Planting Duchess Green
Planting Bulbs
At the beginning of November 2024, we started to plant Duchess Green. The first planting day concentrated on bulbs. We have about 2000 daffodil bulbs donated by local people in addition to 586 local daffodil varieties supplied by Scamps, 100 fritillaries and 90 camassias.
On 3 November, 19 volunteers planted over half these bulbs. Weather was kind but despite recent rain, the ground was still hard for bulb planters and led to a few blisters.
Luckily there was tea/coffee, cake and biscuits to sustain us and the new picnic benches arrived just in time.
Sowing Seed
Mud from the pond has been used to construct additional hedges to increase biodiversity and provide an interesting landscape for people. The mud has been sown with a five year ley to stabilise the soil.
Planting 750 little saplings
On 17 November, about 40 people (volunteers and 5 children from Landulph School with their parents) planted a Miyawaki forest and 80 metres of hedging. First we had to learn how to plant the little saplings and protect them from rabbits.
Gaps in the field hedges were replanted
Miyawaki Forest
The Miyawaki forest was planted using designs from each child at Landulph School; this involved some detailed planning to make sure the right trees were planted in each 1 metre square.
The Miyawaki forest is planted.Here are four of the children standing in the square that they designed.The long new hedge which will provide a greenway for the path alongside the east side of the Duchess Green.
Planting in Storm Darragh
Despite storm force winds and no power in Cargreen, the planting day on 6 December went ahead in Duchess Green which was sheltered from the winds. Ten volunteers planted bulbs (fritillaries, bluebells and more daffodils) along the sides of the long hedge.
Sowing Wildflower Seed
Wildflower seed collected in Cornwall and donated to Landulph Orchard Green by the National Trust was sown and trodden in around the upper picnic area. Now we hope for some frost to help the seeds germinate.
Making a Dead Hedge
Finally we constructed a dead hedge from the branches that had been cleared by volunteers on previous visits. The dead hedge will be a haven for wild life and can easily be added to.