St Andrew's Churchyard - Seasonal gardening tasks

 

Summer Gardening Plan 2024

 

Most graves and paths vanish under lush growth which can reach shoulder height in sunnier spots. Perennials such as solidago, hemp agrimony, rosebay willowherb, ground elder and burdock take over. We work with a light touch to avoid damage to flowering plants and because we cannot get near most graves. Beware tripping on hidden gravestones, stems of bramble, ivy and bindweed. 

 

Location

  • Bird Cage Walk: Bristol Parks prune the arches in Spring. Keep swept and trim back weedy growth along the edge of the railings to facilitate sweeping and clear trip hazards.
  • Blackberry Beds: (sunny walls East and West graves) Check, train to separate canes. Raise canes to stop ‘tip rooting’ into ground
  • Flower beds for Wildlife: Buddleia bank; Rose bed; Semi Shade Bed; Dogwood Dell; Violet patch. Check all is well, weed to remove invasive plants.
  • Graves: We cannot work close to graves as perennials take over. Cut trip hazards back if easy to reach.
  • Lawns: Check mowing plans with Bristol Council to leave longer grass and ‘tussocky’ areas.
  • Structures: wood piles, leaf bin can be worked on, repaired.
  • Trees: YEW remove ivy, elder growth at base and up trunk.   All other trees: Lightly prune back overhanging branches of trees if a hazard. Warn Bristol City Council if there are concerns.
  • Walls and Paths: Snip back growth in and on walls. Trim IVY in early summer to restrict height and spread once all chance of bird nesting is over. Dig out roots in paths to clear trip hazards.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Separate waste as we work according to where we put it for disposal.

Leave time at the end of a session to deal with waste.

 

 L. A.W. February 3rd 2024

 

 

Winter Gardening Plan 2024 to 2025

 

The BUSY PERIOD! Flowering time is over, plants are dying down, birds are not nesting. We concentrate on digging out the roots of invasive brambles, snowberry, hollies and other self-sown shrubs. Trees and shrubs are pruned to remove dead, diseased wood, overgrown branches and limit damage to graves. Fallen leaves need raking from Bird cage Walk and grassy areas. This is the time for planting trees, shrubs and bulbs. Leave seed heads of perennials for birds and insects. Leave ivy to flower.

 

ONE OFF ‘SPECIAL’ Winter 2024-25

Working with Bristol Council we plan to remove self-sown shrubs and trees in previously inaccessible NE corner. Check over important ‘feature’ trees. Dig out as much snowberry root as possible. Check graves.

 

Maintenance Tasks

  1. Graves: Check over condition of graves and remove roots of larger woody plants (bramble, ivy, Old Man’s Beard, etc.) that could damage the stone work. NEVER pull off ivy, just cut a section of stem.
  1. Bird Cage Walk: Cut lime tree suckers close to their base. Keep swept and trim back weedy growth along the edge of the railings to facilitate sweeping and clear trip hazards. Check there are no smothering piles left on the grass. Put leaves into leaf bin.
  1. Walls and Paths: Snip back growth in and on walls. Do not trim IVY : flowers and berries benefit wildlife.
  1. Structures: Check leaf bin and wood piles but avoid disturbing areas wildlife may shelter and overwinter. Check Hibernaculum. Construct dead hedges to protect special beds.
  1. Blackberry Beds: (sunny walls East and West graves) Check, train to separate canes. Raise canes to stop ‘tip rooting’ into ground.
  1. Special areas : Buddleia bank; Rose bed; Semi Shade Bed; Dogwood Dell; Violet patch, Nettle beds. Remove invasive smothering plants: burdock, solidago; 3 cornered leek; tip rooting bramble shoots; ivy; bindweed and others as we see them proliferate.
  1. Lawns: No mowing after October. Check there are no smothering piles of leaves left on the grass. Sweep up leaves and put into leaf bin. Check for emergence of invasive plants .
  1. Planting: Best time now to plant bulbs, shrubs. Check soil depth. Protect from foxes and dogs.
  1. Trees and Shrubs: YEW remove ivy, elder growth at base and up trunk. All other trees: Lightly prune back overhanging branches of trees if a hazard. Cut out dead wood. Warn Bristol City Council if there are concerns. Invasive self-seeded shrubs such as snowberry, holly and laurel can now be pruned hard. Get out roots if possible to do so without damaging graves.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Separate waste as we work according to where we put it for disposal.

Leave time at the end of a session to deal with waste.

 

Lesley Woodward February 3rd 2024. Revised 29th July 2024

 

 

Spring Gardening Plan 2025

 

Throughout Spring we work with a light touch to ensure we do not disturb nesting birds and animal/ insect habitats and are not damaging emerging shoots of bulbs and perennials. At the beginning of March, winter work on digging and pruning larger shrubs, under trees and alongside hedges STOPS.

 

Maintenance Tasks

  1. Graves: Cut bramble shoots and self-seeded shrubs as low as possible where they are growing between graves, avoiding damage to emerging plants. Trim ivy lightly but do not strip off grave stones to avoid damage. If large amounts need removing, cut off above root and leave to die.
  1. Bird Cage Walk: Cut back lime tree suckers with care as emerging plants grow up along the lime trees. Bristol Council Parks Dept prune the arches in spring. Keep swept and trim back weedy growth along the edge of the railings to facilitate sweeping and clear trip hazards.
  1. Walls and Paths: Bulbs are coming up by the end of January, so avoid working near walls. Do not cut back IVY on walls especially down the EAST side by Post Office yard/ around brick shed as we know birds nest here. Dig out roots in paths to clear trip hazards.
  1. Structures: wood piles, leaf bin. Avoid disturbance of possible animal/ insect habitats.
  1. Blackberry Beds: (sunny walls East and West graves) By end of February cut out fruited canes to base and start to train canes to fan out from a central point to stop overcrowding. Raise canes to stop ‘tip rooting’ into ground.
  1. Special areas: Buddleia bank; Rose bed; Semi Shade Bed; Dogwood Dell; Violet patch, Nettle beds. Remove invasive smothering plants – burdock, solidago, three cornered leek, bramble shoots; ivy; bindweed. Check all is well, weed to remove invasive plants. Sow seeds and put in plants to attract pollinators.
  1. Lawns: Bristol City Council will give the first cut around April, avoiding bulbs and flower beds, nettle beds. Discuss mowing plans with Bristol Council Parks dept to leave longer grass and ‘tussocky’ areas. Check there are no smothering piles left on the grass. Pull back gently off clumps of bulbs and primroses. Remove to leaf bin.
  1. Trees and shrubs : YEW remove ivy, elder growth, brambles at base and up trunk. All other trees: Lightly prune back overhanging branches of trees if a hazard. Warn Bristol City Council if there are concerns.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Separate waste as we work according to where we put it for disposal.

Leave time at the end of a session to deal with waste.

 

Lesley Woodward February 3rd 2024. Revised 29th July 2024

 

 

Summer Gardening Plan 2025

Most graves and paths vanish under lush growth which can reach shoulder height in sunnier spots. Perennials such as hemp agrimony, rosebay willowherb, ground elder and burdock take over. We work with a light touch to avoid damage to flowering plants and because we cannot get near most graves. Beware tripping on hidden gravestones, stems of bramble, ivy and bindweed. Continue to remove invasive smothering plants if they can be reached without damage to pollinator plants.

 

Maintenance Tasks

  1. Graves: We cannot work close to graves as perennials take over. Cut trip hazards such as growing brambles back if easy to reach.
  1. Bird Cage Walk: Bristol Parks Dept pruned the arches in spring. Keep swept and trim back weedy growth along the edge of the railings to facilitate sweeping and clear trip hazards.
  1. Walls and Paths: Snip back growth in and on walls. Trim IVY in early summer to restrict height and spread once all chance of bird nesting is over. Dig out roots in paths to clear trip hazards.
  1. Structures: wood piles, leaf bin can be worked on, repaired.
  1. Blackberry Beds: (sunny walls East and West graves) Check, train to separate canes. Raise canes to stop ‘tip rooting’ into ground.
  1. Special areas: Buddleia bank; Rose bed; Semi Shade Bed; Dogwood Dell; Violet patch, Nettle beds. Check all is well, weed to remove invasive plants.
  1. Lawns: Check mowing plans with Bristol Council to leave longer grass and ‘tussocky’ areas.
  1. Trees and shrubs: YEW remove ivy, elder growth, brambles at base and up trunk. All other trees: Lightly prune back overhanging branches of trees if a hazard. Warn Bristol City Council if there are concerns. Dig out newly self-sown trees on lawns and graves if accessible.

 

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Separate waste as we work according to where we put it for disposal.

Leave time at the end of a session to deal with waste.

 

Lesley Woodward February 3rd 2024. Revised 29th July 2024