Category Archives: flowers

Summer’s lease hath all too short a date

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Summer is almost over and schools are going back. The holidays began well and the Abingdon Outdoor Pool became very popular until the second week of August when the weather became more typically mixed.
Blooms
The blooms in Abingdon this summer have added colour as they always do, thanks to the town and district councils who still see them as important.
Blooms
Nothing very different from previous summers with a mixtures of hanging baskets
Blooms
and flowers beds. It has been pointed out by some that there are no blooms in the Abbey Shopping Centre this year. That would be for Scottish Widows to decide as they run the precinct.
Blooms
One bed that was different this year was near the Outdoor Pool – planted by the Carbon Cutters with flowers to feed bees. I took a picture of it being planted on the day the Open Air Pool opened. Today was the last chance for a swim in the outdoor pool and the sunflowers have fed lots of bees.

Hay-raking at the wildflower meadow at Barton Fields

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Beer Festival
(Thanks to David from the Abingdon Naturalists for the Report and Jo for the picture)

The wildflower meadow in Barton Fields was cut last Wednesday. This year, the farmer who mows it for us was unable to bale the hay, as his baler had broken down. But the hay needs to be taken off the field, as if it is allowed to rot where it is cut, it would fertilise the ground and encourage rank grasses and nettles to flourish. So we called on the help of our Green Team, who turned out in force. Fifteen volunteers took on the task of raking and stacking the hay with pitchforks, from two and a half acres on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday we were joined by thirteen members of the Abingdon Green Gym, who completed the task for us and also helped with a couple of other tasks on site. In total, about a hundred hours of effort was put in by volunteers over the three days.

Members of our Green Team undertake annual botanical surveys and weekly butterfly counts in transects across the wildflower meadow and adjacent grassland. The meadow was sown and planted in 2009 and since then we have recorded over 50 species of flowering plant who’s abundance has increased year on year. The number of butterflies in the herb-rich meadow is three times that found in adjacent unenhanced grassland. Bees and other insects also benefit from the meadow flowers.

Details of these surveys can be found on the Abingdon Naturalists website: abnats.org.uk/survey.html .

Planting a Bee Friendly Flower Bed in the Abbey Grounds

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Flower Bed for Bees
Next to the public toilets in the Abbey Meadows, the Abingdon Carbon Cutters have planted bee friendly flowers.
Flower Bed for Bees
Plants chosen are easy to grow and full of nectar to feed bees, and are chosen to flower at different times throughout the season.  For more about how to plant to attract bees, and other things the Carbon Cutters do, see Abingdon Carbon Cutters (Bee Friendly Flowers can be found under the food menu on their site.)

Abingdon Horticultural Society Spring Show

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Many thanks to Ian for this report …
Abingdon Horticultural Society
The year leading up to the Spring Show has been very unusual. We have had drought and hosepipe bans, record rainfall and flooding of gardens and allotments, and then the very long, dry and cold ‘Spring’. The result was that Spring is very late, and most plants were several weeks behind time.
Abingdon Horticultural Society
Consequently gardeners found it very difficult to find enough entries to present the usual display. However, members managed to find enough flowers to achieve a competition, and the domestic classes were well supported with delicious cakes and preserves.
Abingdon Horticultural Society
Members can now look forward to the next talk on Tuesday 21 May at Northcourt Centre, OX14 1NS. Visitors will be very welcome at 19.30 to listen to John Negus, a RHS listed speaker, who will talk about Summer plants for bedding, patios and containers.

The club arranges regular talks and visits, and welcomes new members. The annual subscription is only £7 single and £10 family. Contact Ian Shepherd ieshepherd@yahoo.co.uk. The next show will be at the Northcourt Centre on 1 September.

Sponsors of the show were Charlton Park Garden Centre, Masons, Abingdon Garden Plants and Mrs. M. Cook. There is more information on www.abingdon-hort-soc.org.uk