OPEN DAY AT ORCHID GLADE, 2nd July 2022
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Many thanks to Trustee Piers Sturridge for clearing the entrance — and to Piers, Trustee Janey Cullen and Hon. Treasurer John Fisher for coming to invigilate. Janey took some memorable photos.
The weather was superb, and the day enlivened by two cheerful groups of Duke of Edinburgh award adventurers, who came plunging through Orchid Glade Reserve with their maps, to ask us to show where they were on (or off!) the trail from Bredfield to Wickham Market.
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The Fleabane is more rampant than ever this year, but not yet in flower (Image 1). After the long drought, the ground was dry, hard and cracked, but the new ponds still held water — enough for deer to drink from the new trench's edge (Image 2) — whilst the new shallow pond is invaded by Reed-mace (Image 3). Botanical treats for the day were …
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| Hoary St John's wort (Image 4), Marsh woundwort (Image 5) and Common centaury (Image 6). | ||||
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Ash disease continues to eliminate the thickets of sapling ash, but the removal of dense cover is opening up the ground (image 7), whilst Brambles in bloom promise a good blackberry harvest (Image 8) — and the Marsh thistles are quite measuring up too! (Image 9)
Thank you, Janey, for all the images.