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We have just about completed the winter pruning at Bowling Park Community Orchard now. When we first had some tuition from Peter Blackburn-Maze he talked about remembering what was done to teach tree each year. I couldn't understand how - but realise with a sounder understanding of the pruning principles it is easier to recall what was done last year. However I thought a timely blog entry now may help us remember what we were thinking when we come to do the task next winter.
Pruning is a good time to have a real good look at the trees and it doesn't take long to notice the different growing tendancies of the trees. The Allington Pippin has many lateral branches creating a dense, spiky tree, not dis-similar to a blackthorn, where as Arther Turner is still intent on 'his' vigorous upright growth with barely a side branch to be seen (we have pruned to encourage branching). Last autumn a lot of our fruit was picked by others - not people voluneering to manage the orchard through the rest of the year - so in that sense it is a benefit to have fruit produced where you need a ladder to pick it.I still have a lot to learn about this pruning business but actually realised that I felt a little more confident at times this winter, however I am still making some less than text book decisions I am sure. We still have some young trees that require formative pruning, whilst others are older and we concentrated on removing crossing, damaged and diseased branches and reducing the inward growing laterals. I need to keep an eye on these as I don't know what the effect will be. I also want to explore further the idea of some summer pruning to restrict the growth of parts of the larger trees. The Kidd's Orange Red is suffering with a canker on the main trunk where it branches. There is some strong growth from below the infection so we decided to remove one of the branches at the infected point and used a knife to clean up as best we could. We wonder if we need to remove the other branch emerging at this point too - but there is still healthy bark serving it and we do not know how much infection the tree will cope with as it grows older (it was planted 7 years ago). So we will watch and learn. Peasgood Nonsuch has some canker as well - I was not brave enough to attempt a bridge graft last year...maybe sometime. In the meantime we are trying to encouage more growth towards Anne and Bob's plot as it is leaning significantly towards our path. We continued with the plan Martin instigated last year and removed another small branch from the heavy side. One of the cuts from last year as produced 3 strong shoots - we guess these shouldn't be left but as we weren't quite sure what to do we left them for now.Egremont Russet, Blenheim Orange and Discovery didn't have much done, whilst the Ribston Pippin had some lower shoots removed - the one's that drag in the grass. Fortune has suffered from shading on the south side so I removed some of the hedge and will do more when we are at the orchard with the bees volunteers. Belle de Boskoop is growing very well - but we wondered if one of the branches is becoming a bit too dominate as a central leader and will need checking - something to think about in the future. Winston had a significant break which we were reluctant to remove completlely due to the effect this would have on the tree as a whole - so removed what we could and cleaned it up. Lord Lambourne also had a broken branch. This had been taped but I hadn't realised - just thought it was left over from a sign at Apple Day so removed the tape. We cut the loose branced and left a small, clean wound that we hope will heal. That's all I can really remember now  - expect we really must make a descision about the keswick Codling Arch or not arch so we can prune accordingly. A couple of branches of the larger tree have been broken - i think because they are in the way of the path so have been damaged accidently. All in all the orchard is looking good. It will be seven yars since our opening ceremony on March 26th (I think) - isn't there a saying 'show me the boy of 7 and will show you the man'. I think thatfeels very fitting - the orchrad feels like it isa real place now, well established and we can look to the future. pip pip. 

AconitesOnly 8 people were on the minibus for today's trip to Ripley Castle grounds, where we met up with 4 ladies who had travelled by car. When we arrived in Ripley, it was very cold, grey and raining and some people had to be virtually prised out of the minibus. After paying our entrance fees, we set off on the walk around the lake. The groups enthusiasm did grow as we got moving, and there was more to see than we had anticipated. We saw a lot of snowdrops and also a small patch of aconites over the old Ice House. Unfortunately visibility was not good, but the views would be splendid in better weather. Light but steady rain continued throughout much of the morning, and turned sleety for a short time. There were some very interesting,ancient trees including the self-perpetuating beech tree (see the gallery). Some of the oak trees are a thousand years old and are very knarled. On the far side of the lake the path skirted the deer park, where numerous fallow deer could be seen.We probably saw about 10 species of fungi incuding stereum hirsutum, turkeytail and jelly ear. Several species were sited on a single large tree stump which was quite spectacular. On completing the path right round the lake, we stopped for lunch. The clever ones ate in the hothouses. The others didn't discover the hothouses until after they'd eaten. After lunch, we explored the hothouses,walled garden and kitchen garden by which time it was snowing.Only 18 birds were recorded, the highlight being a greater spotted woodpecker on a nut feeder in the kitchen garden.Most people headed for a hot drink in the tearoom before heading back.It had been a good day but bitterly cold and we were all keen to get home and get warm.  

Sue

A couple of things to note on a very wet day. There was a sparrowhawk hunting and flew off with a blackbird (we think). We had a look at the patches where we sowed the yellow rattle, Rhinanthus minor, seed in September. We would expect the seeds to germinate in spring, so weren't really sure whether we would see anything. This link has more information about the plant and a photo of the seed leaves.

20 Bees members gathered for the New Year social, a welcome break from the confinement imposed by the severe the winter weather of 2010. The spread was magnificent but seemed to disappear in a flash. One of our founder members Dorothy Jones  was able to be with us. Dorothy went onto be a very worthy joint winner of Alice's cryptic quiz. Margaret presented the review of 2009 together with a new version of the Bees Diary 2009 based on the Bees blog.There was agreement that it had been a successful year with 26 outings, we visited a variety of habitats and sites, also a new minibus had been made available to the group and the Bees blog had been established.Thankyou cards were presented to Joan and the two drivers. Joan outlined sites for possible visits in 2010 and welcomed suggestions from the group. Concerns were raised by some members that due to the popularity of Bees activities it was not possible to join the group in the mini bus. Various suggestions were made but no firm changes agreed. The meeting concluded with two quizes and the group departed around 3 30pm. Margaret

Our Xmas event started at 10 am at the YMCA. Sue showed us some of the superb photos of wild life and scenery she had taken since becoming involved with Bees, a real credit to her and the group.There were insects , butterflies and dragonflies , reptiles lizards and newts, flora , birds to enjoy as well as reminders of the superb scenery and good weather we had experienced on our outings.

Sue's "piece de resistance"which we all admired was her slide show to musical accompaniment - a truly professional presentation.

30 of us then departed in the direction of Queensbury for a festive meal.

Margaret    

We gathered at the YMCA for two superb slide shows. Stuart showed us the slides of the antipodean journey he and Gillian had completed in Feb 2009 visiting Hong Kong , Australia- Sydney and Melbourne then New Zealand both North and South Island and a final call at Singapore on the return journey. For some it was a reminder of destinations visited, for others it was an opportunity to enjoy  their holiday.

Annie showed us slides of the spectacular and colourful people and scenery of Vietnam . There is more to come we have been told, watch this space!

Margaret

BitternStuart and Joan led today's trip to Potteric Carr nature reserve, attended by 17 participants. On arrival, maps of the site were obtained from the visitor centre and distributed amongst the group. Two general camps were then formed - the Birdwatchers and the Fungal Foragers. What a choice! I fell in with the Birdwatchers, eager to see a bittern. The birdwatchers headed to the hides overlooking Decoy Marsh, where we saw teal and shovelers, and we were then afforded good views of two snipe foraging on the edge of an island. We continued on, passing a reedbed, where we heard the distinctive call of a Cetti's warbler. Three of us waited patiently for a sighting of this elusive little bird, but to no avail, and we headed on towards the visitor centre. Our leader had told us it was impossible to get lost here, but we managed the impossible quite easily, and took several wrong turnings. Anyway, it was worth it as we sighted a redwing and we saw some unusual fungi along the way.Arrival at the visitor centre heralded lunch - some had hot food in the cafe, with Shepherds pie being a firm favourite. Others had packed lunches in the hide, where we observed several birds on and around the feeders including reed bunting and jay. After lunch we proceeded to the Piper Marsh hide. We didn't have to wait very long, before a bittern emerged from the reeds on the edge of the island, stalking through the reeds but sometimes coming right out into the open, enabling us to get really good views. This was the highlight of our birding day, which saw us record 43 species.

The Fungal Foragers had intended to explore a certain part of the reserve which was thought to be particularly good for fungi, but they never arrived there as there was so much to see alongside all the paths. Right outside the visitor centre, a destroying angel was seen. Then there were the alien-like earth stars and the golden spindles, and so it continued.... Particular highlights were the panther cap, amanita pantherina and the caterpillar fungus, cordyceps militaris, which parasitises insects.32 flowering plants and ferns were recorded. 

It was a cold and dull day, but it had stayed dry and both the Bird Watchers and the Fungal Foragers returned home with smiles on their faces, even though we had only explored a fraction of this wonderful nature reserve. 

Sue