This is what we did in the Storey Gardens during September 2022:

• Scraping the wildflower areas to almost bare earth and sowing yellow rattle seed.  It is the yellow rattle plants that help to create the wildflower areas.  The roots of the yellow rattle are semi-parasitic feeding on the nutrients in the roots of the more vigorous grasses.  This weakens the grass giving more delicate species of wildflowers the opportunity to grow. There will more of this activity during October.
• Weeding the flower beds especially around the Swan’s Egg pear.  An ongoing task.
• Clearing the grass and weeds along the edges of the paths in order to show better the shape of the paths.  Another ongoing task.
• Taking cuttings and potting up plants to sell at the Heritage Open Days.
• Picking ripe fruit to offer to visitors at the Heritage Open Days.
• Using a hand mower to cut the grass in The Tasting Garden. A border is mowed around the paths and also the non-wildflower grass areas.
• Planting cowslips with The Bay: A blueprint for recovery group in the wildflower areas.
• Cutting back catnip spilling on to the pavement from the garden opposite Lancaster Castle. The Friends of the Storey Gardens maintain this garden as well as the Copper Beech Garden and The Tasting Garden.

See below some photos taken of our gardening volunteers during the month.