Mucklestone Spring Walk
April 26th, 2010I am delighted to say that the ‘1st’ Mucklestone Spring walk was a great success. I would like to thank all those who helped and got involved, particularly Ruth Lloyd , Liz Vallings and their team from Mucklestone W.I. The weather was glorious , the daffodils only a few days past their best, and there was a good showing of cherry blossom, wood anemone and sheep sorrel. Isobel Wood, of the Staffordshire mammal group , showed the children dormouse nests and a selection of hazlenuts eaten by different animals. Eric Pemberton came to represent www.loggerheadscomunityinformationshop.org.uk, and Colin from the Turner Hodgkiss Nature Reserve. www.hookgatenaturereserve.org.uk I would also like to thank the good showing of friends and nieghbours who attended. The new church kitchen proved its worth, and tables and chairs were put out by the church porch in the sunshine.
Next year, in response to numerous requests, I hope to have the walk in early May , to view the later flowers such as bird cherry, bluebells and garlic.
From: josephine clouston
To: friend.northdown@btinternet.com
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 5:04 PM
Subject: Mucklestone Spring Walk.
Dear Mr. Friend,
We really enjoyed our walk yesterday. It was lovely to see the wild daffodils and the other woodland flowers. We noticed the hoards of bluebells that were coming through – Please would it be possilbe to have a Bluebell Walk? There were so many it would be like walking on (not literally) a carpet of blue, and the smell…!
We hope that you will give the suggestion serious thought.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jo Clouston.
Villas in Andalucia
April 18th, 2010My group of Spanish friends are now offering their villas in Rural Andalusia for rent. I have stayed in two of those listed personally and visited the region a dozen or more times, as well as making 3 trips across to northern Morocco. The village of Gracelema is a truly wonderful place in the mountains in a national park with fantastic walking ,wildlife and plants. Corinne de LHoneux is a Belgian living in Jerez de la Fronterra. She has set up the website called www.lesmaisonsdecorinne.com . The website is currently only in french, but her husband Heve speaks perfect english so can handle any U.K. enquiries. It is a wonderful area of traditional wine growing, pig and bull rearing, fields of wheat and sunflowers, cork oaks and an unspoiled atlantic coastline. My friend Alphonso Osborne who owns two of the cottages, is a keen anglo-phile- visiting us most years. This is not suprising as his mother is a Gordon , her branch left the Aberdeen area of Scotland as Catholics at the time of the covenanters/english civil war. His father’s side are ’Osborne’ s, who left Exeter at the same time to send Sherry back to England from the little port of Puerto Santa Maria, where the family remain (in abundance!) today. His 1st cousin Ignacion is the M.D. of the family wine company which as well as sherry and rioja, is the largest brandy producer in Spain , thier symbol is the famous black bull, seen on hillsides across the country, devised by Alphonso’s father and recently the cause of a row with the Sabatero government , who claim their logo as a national emblem. Over the centuaries ,each generation used to come back to England to be educated at Eton, up until the Franco era, in the same way as the ‘port families’ continue to ‘remain english’ . Alfonso’s grandfather, the late Count Thomas Osborne , was the last to do so. Amusingly my best man , Gerald Osborne, also traces his roots back to Exeter, and so they affectionately regard each other as fellow kinsmen, and we’ve all enjoyed going back and forth to each others homes for 20+ years. I would recommend anyone to visit this unique and charming area of real Spain. Will Friend , April 2010
Alphonso and Danuxia Osborne
Anglo Belgio Spanish Trip to Marocco , Jan 09 for Alphonso's birthday
Harmony in Europe-Thanet Male Voice Choir.
April 17th, 2010This year it is Thanet Male Voice Choir’s turn to host ‘Harmony in Europe, a group of four choirs, from Lille, Cologne and northern Italy . It should be geat fun and so would welcome any one who cares to support us. See programme and ticket details below. For up to date schedule of events visit www.thanetmvc.org.uk
Thanet Festival
April 17th, 2010We once again supported the Thanet Music, dance and Drama Featival , congratulations to all those who took part and worked so hard to make it such a success. www.thanetfestival.org.uk
News from Mucklestone Nurseries.
April 16th, 2010
Mucklestone nurseries has now completed its third full season. Brian Watkins operates the nursery on a kind of franchise basis. The site belongs to William Friend, who has wanted to start a nursery at Mucklestone. The nursery is open 4 days a week from April to mid October. Brian (m 07985 673163, hm 01630 673163), on Saturdays and Sundays, and Christine on Thursdays and Fridays (m 07944 103987) , and other times by appointment. This year , it is hoped to open on the first 2 Sundays before Christmas , for those wishing to choose their own christmas tree from 12noon-4pm. Logs , grown on the farm, are also now available from the nursery from Eric Watkins, m 07780970344 , hm 01784 751333,
Visitors to the nursery are welcome to walk around the environs of the nursery and buildings where we are gradually beginning to establish a siseable collection of rare an unusual trees , shrubs and perennials. We have a pond/bog garden area of marginal herbaceous perennial plants, the gardens of the farmhouse and banks planted with bamboos , camellias, magnolias, acers and rhododendrons. This collection is complimentory to that at our nursery in Kent , being of plants that prefer the cooler more humid conditions of the north west midlands.
Mucklestone Spring Walk
April 16th, 2010
Meadows are grazed with tradition breeds of sheep
Mucklestone Spring Walk, Sunday 18th April 2010
William Friend is hosting a ‘Mucklestone Spring Walk’ at Church Farm, Mucklestone (TF9 4DN), on Sunday 18th April from 2.00 p.m.
Walkers are asked to park at the school, or nursery car park (off rock lane),
The route leaves from and returns to Mucklestone Church, and follows ‘Cemetery lane’ (please collect route plan, donation to ‘Friends of St. Mary’s’ here ) through the farm past ponds and fields for about half a mile into ‘The Cowleasow wood’.
This 20 acre wood is home to a colony of rare wild daffodils as well as many other species of woodland spring flowers and wildlife, including a colony of the endangered and secretive dormouse, and many rare ferns and mosses. The whole farm is managed under a ‘Countryside Stewardship Scheme’, to enhance and develop the range of diverse wildlife habitats on the farmland and woodlands, and a complimentary range of traditional rural enterprises.
view of church from gardens
Those with 4 wheel drive vehicles may wish to offer rides to disabled visitors, and can get to within 30yards of the daffodils with a turning circle at the end.
Walkers can do a circuit of the wood and either return by the same route, or the more intrepid can visit the ‘Winnington Waterfall’, the route to which will be marked (access by kind permission of Mrs. Flavia Friend.)
Mucklestone W.I. will be offering teas and refreshments in St. Mary’s Church from 3.00 p.m.
The nurseries and gardens will be open to visitors, from which logs from the woods can now be purchased.
It is hoped that this can become an annual community event for a Sunday in April after Easter. For many years Church Farm played host to the North Staffs hunt’s ‘Mucklestone Point to Point’ on Easter Saturday.
For reasons of safety, and the number of ponds etc. all children must be under close supervision of an adult at all times.
Children are encouraged to pick flowers, leaves and twigs etc. for drawing and study purposes, provided no more than one of each species is collected and no root or bulb is removed from the ground. William will be on hand in the church at tea to identify any specimens brought in.
Wild Daffodil
It is hoped that other walks and tours can be arranged in due course to look at Rhododendrons, Camellias, Bamboos, Christmas trees, herbaceous borders, pond plants, nature conservation and so forth. Visits by schools/ Local interests groups are always welcome, given sufficient warning is given (as William lives 250 miles away in Margate, Kent!)
Contacts:- Ian Phillips, Smithy Cottage, 07903 101453
for Grass fed beef and lamb, and traditional breeds of pork and poultry.
Brian Watkins, Mucklestone Nurseries, plant sales 07985 425829, hm 01630 673163
Eric Watkins, log sales, landscaping. 07780970344 , hm 01784 751333
Loggerheads Community News 01630 674365
Mucklestone W.I. , Liz Vallings 01630 647542
William Friend, general enquiries and gardening/ natural history advise/lectures 07714241668 friend.northdown@btinternet.com
The nursery is now open every Saturday in winter
and Thurs – Sun from Easter to end Sept.
for further details See website/blog, www.botanyplants.co.uk
On Tuesday 20th April William Friend is taking some pupils of St. Mary’s ,Mucklestone , C. of E. Primary School,(01630 672126) on their own visit to see the daffodils, with Teacher Jane Newton. Student Steven Jackson (aged 6!) , who lives in the farm house at Church Farm , is looking forward to explaining to his classmates the principles of woodland habitat management.
Planting in Shade
October 20th, 2009
Stipa Arundinacea
Moist shade exists on north facing banks ,walls fences and hollows where rain and run off soaks into the ground and moisture seeping down through the soil can come to the surface.
Far more common is dry shade which is of two types . Permanent , beneath roof overhangs and large evergreen trees and temporary , beneath the canopy of Deciduous trees and shrubs.
For us, in Thanet most recommendations for general shade do not apply as the moist shade experienced in wetter climates and on heavier soils do not apply here . All trees and shrubs extract an enormous quantity of moisture from the soil when they are in leaf and there roots go very deep.
However deciduous trees and shrubs do not take up any moisture during their dormant season , October –may and allow plenty of light to fall to the ground. This is why most woodland plants and bulbs produce their foliage very early in the spring and their flowers soon after. The foliage then often dies down in the summer and autumn, once the leaves come out on the trees above. Evergreen shrubs, climbers and perennials , like holly, ivy and bergenia ,also do most of their active growing during the winter and spring months and effectively go dormant during the summer , to withstand drought and shade. Paradoxically, mediterranean plants that go dormant in the summer months to withstand summer drought are also generally capable of withstanding dry shade created by deciduous trees.
Large evergreens such as evergreen oaks, eucalyptus and leylandii pose a problem as they take up moisture and cast shade all year round. The area beneath them is best left , with a mulch of leaves and some natural vegetation such as ivy,grass and bulbs,and screened by other shrubs in front. It may be a good site for a shed or compost heap. or other wise paved and used for a sitting area and a few watered pots of busy lizzies etc. Less shaded areas can grassed down but will most likely dry up in summer . When planning a bed or border next to an evergreen hedge or large shrub try, if you have room, to bring it out from the root zone of the hedge, the strip behind can be used as a pathway for cutting the hedge.
Never plant a tree or deciduous shrub under the overhanging branches of another tree, as it will not thrive and will try to grow out sideways towards the light.
Plants for permanently dry shade
|
Plants for dry shade beneath deciduous trees
|
|
Damp Shade only
|
Most garden plants are quite happy growing in light shade or out of direct sun . However Grey leaved plants are more prone to rotting off if the leaves or roots are permanently wet.
Planting for coastal areas over Chalk
October 20th, 2009
As coastal areas receive fewer and less intense frosts than inland areas , one is able to grow many slightly tender shrubs and plants, however they often need to have tough grey or green waxy leaves, or narrow or hairy leaves to ensure they are not burned up by the salty winds especially during frosty spells when soil moisture is locked up . Chalky soils are very free draining and often occur on the drier south and east of Britain further increasing the requirement for plants to be drought tolerant to survive. Fortunately plants suited to drier “mediterranean” climates are often more tolerant of calcareous soils (which is saturated with calcium and other minerals) than those from wetter climates , where soil minerals do not accumulate in the top soil but are washed downwards.
Seafront garden plants should be planted in cushions so each plant gives protection to those behind it . Single plants sticking up above the others are liable to have there leaves burnt off. The tender new foliage of deciduous trees and shrubs are especially vulnerable.
East Northdown border
Climbers for planting in exposed chalky soils
| CLEMATIS tangutica, chirrosa vars. ,viticella vars, montana vars., HUMULUS lupulus “aureus” HEDERA canariensis “gloire de marengo”, Helix “glacier, “sagittifolia”, “green ripples” etc JASMINUM officinale “variagata” nudiflorum (north wall) CHAEMOMELES (shady wall) “pink lady” “nivalis” “crimson and gold” |
COTONEASTER horizontalis LONICERA japonica “repens” , x Americana , periclymenum “late dutch” “belgica”, henyrii , etrusca superba PARTHENOCISSUS quinquefolia Henryana, tricuspidata, veitchii PASSIFLORA caerula, WISTERIA vars. Climbing roses , most |
Other planting in exposed sites on chalky soils
A |
B |
| ACACIA Retinoides, meansii, cultriformis ACANTHUS mollis, spinosus ACER pseudoplanatus vars AESCULUS hippocastanatum. AGAPANTHUS sp./cvs. AMPELODOPSIS mauritanica (a tall med. grass) ANTHEMIS cupaniana, ARTEMISA absinthum, arb. “Powis Castle” ASTER sedifolia, novae anglii CARYOPTERIS vars. CASSINIA fulvida, wards silver etc CEANOTHUS arboreus , ‘blue cushion’, ‘blue mound’ ‘concha’ “impressus” (small leaves) etc. CHAMAEROPS humilis CENTAUREA macrocephala, scabiosa CENTRANTHUS rubra, r. ‘alba’ CERCIS siliquastrum CISTUS cyprius, blanche , crispus, purpureus etc. CINERARIA maritima CHRYSANTHEMUM (leucanthemum)border vars |
BULBS, tulipa, scilla, narcissi, anemone blanda, Leaucojum aestevum, galanthus, allium, muscari, iphion uniflorum, iris reticulata and dutch, crocus, ornithogalum umbellatum & nutans, lilium candidum, BALLOTA pseudodictamus BERBERIS ottawensis “Superba”, Candidula, stenophylla BRACHYGLOTTIS greyii BUPLEURUM fructicosum BUDDLEIA davidii in variety, globosa, salvifolia, heliophyllum etc BUXUS sempervirens vars. |
C |
D |
| CLEMATIS orientalis, Montana, flammula, viticella, armandii, tangutica. COLUTEA arborescens CONVOLVULUS cneorum, mauritanica CORYDALIS Lutea CORYLUS max.purpurea, “Kent cob” CORDYLINE australis + cvs. CONVALARIA (Lily of the Valley) CORONILLA glauca “citrina”, gold, varigated CORTADERIA sell.,cvs., richardii COTONEASTER all vars. CUPRESSUS arizonica “glauca”, macrocarpa, sempervirens ‘totem pole’ CRATAEGNUS mono.”Paul’s Scarlet”, “Rosea flore plena”, “ crimson cloud”, prunifolia CYNARA scolymus – Globe artichoke, Cardoon CHOISYA ternate cvs. CYTISUS “Porlock”, praecox, battanderi |
DIANTHUS DORYCNIUM hirsutum |
E |
F |
| ECHINOPS ritro, humilis ELAEGNUS ebbengei ELYMUS magellenica, Leymus Aranatherum ERICA erigena, terminalis stricta, darleyensis ERYNGIUM(sea holly) ESCALLONIA “Iveyi” “Crimson spire”, “Apple blossom” EUCALPTUS parvifolia ,dalrympliana, nitens EUONYMUS all EUPHORBIA wulphenii, characias, ceratocarpa, nicense,ridgens arborescens etc. EURYOPS pectinatus ERODIUMS and GERANIUMS all |
FATSIA japonica FORSYTHIA FRAXINUS ornus “Raywood” excelsior FORSYTHIA FREMONTODENDRON californicum FRUIT all APRICOT, FIG, NECTARINE, PEACH, PEARS, APPLES, PLUMS, CHERRIES,ETC |
G |
H |
| GAZANIA vars GARRYA elliptica GENISTA hispanica, aetensis GRISELINA littoralis + cvs |
HEBE large x, Salicifolia, “Midsummer beauty”, Fragrant Jewel Great orme ,etc. Medium:- francescana, wiri vision, wiri image, oratia beauty etc. HELIANTHEMUM (rock rose) HELICHRYSUM angustifolium HEMERACALLIS HIPPOPHAE rhamnoides HYDRANGEA macrophylla (pinks) |
I & J |
K & L |
| ILEX x altaclerensis IRIS germanica, florentina JUGLANS regia (walnut) |
KNIPHOFIA LABURNUM + cvs LAMPRANTHUS +cvs LAURUS nobilis, nob.aurea LAVANDULA all vars LIBERTIA grandiflora LAVATERA ssp LUPINUS arboreus LONICERA pileata, purpursii LYCIUM barbatum |
M & N & O |
P |
| MAGNOLIA grandiflora, x loebneri “Leonard Messel”& ‘Merrill’, Stellata MORUS nigra. NEPETA vars. MYRTUS communis OLEARIA virgata lineata, macrodonta ,solandri etc, OZOMANTHUS |
PAEONIA delavayi, lutea, mollis, officinalis etc. PHLOMIS fructicosa PHORMIUM tenax vars PINUS sylvestris, thunbergii, nigra maritima, pinea, PHYLLOSTACHYS bissetti, viridi glaucescens, ‘catillonis’ PITTOSPORUM tobira POPULUS alba “nivea” PRUNUS (ornamental cherries) PYRACANTHA vars |
Q & R & S |
T & U & V & W |
| QUERCUS ilex, cerris, suber RHUS typina, typ lacinata ROSA rugosa and most roses ROSEMARY ssp. SALIX rosmarifolius, SAMBUCUS nigra “black beauty’ SALVIAS all SANTOLINA cham + vars SEDUM praealtum, confusum SILENE maritima “rosea” SOLANIUM crispum “glasnevin” SORBUS aria “lutescens” SPARTIUM junceum SPIREA japonica, nipponica van houtii STACHYS byzanticum |
TAXUS baccata THUJA occidentalis, plicata TAMARIX tetandra, ramosissima, hampneana, TEUCRIUM fructians, chamaedrys ULEX europeus VERBASCUM olympicum, nigra VIBURNUM tinus VITIS vinifera , Seyval Blanc, Cascade, cognitiae. WEIGELA florida “variagata” |
X & Y & Z |
|
| YUCCA gloriosa , gl. Variagata |
East Northdown Farm Plant Nursery – Farmer’s weekly
July 24th, 2009THERE’S something different about the plant nursery at East Northdown Farm (Northdown farm plant nursery map). For a start there are no massed pots of tender plants hot off a lorry from Holland here. Instead there are more resilient plants propagated from stock that has been proven to suit chalk soil, low rainfall and drying north easterly winds - conditions they face in the farm’s garden, a mere salty breeze from Margate, Kent.
“A wind is always blowing off the sea here and we have a low rainfall. We have built up a reputation for selling plants that will grow well – the sort of plants that we know do well in our own garden,” explains William Friend who runs the plant nursery with his wife Louise. Louise , a surveyor, changed her career and put her efforts into the fledgling plant nursery when the couple started a family.
William and Louise Friend the owners of East Northdown Farm Plant Nursery
The plant nursery keeps the couple busy seven days a week but they enjoy working together and find it has helped them become more integrated into the local community. “Customers like to be served by us personally and ask how the family is, and they like the fact that we grow most of the plants ourselves,” says Louise.
Customers can take a walk round their garden, which is not some clipped and mannered, tidy plot but a wonderful fulsome mix of plants that fills every inch of border and shows the full gamut of growth from bud to seed head.
“People wonder why everything is not dead-headed or clipped back but we want the seeds and we want to take cuttings, divide up plants and propagate things on,” explains William. “People like to look round it, especially on Sundays and we take them to see the plants. Some things are hardy here that will not be elsewhere like euryops (big shrubs with grey or green leaves) and salvias which flower from June to November. Quirky things do well here, such as grey leaved plants that will rot off in the West Country where it is just as warm but wet.”
A lot of Californian plants do well in the garden such as the Californian tree poppy – Romneya coulteri with its papery yellow-centered white flowers and the Californian fuschia. Visitors may spot fragrant myrtle, a hybrid strawberry tree – Arbutus x ‘Marina’ , several varieties of the bottle-brush plant, pineapple broom, sea kale, european fan palm, canary island date palm, Arum italicum, Russian sage, bronze fennel and yellow bay. When Farmlife called the huge purple thistle-like heads of cardoons stood tall in a border as did spires of Acanthus mollis. Peaches were ready to pick and brown figs were ripe to bursting. The Magnolia grandiflora s were sold out as the Magnolia tree outside the farm shop had ensured a run on sales, its gloriously lemon scented, exotic, white flowers set against glossy green leaves having caught the eye of passing motorists.
Most customers live locally or come from nearby coastal towns but the plant nursery gets a lot of Londoners, too, who are visiting relatives in the area. “There is a big Cypriot community in Thanet, and small groups of Neopolitans and Sicilians, who all love coming down to the farm to choose their vines and fruit trees. We sell olive trees, which won’t fruit here, and figs, apricots and peaches, which will,” explains William, “the Persians , are very fond of quinces which they cook in a traditional sweet and sour dish a bit like a ‘mousaka.’ A group of turkish ladies visit me each year to pick vine leaves .
“We also sell a lot of our own grown large evergreens and specimen shrubs and are famous for our cordylines and phormiums. We have a lot of retired people round here who feel they can’t wait too long for things to grow! On the other hand they won’t pay silly prices asked for Italian grown specimen plants” William and Louise are happy with their business. “We have invested a lot of time ,money and enthusiasm into our business and feel it is finally paying dividends. Plants have always been my hobby and passion and this shows through. Fellow gardeners recognize that you ‘know your stuff’ which gives us the edge over most our competition.” Says William ,who is an Oxford trained plantsman.
The article above is an extract from coverage that we received in the Farmer’s weekly
The Gardens at our Kent plant nursery
July 8th, 2009The Gardens at East Northdown
We have extensive plantings around the carpark, road frontage and business park as well as the farmhouse gardens.
Plants are chosen to cope with local chalky and coastal conditions and include many rare or unusual slightly tender ‘Mediterranean’ plants. Visitors can explore the gardens at anytime, at no charge., to get an idea of what the range of interesting plants that can be grown in Thanet, and , by their absence those that are a struggle to keep alive. William gives gardening talks to local clubs and societies and also guided walks through the gardens on set days in the summer. These are also arranged for schools and clubs for summer outings by appointment. At other times notes on what is flowering in the garden are available, and staff are always available to answer questions.