Summer work 2013 - The polytunnel

Guy, Ben, Mandy, Ben and Dave. And blue sky!

First day of our Summer Saturdays, and it was lovely weather. We were doing preparations for the reconstitution of the poly tunnel. Dave and Ben have spent a lot of time clearing the area, and pulling down the massive Roses that had grown over the frame. Today we were digging the trench around the sides, which the tunnel material will be buried into to anchor it. We were: Mandy, Guy, Dave, Philip, myself, Ben, Neil, Geoff and Remy. We were briefly joined by Duncan and Harvey the dog, but they left before any work got done! Cake was a lovely sugary coffee and walnut.

Towards the end Guy and Dave became fixated on some old concreted in fence posts at the bottom end of the poly tunnel. They enjoyed subjecting these to considerable violence.

For your consideration, new tree protection for next season

Cath with tree

While on the Greek Island of Kalymnos, Cath discovers a new type of tree guard. Worth considering for future tree soc use? I'd like to see someone try and strangle one of them.

The phantom tree strangler of Butterley

So, I went up to Butterley to replace some failed trees this morning, putting in 15 Scots Pine and 15 Rowan on a patch we planted with Emma and John Gray. I looked over in the next clough to see how our trees were doing there and discovered a dozen or so trees had had their tubes "strangled". The tubes had been bent, twisted and scrunched, presumably to stop the trees growing out. It is quite a remote spot, and mostly hidden from public view. So someone has deliberately and surreptitiously gone in there and done this. A Twite loving twitcher? Fighting back against the dreaded trees?

Last day of the Season

Stephen, Dave, and a box of scones.

Today was the last day of the planting Season. Myself, Geoff, Philip, Dave, Remy, Duncan (+dog), Peter, Stephen, Hap, Guy and Mandy all went to Pasture Wood above Marsden. Planting the last of the Scots Pine and Alder, plus some Hawthorn. And put taller tubes on some Oaks that had been struggling due to sheep nibbling . Cake was fresh homemade scones with butter and raspberry jam. And it was a fittingly nice and warm sunny morning to end the Season on.

The Senior Section, Ramsay, Brian, Trevor, Peter (and Ben?) went to Meltham Cop to finish up there.