Gardening Work during July 2023

Gardening News

This is what we achieved in the Storey Gardens during July 2023:

  • Lancaster Men’s Hub volunteers made a large potting table and storage unit out of a large pallet and pallet wood. This work is ongoing. They also resurfaced on old table for potting and storing plants.
  • Having checked that there were no nesting birds, Lancaster City Council Maintenance team removed shrubs and a huge matted ivy from the wall along the path leading from the Storey to the Copper Beech Garden. The good news was that the ivy had not got into the mortar in the wall.
  • Pruning of the plum trees under the guidance of David Redmore, our gardening consultant.
  • Weeding of the Hollygon area opposite Lancaster Castle.
  • Summer pruning of the apple trees.
  • Harvesting of soft fruits
  • Putting up signs showing whether or not the apples, pears and plums are ripe enough to pick
  • Potting up and labelling plants
  • General weeding
Wildlife

The highlights this month were sightings of the following:

  • Common darter dragonfly
  • Small purple and gold moth in Hollygon
  • Speckled wood butterfly
Plants in flower
India bean treeSea hollyGeranium
HollyhockAngel’s fishing rodEvening primroses
  • Potting table with storage constructed by Lancaster Men’s Hub. Photo by Ruth Standring-Cox
  • Table for potting and storing plants after being resurfaced by Lancaster Men’s Hub. Photo by Ruth Standring-Cox
  • Wall at the back of the Storey cleared of shrubs and ivy. Photo by Ruth Standring-Cox.
  • Lancaster City Council Maintenance team clearing up having removed shrubs and ivy from the high wall. Photo by Ruth Stndring-Cox.
  • Solid mat of removed ivy sitting on van ready to be taken away. Photo by Ruth Standring-Cox.
  • Apple tree with sad face sign indicating that fruit is not yet ripe. Photo by Ruth Standring-Cox.
  • Apple tree with smiley face sign indicating that the fruit is ripe and ready to pick. Photo by Ruth Standring-Cox.
  • Common darter dragonfly. Photo by David Redmore.
  • Small purple and gold moth on geranium. Photo by Ruth Haig.
  • July 2023. Speckled Wood in The Tasting Garden. Photo by Bridget Cook.
  • Indian Bean tree in flower. Photo by Bridget Cook.
  • Ladybird in yellow rattle seed pod. Photo by Xinmei Sun.
  • Moth. Photo by Xinmei Sun.