See below a picture of two flower arrangements that Fiona created for the Visitor Information Centre located in The Storey. The red, white and blue flowers were chosen to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee and came from The Tasting Garden.

Fiona regularly provides flower arrangements for the Visitor Information Centre and Printroom café in The Storey.

This is what we did in the Storey Gardens during April and May 2022

• Much of our work during these two months has been taken up weeding before the weeds developed seeds. We weeded the flower beds and some of the rings around the fruit trees.
• We commenced the work of removing the mound of soil and rubble in the Copper Beech Garden. This is the mound by the steps coming up from the Storey. When this is complete we can move the Plants for Sale to this area.
• Cutting away the grass by the hedge in the Copper Beech Garden. This will give a better defined bed in front of the hedge for plants.
• Cutting away the grass in front of the herb bed in the Copper Beech Garden to stop the grass encroaching.
• Weeding along the edges of the paths in order to show better the shape of the paths.
• Planting runner bean seedlings in the border by the Friends Meeting House.
• The Bay Project has planted runner beans behind the first hedge in the Bee and Butterfly border.

This year (2022) we have four flowering marsh orchid plants – two more than last year. They are all self seeded and demonstrate the benefit of creating wild flower areas in the garden.

All four orchids are in the lower part of The Tasting Garden. Click on one of the images below to see photos of them.

This is what we did in the Storey Gardens during February and March 2022

• The privet hedge in the Copper Beech Garden has been cut back to a more manageable height and the width reduced so that the snowdrops, ox-eye daisies and betony at the base can flourish
• Prior to the Yellow Crocus Day event all the green waste by the Meeting House Lane gate into The Tasting Garden was removed by the Council’s Grounds Maintenance team and the gardens cleared of small branches brought down in the storms
• An area for depositing sacks for removal by the Cleansing Department has been constructed using old pallets
• Much general weeding has been done round the borders
• Clumps of snowdrops growing in the grass and behind the hedge in the Copper Beech Garden have been dug out and planted in pots for sale.  Some snowdrops have also been planted in the Copper Beech Garden alongside the path leading to The Tasting Garden
• The Bay Project staff and clients have removed last year’s growth from plants, done some planting out and made a lovely display table for the “plants for sale”

And here are a few accompanying photos.

This is what we did in the Storey Gardens during January 2022

• Commenced substantial pruning of the privet hedge in the Copper Beech Garden.  More to do in February
• Pruning of the four pear trees led by David Redmore.  This included getting the Improved Fertility pear tree to stand upright
• Weeding and mulching around the pear trees after the pruning
• Prolific growth of ivy at the top of two large sycamore trees could cause the trees to fall in high winds.  Therefore a band of ivy has been cut away from around the trunks so that the ivy higher up will die back
• Removed ivy from some of the walls in the Copper Beech Garden
• Yellow tulips planted in front of the repaired wall in the Copper Beech Garden

And here are some photos of the volunteers in action.