Beatons Wood

I have finally finished the important task of removing the young brambles, occasional docks and — importantly — the long strands of cleavers, or goosegrass, two of the many names for Galium aparine. Google is always a good source of knowledge, and the RHS notes that cleavers, being part of the coffee family (Rubiaceae), means their seeds can be dried, roasted and ground to make a coffee-like drink with a similar, though milder, taste and aroma! I don’t expect to be inundated with volunteers wanting to collect the seeds, though, as they are so much smaller than coffee beans that to gather enough for a cup of coffee you would have to sort through the six large trailer-loads we removed from the wood, now waiting on our bonfire!

We are certainly seeing some abnormalities from climate change: in the February newsletter we showed a solitary bluebell in flower, and now, in June, here is another!

Dates for the 2027 Arlington Bluebell Walk

The most crucial decision for every Bluebell Walk is deciding the dates to open, which affects the takings of our participating charities, as footfall depends so much on the weather and, crucially, on the bluebells themselves. My knowledge of next year is no better than yours — whether it will be an early or late spring, or whether 2018 will repeat itself with ’The Beast from the East’! In the 1970s the optimum time to see the bluebells was the last three weeks of May, but next year, for the first time, Arlington Village will not cover the three-day May Bank Holiday, as we will not be open in May. I have spoken to the organisers of Arlington Village and, rather than entering the annual lottery for available dates as all the other charities do, they alone will be able to choose the weekend they wish each year. Their weekend next year will be Saturday and Sunday 10th & 11th April. We will open on Good Friday, 26 March, and close on Sunday, 24 April. This year, being open for 38 days proved too long for us to manage, so we are reducing this to 31 days, which does mean we will have to reduce the number of charities we support.

Plans for the Millennium Avenue

Alison, with her years of gardening experience, is going to manage the Millennium Avenue, giving it interest as a bridge between Bates Green Garden and Beatons Wood. Carolyn established swathes of wild daffodils, which are at their peak in early March, after which nature has been left to its own devices — with an increasing number of docks appearing year on year! Alison and Christine, with some members of the Gardening Team, have for the first time removed the docks’ seed heads as a first step. Alison then plans to reseed with a collection of native wildflowers, so that it becomes an area of real significance. I will keep you updated on this important improvement.