Young Tree Planting February 2020.

The weather has been extremely wet and windy throughout most of February.  We have finally received our order of native tree whips from Wirral Borough Council.  A couple of our Committee members met with Neil Garnett from the Council to agree on how many the Friends Group would plant and whereabouts on the Oxton Fields would be suitable.  We set a date for Saturday 22nd February.

The 150 tree whips we agreed to plant were either Alder or Goats' willow, both native varieties which sustain wildlife.  Willows in particular are an excellent caterpillar food for  many types of moth.  Both tree types like wet ground to thrive so the boggiest areas of the fields were ideal spots.  Indeed we already had some willow and alder in the largest copse which regularly gets flooded.  These trees help to soak up a lot of excess rainwater, so of benefit to us as well as the insects.

Despite heavy rain the day before, we wrapped up warm and wellies on, we trudged out with our spades to start planting.  The Council had provided the tree whips, stakes and netting to give the trees the best possible chance of getting established.  The netting will also help to prevent the whip being mown over once the grass starts being cut regularly.  Neil had stated that they would leave these areas for the grass to grow longer which is also of benefit to wildlife, part of their aim to increase biodiversity.  To be fair, the ground is so wet in these aeas that mowing is virtually impossible anyway.

Councillor Allan Brame came to say hello.

About 12 of us worked for a good two hours planting, staking and netting the tree whips.  Luckily the rain stayed off and by 12 noon we had completed our task and all the tree whips were in the ground.  We headed back to the Rose Garden to warm up with hot drinks and biscuits.  A well deserved treat for all the very muddy work.  There are another 100 tree whips which the Council will plant on the other side of Duck Pond Lane. Native Hawthorn, Blackthorn and perhaps some Birch.

A few of our Friends group have since been on a willow weaving course, with a view to being able to coppice some willow in the years to come to make plant supports for the Long Border.  We may even build a living willow tunnel on the Oxton Fields  for local children to play in. Watch this space!

February 1st 2020

Last saturday 1st February was our first chance to all meet together this year to start preparing the Rose Garden for the Spring. As usual, we gathered at 10am and discussed which jobs we wanted to carry out.


Our secretary Peter had already spent lots of hours tidying the top shrub beds either side of the rose arches, so he continued with that. Our Membership secretary Linda and her sister Pauline started painting the front of our gardeners' shed, as they have planned a lovely floral design to brighten it up. Sian and Dave worked hard clearing common cornus from the centre of a shrub bed, which had got out of hand and was taking over.  A couple of us tackled some of the brambles and nettles which were starting to appear in the long border, as well as potting up a few ground covering perennials.  Weeding was carried out by the side of the shed with a view to creating a nursery bed for growing on small plants.

Another job carried out was to reinforce the shrubs alongside the entrance from Storeton Road, whilst also pulling out lots of encroaching ivy.  Many people seem to have created a makeshift path, cutting across the shrub bed when they should be using the formal paths provided.  As we had planted bulbs, we were keen to make sure this cut through was no longer an option.  It only takes a few minutes longer to walk around the path!

Paths were brushed, more work was done in and around the shed and more wood and sticks were added to the Bug Hotel. 

To warm us up, Sarah made hot drinks for us all, with shortbread biscuits to keep us going.  It was lovely to come together and get so much done in only a couple of hours.  As the saying goes, "many hands make light work!"

There were lots of signs that Spring is just around the corner.  The snowdrops are poking their heads above ground and beginning to open.  Hellebores in the long border are looking stunning in shades of pink and cream. Crocus flowers are starting to appear on the top lawn by the Memorial stone.

If you want to help as one of our volunteers, we would be delighted to have your company.  You can do as much or as little as you feel up to, and there is always friendly chat as we work.  Hot drinks are provided too.  Come along and join the team. We meet ( weather permitting) every Monday morning at 10am and also the first Saturday morning of each month at 10am.

Christmas Grotto 2019

After all the hard work put in during the year by the two Johns, we decided to make full use of the shed to celebrate the festive season with the Arno community.  This was the first time we have been able to organise an event like a christmas grotto, so we were keen to make it a wonderful celebration to end 2019.

Posters were made and social media used to let everyone in the local area know that Santa would be visiting our Arno.  All preparations were made to tidy up around the shed and our membership secretary Linda Atkinson, assisted by her sister Pauline created a wonderful secret grotto in one side of the shed, as well as elf outfits. Linda, also helped by our Chairperson Annette Capper, organised the event and allocated duties to other Committee members so that everything was ready. We were also selling home made jams which Brenda had kindly brought, ideal last minute gifts!









Saturday 14th December started very cold with quite a breeze. We gathered at 8.30am to set up the gazebo, decorate outside the shed and set up the tables and chairs. We had brought our home-made or shop bought cakes, gingerbread men, mince pies  and bottles of mulled wine.  Tea urns were used to warm the mulled wine and boil water for teas and coffees. Christmas music began to play and Santa arrived to take his seat.  We even had a basket full of bagged up dog treats for the many dog walkers who regularly exercise their pooches in the Arno and on the Oxton Fields.

We were delighted that so many people came along to support us.  Lots of dog walkers came to partake of the mulled wine and their dogs were looking smart in their Christmas coats. The star of the show was even giving a piggy back to his own mini santa toy.  Our elves were walking around handing out the dog treats and letting people know what was going on.





















Lots of children were brought along to meet Santa, and were given a chocolate treat and a satsuma.  After visiting Santa in his grotto they joined us under the gazebo for soft drinks and gingerbread men.
It was lovely to be able to gather so many people in our community together at this festive time of the year. 

















 






































At midday we started to clear away and dismantle the gazebo.  We felt that it had been a success. The sale of the jams had raised £68 and altogether, including donations in our snowman basket, £200 had been taken in just two hours. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone who came along to support us and have been spurred on to plan more community events in 2020.  Watch this space!

December Litter Pick 2019

On Saturday 7th December we met at the bottom of Duck Pond Lane to start our last litter pick of the year.  Litter pickers, gloves and plastic bags were trundled down in a wheelbarrow ready to be collected by volunteers at 10am.

Our Chairperson  Annette Capper

Everyone spread out across the Oxton Fields, up the paths through to the Rose Garden and around the Quarry area.  There were particular spots which were littered with lots of empty drink cans and glass bottles.  Around the edges of the Quarry and where the remains of the Sundial are situated seem to be especially prone to litter being thrown into the undergrowth.

Some strange items always seem to turn up, no matter what time of year we do the litter pick.  This time, we unearthed an old fire extinguisher, section of air ducting as well as a children's sledge.

After just over an hour, all the volunteers met for a photgraph or two and hot drinks and mince pies.
These regular litter picks are a vital part of the work the Friends group carries out.  Without these events, there would be so much more rubbish, spoiling the beautiful green spaces that we should treasure and enjoy as a community, as well as posing a danger to wildlife. 

If you feel you would like to take part in our next litter pick, follow us on Facebook or read our Notice Boards whenever you are passing.

In Memory of Jim Fryer.

On Saturday 23rd November 2019, members of our Friends group gathered on the Oxton Fields to plant a tree in memory of our dear friend Jim Fryer.  He was one of the founding members of our Friends group way back in 2007 and a true gentleman.

Jim sadly passed away earlier this year on the 5th January and we had decided, after discussion with his widow Val, that planting a tree would be a fitting and lasting tribute to her late husband.  Naturally we had to wait until November to plant a bare root tree, and a suitable spot was chosen, visible from Val's kitchen window.  We purchased a native mountain ash ( Rowan) tree, which will look beautiful, not cast a huge shadow, and will produce red berries to feed the wildlife.





A few of us prepared the planting hole before Val, their two sons, and grandchildren arrived.  Our chair Annette Capper said a few words about our memories of Jim. His family poured some of Jim's ashes into the planting hole before the tree was positioned. Val did the honours, shovelling in the first few spadefuls of earth, followed by one of Jim's sons and grandchildren.




Then we finished the planting and completed the task by staking the tree to protect it for the first few years.  Finally, we stood together for some photographs to commemorate the occasion.

Fully grown Sorbus Aucuparia

We look forward to watching Jim's tree grow and develop in the years to come.  I'm sure Val will keep a watchful eye on it from her window.  His grandchildren, we hope, will return when they have grown up, to tell their own families about the significance of this particular tree on the Oxton Fields.

Recycling Hanging Baskets 2019

Every Summer, Oxton village is adorned with beautiful hanging baskets of flowers.  These are planted up and cared for by Dovecote Nursery of Station Road, Burton, until they go up in the village at the beginning of June.  This year, Oxton village won a gold from the RHS Britain in Bloom Awards in the village category. 


Since the Friends have created composting bays at the top of the long border, we have started to empty these baskets in early November.  Despite some of their contents still flowering, Christmas is just around the corner  and soon it will be the annual switching on of the Christmas lights.








On Saturday 9th November, some members of the Oxton Society brought along all the baskets.  Many of our Committee members, along with extra volunteers, worked to sort and empty the baskets into our compost heaps.  Apart from the moss lining, all is added to the heaps to rot down for future use in the Rose Garden.

 

The wire baskets can then be returned to Dovecote Nursery to be reused for next year's display. This is a wonderful way for us to recycle so that everyone benefits.  During the year the Friends have been using a rotary seive to create perfect compost, which we use when we are planting perennials and shrubs around the Rose Garden, or potting up plants for sale to raise funds for the Friends group.






Thank you to everyone who turned out on Saturday.  It was a fantastic team effort.

RHS North West in Bloom Award 2019

Back in the Summer, I posted about the RHS judges coming to visit our Rose Garden on the 23rd July. This was part of their North West in Bloom awards.  In 2018 we achieved level 4 out of a possible 5, which classed us as 'thriving'.

It is with great delight that I can announce that this year we did even better and were awarded level 5, outstanding.  We are so pleased that our efforts have been recognised, as our volunteers work so hard to make the Rose Garden as pleasant a green space for the public as possible.