Spring Gardening Plan 2024
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. Winter work on digging and pruning larger shrubs, under trees and alongside hedges STOPS.
Location
- 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.
- 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.
- Flower beds for Wildlife: Buddleia bank; Rose bed; Semi Shade Bed; Dogwood Dell; Violet patch. Remove invasive smothering plants - three cornered leek, bramble shoots; ivy; bindweed. Sow seeds and put in plants to attract pollinators.
- 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.
- Lawns: Bristol City Council will give the first cut around April, avoiding bulbs and flower beds. Discuss mowing plans with Bristol Council Parks dept to leave longer grass and ‘tussocky’ areas.
- Leaves: Check there are no smothering piles left on the grass. Pull back gently off clumps of bulbs and Primroses. Remove to leaf bin.
- Structures: wood piles, leaf bin. Avoid disturbance of possible animal/ insect habitats
- Trees: Lightly prune back overhanging branches of trees if a hazard. Warn Bristol City Council if there are concerns.
- 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.
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
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
Autumn / Winter Gardening Plan 2024
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 grave damage. 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.
Location
- Bird Cage Walk: Cut lime tree suckers close to their base. Keep the long twigs as they are useful for ‘weaving’. Keep swept and trim back weedy growth along the edge of the railings to facilitate sweeping and clear trip hazards. Sweep up leaves and put into leaf bin
- 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. Remove invasive smothering plants - three cornered leek, bramble shoots; ivy; bindweed etc
- 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.
- Lawns: Dormant. No mowing after October
- Leaves: Check there are no smothering piles left on the grass. Put into leaf bin
- Planting: Experience has shown that it is very difficult to find suitable depth of decent soil in which to plant. In October 2022 we planted nearly 3000 bulbs in the lawns and along walls. Few came up. If we try again, avoid well-trodden areas, ensure adequate depth of soil. In 2023 we planted a witch hazel which a fox dug up and 3 dogwoods which we successfully protected with a bramble hedge.
- 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.
- 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 back or removed. Save long branches for constructions. Get out roots if possible to do so without damaging graves. Cut back hard if roots are impossible to reach.
- Walls and Paths: Snip back growth in and on walls. Do not trim IVY as the flowers and berries benefit wildlife.
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