In March Richard Cripps, a Wiltshire based experienced professional horticulturalist visited our orchards and gave advice on the winter pruning of our pip fruit trees; apples, pears and quince. Last week Richard returned to advise us on how to prune our stone fruit trees; cherries and plums. As with his previous visit Richard talked about… Continue reading Summer Pruning
Category: The Close
Information Boards
Sadly our information boards did not fare well over the winter with the Community Orchard board showing signs of weathering. Whilst the one in The Close fell apart. However, one of our volunteers, Kevin Emery, stepped forward to offer help. Kevin diligently refurbished both boards and they are now back in place as good as… Continue reading Information Boards
Winter Pruning
An important element of managing the fruit trees in The Close and Community Orchard is pruning to keep the trees healthy, encourage strong growth and improve the fruit harvest. Although our trees are newly planted they still need some pruning and we were pleased to secure funding from the Coronation Living Heritage Orchard fund to… Continue reading Winter Pruning
Winter in The Close
Work continues to enhance the biodiversity in The Close. Most of the area was scythed in September, the clumps of Knapweed were left because it is ideal habitat for small mammals and insects whilst also providing seeds for birds. The leaves have been cleared and conkers collected. In recent weeks the grass has been cut… Continue reading Winter in The Close
Scything in The Close
This week there has been activity in The Close with two volunteers trained in scything cutting the long grass. Despite the showery weather Sarah and Ian persevered with the task. The area cut will be left for a while to allow seeds to drop and will then be cleared. Areas of Knapweed have been left… Continue reading Scything in The Close
Small Copper in The Close
A Small Copper was spotted in The Close today by Carole Smith. With its wings closed it is a dull brown but once open they spectacular. It feeds of Common Sorrell which is growing amongst the grasses. We are grateful for all the surveys Carole undertakes for the charity. If you have an interest in… Continue reading Small Copper in The Close
Insects in The Close
On Saturday 8th June 2025 Hannah Sankey conducted a survey of insects in The Close. Hannah spotted the following; Asian Ladybird larvae; Common Marble moth; Fourteen-spotted Ladybird larvae; Common nettle-tap moth; Three spotted nettle bug; Cricket-bat orbweaver spider, hoverflies, shield bug nymph and aphids. We are very grateful to Hannah for conducting the survey and… Continue reading Insects in The Close
No Mow May
No Mow May is a campaign started by the wild plant conservation charity Plantlife to encourage people to refrain from mowing their lawns during the month of May to allow wildflowers to bloom and support pollinators like bees and butterflies. It’s a simple way to increase biodiversity and contribute to a more sustainable ecosystem. Even… Continue reading No Mow May
Orchard Trees & Hedgerow Planted
March was a very busy month for Pitton Nature Trust (PNT), with significant activities in The Close and the Community Orchard & Nature Reserve. In the autumn a range of native bulbs were planted in The Close and it is rewarding to see that some of the snowdrops and crocuses have emerged. Our next… Continue reading Orchard Trees & Hedgerow Planted
Orchard Trees in The Close
A wonderful tree planting event took place on 12th March. Part of the grant funding from the Coronation Living Heritage Orchard fund, which celebrates the coronation of King Charles III, enabled us to purchase five trees to create a small orchard in The Close. The saying is that you plant trees for future generations, so… Continue reading Orchard Trees in The Close