There is a lot going on in the Community Orchard. It may look like a weedy mess but it is slowly being transformed. The starting point was a monoculture of agricultural rye grass which was effectively an ecological desert. Now we have at least 47 species of flowering plant, which will support a huge array… Continue reading Community Orchard Grassland Survey – August 2026
Category: Plants
Community Orchard Grassland Survey – July 2026
In the autumn of 2025 with the help of a team of volunteers the Community Orchard and Nature Reserve was reseeded with native wildflower seed harvested from the RSPB reserve at Winterbourne Down. We have waited patiently to see what would emerge on the site and are very grateful to three volunteers, Catherine Sankey, Sarah… Continue reading Community Orchard Grassland Survey – July 2026
Emerging Results of Reseeding
Last October we reseeded the Community Orchard & Nature Reserve with a wildflower mix harvested from the RSPB reserve at Winterbourne Down. After the ground was prepared by tractor a team of volunteers formed a row and moved across the area casting the seed by hand. We had no idea what might emerge and it… Continue reading Emerging Results of Reseeding
Wildflowers in The Close
During 2024 local resident Carole Smith has been conducting regular surveys of the wildflowers in The Close. Here are some of her pictures and details of what she has seen. Knapp Weed Common knapweed, also known as ‘black knapweed’, is a thistle-like plant. It flowers from June to September and is a huge favourite of… Continue reading Wildflowers in The Close
Grasses in The Close
During 2024 local resident Carole Smith has been conducting regular surveys of the grasses in The Close. Here are some of her pictures and details of what she has seen. False Oat Grass False Oat-grass (also known as Tall Oat-grass) is a tall, erect, loosely tufted, perennial grass with wide flat leaves. Its flowering stems… Continue reading Grasses in The Close
Wildflowers
On a recent visit to the site we were encouraged to spot a number of wildflowers including Cowslips and Common dog violets. As part of establishing a baseline of the site we will undertake regular surveys to see what other flowers appear. If you have skills in identifying wildflowers and would like to help survey… Continue reading Wildflowers