Extending The Five Year Old Yew Hedge

11th March 2013, New Hedge Containing 50 Yew

30th January 2018, 5 Years Later

The curved yew hedge beside the Provost's garage was planted five years ago, see blog entry 11th March 2013 'A New Yew Hedge' and today it was extended. Fifty yew were used to create the original hedge and now a further 15 have been added to it, the above photographs show just how much the original plants have grown (the large Lime tree on the right of the photo had to be felled due to disease). 

Ready For The New Section

Delivery From Branch Nurseries

Planting The Yew

The Yew were purchased from 'Branch Nurseries' in the East Midlands and delivered this morning, very good quality, British grown, rootball plants of between 80cm-120cm in height. Taken over to the area beside the Provost's garage, the yew hedging plants were placed along a string guide line to check the spacing, 3 plants per metre, and to make sure the hedge would be straight. Working one plant at a time, each was moved from its space in the line and a sufficient sized hole dug out where it had stood. The plant was then carefully lowered in to the planting hole, making sure it was upright and deep enough for the top of the rootball to be level with surrounding soil, the dug out soil was then back filled in to the hole around the rootball and then healed in to firm in. Lastly, when all had been planted they were given a good watering. In a few years the new hedge should blend in with the old.  

Extending The Hedge

A Right Angle At The End Of The Curve

Fifteen Yew

The Old And New Hedge

Nine Years Of Fruit Tree Pruning

Discussing The Job At Hand

The pruning of the fruit trees in the orchard has begun, albeit later than last winter when, by now, it had almost been completed. Once again the team received help and guidance from Chris Lanczak, Orchard Manager of Waterperry Gardens, who has been offering his wealth of knowledge on fruit tree pruning since February 2009, nine years of fruit tree pruning. 
The objectives following that first visit, were as follows; to formative prune the young trees; rejuvenate the oldest trees; prune the trees to produce a large crop of good quality fruit sufficient for juicing; reduce the height of many of the large, mature trees for easy picking; to open up the centre of the trees to create a goblet shape which would allow more light into the canopy to ripen the fruit. The results, well shaped young trees, rejuvenated mature trees, low, open canopies resulting in easily accessible fruit and increased, high yields of fruit for juicing as can be seen by the number of bottles now being produced, from just 360 in 2009 to 1058 in 2017!

One Year Scion Wood Successfully Grafted

One particular tree in the orchard was given special attention by Chris was the new family tree. A project started last spring to create an apple tree producing fourteen different Oxfordshire varieties on it, see blog entry for the 6th April 2017 'A New Oxfordshire Family Tree In The Orchard' . Of the 36 pieces of one year old scion wood that were grafted on to the host tree only a few have not taken, a successful first part of the project. The next step, to reduce the new growth by a third to a half, cutting off at an outward facing bud to creating side branches and a low, open canopy. Hopefully the first fruit will be picked in the autumn of 2019.  

Pruning The Oxfordshire Family Tree

Cutting A Third To A Half Off

Kieron And Chris Working Together

Growth Pruned By A Third To A Half

The Oxfordshire Family Tree

Cutting Back Hundreds Of Iris Sibirica

The SNSC Iris Border

The borders around the new Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre (SNSC) were planted last spring/summer, see blog entry 11th July 2017 'Soft Landscaping Around The Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre' and now that the perennials have faded it is time to cut them back.

The Withered, Brown Foliage Of Iris sibirica 'Persimmon'

 

The borders to the left of the two pools contain hundreds of iris, Iris sibirica 'Persimmon', which produce blue white eyed flowers on tall stems in the summer. The foliage has withered and turned an unappealing brown making the borders look rather messy beside the new building. Using secateurs the team cut the dead foliage to the ground, placing it into tonne bags for carriage to the leaf pits for composting.

Iris' To Be Cut Back

Cut Down And Mulched

Poolside Iris Border

The SNSC Border Awaiting Cut Back

Once the iris and the other perennial plants in the poolside borders had been cut back and the debris cleared, the weeds were dug out and a mulch applied to the soil. The next border to be cut back was to the right of the building also containing perennials and many iris too, a white variety, Iris sibirica 'White Swirl', which, in June-July, produce ivory-white flowers with yellow at the base of the fall, if you can picture an iris flower, the fall are the lower petals that fall down or flare out. As with the poolside borders, once cut back, cleared of debris and weeded, a mulch was applied.

The SNSC Border Cut Back

Bird Species Number 53, The Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

In early December last year a bird song not heard in the gardens before was recorded and it is only now that the bird behind this song has been identified, a Nuthatch. For a few weeks this bird was seen and heard in the trees at the bottom of the Provost's garden, up high, it could not be seen enough to identify and the pattern of notes the bird was singing had not been heard before. The bird was eventually identified by a member of the BTO (British Trust For Ornithology) who knew the song as soon as they heard it. This Nuthatch has become the 53rd different species of bird recorded in the college grounds since the list began in 2007. (The Nuthatch photographs above are from online sources).   

Goldcrest  (Male, Orange Centre In A Yellow Crest Stripe)

A bird seen easily in the gardens at the moment is the Goldcrest. The UK's smallest bird, they are regularly seen moving quickly in the fir trees looking for insects, rarely keeping still, this male, orange centre in a yellow crest stripe, was captured on camera by Ali. 

Goldcrest

Worcester College Bird List – 15^th January 2018

1.       Blue Tit 
2.       Great Tit 
3.       Coal Tit 
4.       Blackbird 
5.       Song Thrush 
6.       Mistle Thrush 
7.       Redwing 
8.       Fieldfare 
9.       Robin 
10.   Sparrow  (Tree and House)
11.   Dunnock 
12.   Long Tailed Tit 
13.   Chaffinch 
14.   Greenfinch 
15.   Goldfinch 
16.   Goldcrest 
17.   Treecreeper 
18.   Reed Warbler 
19.   Blackcap 
20.   Chiffchaff 
21.   Wren 
22.   Great Spotted Woodpecker 
23.   Green Woodpecker 
24.   Pied Wagtail 
25.   Grey Wagtail 
26.   Jay 
27.   Kingfisher 
28.   Magpie 
29.   Goosander 
30.   Mute Swan 
31.   Mallard (inc Domestic Ducks, Muscovy, Crested Duck) 
32.   Grey Heron 
33.   Canada Goose 
34.   Greylag Goose 
35.   Moorhen 
36.   Coot 
37.   Cormorant 
38.   Wood Pigeon 
39.   Collared Dove 
40.   Jackdaw 
41.   Crow 
42.   Rook 
43.   Starling 
44.   Sparrowhawk (Nesting 2007-2009) 
45.   Little Grebe (Spotted 2009) 
46.   Rosybill Pochard (Escaped from captivity, visited April 2012) 
47.   Greylag Goose X Canada Goose (Visited March 2016) 
48.   Grey Parrot (Escaped from captivity, visited 2009 ) 
49.   Parakeet (Spotted January 2012) 
50.   Oystercatcher (Spotted Friday 4^th August 9.00am on the sports field) 
51.   Black-Headed Gull 
52.   Common Gull 
53.   Nuthatch (6^th December 2017)

Update 
54. Gadwall (26th January 2018)
55. Siskin (9th February 2018)

Pruning Climbing Roses And Wisteria

Three Ladders Needed

The first full week at work has been a busy one for the team from turning the leaf pits; aerating the large lawns; cutting down ornamental grasses; removing ivy from trees; strimming down stinging nettles; raking up the last of the autumn leaf fall to pruning the many climbers that adorn the walls at the rear of the 13th century cottages.

Pruned Wisteria

Starting with the large wisteria at the top end of the herbaceous border, three ladders of different shapes and sizes are needed to access this awkward giant that, over many years, has climbed around windows and an arch. Once pruned the next climber to be tackled was the rather scruffy, somewhat unruly, climbing rose.

A Unruly Climbing Rose

A Lot Of Top Growth

For many years this rose has caused a problem and, not wanting to prune it too hard, the team have given it time to behave. In the past new wires have been added to allow it to climb up and along the wall, pruned lightly and pruned semi hard but still the top half insists on exploding and filling the corner with top growth and very little flower. 

Pruning The Climbing Rose

Nearly Finished

The decision was made to renovate this rose and prune it hard. The oldest, woody stems were selected, cut down and, following them through the rose and along the wires, were carefully removed. Next the dead was cut out and then the remaining vigorous, young stems were untied from the wires, untangled and then retied along the wires. Any side shoots along the newly tied in stems were then shortened and the lengths of the stems reduced by cutting of the tips to encourage branching. Pleased with the resultant shape created by the hard pruning it is now a case of just waiting to see if the rose behaves itself and stays tidy and flowers well.

Pruned

Wisteria and Climbing Roses Pruned

Working their way along the back of the cottages, another three wisteria and three roses were pruned before reaching another wall with a campsis and yet another wisteria that need pruning. These wisteria underwent a hard prune a few years ago so now the strongest, young growth, produced in response to this hard prune, are tied in to the wires and shortened to create new flowering spurs as well as cutting back the older flowering spurs to two to three buds.
After four days all these climbers had been pruned and, next week, the pruning will continue with the largest wisteria that inhabits the long black railings at the far end of the quad. 

Pruned Wisteria

Pruning Another Wisteria

Country Life 'Behold The Flower Of Town And Gown'

 January 2018, Galanthus elwesii 'Maidwell L'

The college's display of snowdrops are featured this weeks Country Life, page 78-83, six pages entitled 'Behold the flower of town and gown' written by Mark Griffiths with acompanying photographs by Julian Nieman. Here is a link to the online version, enjoy!

http://www.countrylife.co.uk/gardens/snowdrops-flower-town-gown-172010

A Windy Welcome Back From Storm 'Eleanor'

Happy New year and welcome back to the readers of the blog.

Back with a bang, or a crash in this instance, the Gardens and Grounds team returned today from the College's Christmas and New Year shut down and were welcomed back by the strong winds of storm 'Eleanor'.
The storms are now named by the Met Office and Met Eireann and are based on the National Severe Weather Warning Service, helping to raise awareness of the severity of the winds and their potential impact. Working through A-Z from the beginning of September to the end of March, in 2015-16 there were 11 storms from Abigail through to Kate, in 2016-17 there were only five storms, from Angus through to Ewan, but since last September there have already been five, from Aileen through to Eleanor which arrived over night and blew through the county of Oxfordshire most of the day. 
Eleanor had an immediate impact on the returning team having caused one of the beech trees to shed a rather large limb bringing it crashing to the ground. This had to be cleared, cutting it up with a chainsaw, then splitting the wood into logs and stacking them in the log store where they will dry out ready to be used as firewood.
A windy welcome back to work, it is hoped that storm 'Fionn' never arrives!