bed and ripening raspberries were still on the canes prior to work starting.
Berries on a flowering shrub

 
primroses  beside the blueberry bushes











toadstools on rotting logs
The park was buzzing with families and some toddlers came to watch the two workers. A small frog hopped away, avoiding a spade blade stabbing into the ground and a robin fluttered into the forest of canes in search of a tasty treat.
First some serious weeding was carried out round the blackberry bushes, the plum tree and the apple tree by our volunteers. Mike took the barrow and made numerous trips to collect mulch while Alona pruned the raspberries. A young child came along, hoping to pick some of his favourite fruit but, alas, the canes had been cut down. Some were cut to ground level and some were pruned to around 50 cm high.
After two hours, it was time to stop. The volunteers had put in 4 hours between them, making a significant difference to the site.
There is plenty more to do in the fruit bed.  November could be a busy gardening month for the Friends of Mayow Park with hedgerow planting and orchard maintenance in addition to work at the two Triangle beds.
                                                             
weeds removed







blackberry bush overwhelmed by 'weeds'


mulching one blackberry bush


raspberry canes before mulch

mulch cover on the beds


    





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