The Wildlife Garden project

In 2007 we created our popular Wildlife Garden with grant funding from the National Lottery Awards for All programme.

The garden was created on part of the site where bee orchids had been found, adjacent to the small river.  You can find out more about how we created the garden here: Wildlife Garden » Dorset Road Allotments.

Every year the garden gets a little bit wilder and is host to lots of mammals, amphibians, lizards, insects and birds… not to mention a fox family that likes to sunbath next to the pond.

Unfortunately, after 18 years the wooden dipping platform is deteriorating and the pond needs a new liner.  The interpretative signs have also faded in the sun and brambles are trying to take over!

Fortunately we have a team of Duke of Edinburgh volunteers who have started to tame the garden and make it more welcoming.  On day one they have started to cut back brambles and lay new bark chipping on the paths.

We are also fundraising to build a new and bigger pond dipping platform as well as replace the liner and sub-liner.  We plan to have new interpretative signs made and some additional benches.  It’s also time for the native hedge around the perimeter to be ‘laid’.

There’s lots of work to do to reclaim the wildlife garden and ensure it can be safely used for the next 20 years!  Watch this space for fundraising activities and progress reports.

 

 

 

Frog spawn survey

We have seen frog spawn in the wildlife garden pond!  We know we have newts but it’s been a while since we’ve seen any frog spawn.   Hopefully there will soon be little tadpoles swimming around.

Frog spawn survey

The sighting has been uploaded onto the annual PondNet Spawn Survey 2021.

The Freshwater Habitats Trust are asking for help collecting data on the whereabouts of frog and toad spawn across the country by taking part in their PondNet Spawn Survey 2021.

If you seen any frog spawn in your pond then please upload the sighting.  Your survey findings will be fed into their WaterNet database that is freely available for Government bodies, NGOs and local people to download to feed into local wildlife plans and other surveys.

 

Spring Community Spruce days

Dorset Road Allotments is maintained by our Members who volunteer to help out.   This Spring we will be holding a series of community spruce days for Members to help maintain the site.  These days will comply with the Covid regulations.

Dates

Sunday 7th March, 11.00am – 1.00pm

The wildlife garden needs clearing of brambles in some areas, strimming the long grass and cutting back and planting new hedgerows. We’ll also be replacing the plastic covering the site nursery polytunnel.

Sunday 28th March, 11.00am – 1.00pm

We’ll be continuing work in the wildlife garden including looking at the decking platform, planting new trees in the orchard and setting up the site nursery, with some seed sowing and clearing of site rubbish.

Sunday 11th April, 11.00am – 1.00pm

Seed sowing of tender crops for Plant Sales Day, pricking out and potting on,  and repair of fences around the site

Sunday 23rd May, 11.00am

Plant Sales Day, when we’ll be selling mainly vegetable plants for members’ and friends plots and gardens, including squashes, courgettes, sweetcorn, tomatoes, beans etc.

If you cannot make one of the Community Spruce dates please check the Jobs Board for site work that needs doing.