I walk my dog around a local cricket pitch which has for a long time been unattended except for the grass being mown. There is one miserable bed outside the loos and refreshment cabin. It is never weeded but a "fairy" massacres the paltry shrubs growing in it. The shrubs are never watered and consist of lonicera nitida, a Rose of Shannon, and some mangy Shasta daisies. My fingers itch every time I walk past but have avoided offering any help as someone has also been around the trees, pine, ash, hawthorn, etc., and removed what I can only assume were dead branches. For some reason, a length of branch approximately one to two feet has been left sticking out on every one. The cricket club has risen from the ashes after a break of several years and they have begun cutting back the undergrowth of brambles which quickly began to invade the edges of the so-called Village Green. I did offer to transplant some of my surplus primroses and Lesser Spotted Orchids into the woodland area but it was never taken up so I am holding my counsel. If you are still wanting to help out I would choose tough as old boots shrubs that can withstand no care or attention such as the above. The Lonicera has attractive tiny golden leaves and is evergreen, the Rose of Sharon, St John's Wort, has large golden buttercup flowers during the summer. They can both be easily clipped into size and shape. No thorns. Unless you especially want a project to work on I would not stress yourself about it as very few people will even notice the results of your work. Sadly. If further remedial building/repairs need to be done your efforts would be in vain anyway, the plants will just be trampled on. Concentrate for the moment on caring for yourself, when you are sorted you can review the situation
I noticed a wild orchid flowering on the edge of the mown area of my local green a few years ago and warned the chap who did the mowing, so he could avoid it, a couple of days later the flower had disappeared, no stalk, nothing. A year or two later the same thing happened when I spotted another orchid flowering on the opposite side of the green. Again I warned the mower chap but the flower disappeared a day or two later. My inclination was to blame children for picking the flowers but I do have a sneaky suspicion in the back of my mind.
Hi everybody, I have still not had any procedure on my hand but I have an appointment to discuss the options in early February. I am limited in what I can do It is now winter and the garden is looking somewhat forlorn and not helped by the fact that last month the main hall roof had to be renewed and scaffolding Sorry for the delay in replying but after delays with MRI scan and ultrasound I was erected on part of the garden area and plants and shrubs were trampled on and the roofers have left behind a lot of old roof tiles which will need to be cleared up
it was a bright but cold day yesterday so I went down to the cricket club to take stock and take a further look in the light at the damage caused by the roofers and their scaffolding
it’s not too bad and I did a bit of left handed tidying up in the beds to the left of the main hall
I am going to tackle it a bit at a time
To recap it is not a Landscaping project
The remit is simple
It is just a question of weeding and tidying up ( some of which has been done ) and introducing some low maintenance new blood into the existing raised beds which were looking rather faded and injecting some colour
The beds were created as previously mentioned many years ago by ladies of the parish who are now too elderly to be involved
The project is not big and I am just within budget of £100 at the moment but feel sure if I ask for a little more that would be granted
When it is time for the small over the boundary team to resume work in readiness for the new season I am sure I can get someone to barrow away the old roof tiles which the roofers have dumped in a corner of the raised beds
This project is a one off job that I was asked to do and has taken me away from the usual over the boundary maintenance work on the cricket field which will be forever ongoing
The likelihood of getting younger help is unlikely
We will get there in due course - there are no deadlines - we are just volunteers who are happy to help because of our love of the club where we all played and the love of the game of cricket
Once completed maintenance on the project should be very low
A lady who lives nearby wishes to revamp and minimise her garden and give plants / shrubs to us in spring
I have taken a look and we can certainly benefit from that
Also I will be donating plants / shrubs from my own garden
As it happens this project is not really a cricket club project
I was asked to do it for the Community Hall Trust which leases the Buildings and runs the bars and functions
The cricket club is a separate entity but we help each other
The area is adjacent to the joint car park
I have received great advice here on the forum and thank you so much for your input
To give some idea of the concept I also took a photo from the far boundary towards the Buildings namely the Community Lounge with the main Hall behind and the cricket Pavilion to the far left The project is just beyond the green gates next and in front of the first segment of the Community Hall
I took a photo of the small round bed to the right of the main hall door with which I have done nothing so far
It is north facing and gets no sun at all
It did have some hostas in there Planted by the ladies
I got a colleague to give all the white border stonework a lick of paint last summer
This area looks clean, neat and tidy. A bit boring maybe, but for a community space why not. I would just keep it weed-free and the edging given a lick of paint every 2/3 years. North facing is not easy to plant up with low maintenance free plants, they will all make foliage that dies down, even evergreens. If you are desperate for colour, why not use potted geraniums as annuals, and replace them each year?
@Keith-16 Thank you for taking time to give a clear update including photos. Lots of advice has been given so some may be repeated in a long but very interesting thread. I hope other forum members will have something else to add. Last week I spoke to a friend who's husband plays cricket locally. The wives of the cricketers got together two years ago to create a small garden next to the pavilion. They all got together on four saturday mornings had a laugh worked hard and got it done. Best Wishes Suze
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
I am more or less working alone on this project apart from help in the painting
The bed in the photo needs colour - the doors to the left are the main doors to the large Community Hall where functions such as Birthday Parties Wedding Anniversaries and Weddings are held very frequently so the remit is to make it more welcoming
I will have to do likewise with the raised beds to the left of the doors which lead to the Community Lounge which I will resume work on as soon as I am able
I may be repeating previous advice, but you might find some inspiration here for the North facing bed Keith. I appreciate that you might be constrained by budget etc. but you never know.
Our over the boundary team as I have probably said before consists of a band of should I say elderly ex cricketers who get together to enhance the over the boundary areas
Like the ladies to whom you refer we meet up to do whatever is needed have a laugh and a cuppa and a chat
Over the boundary we have quite a lot of land bounded by trees - it is a lovely safe area where the children of the players or spectators can play
Thank you AnnID i have quickly taken a look at the link / that is very helpful for north facing I will take a closer look later I may have some here in the garden which I can donate
Posts
It is never weeded but a "fairy" massacres the paltry shrubs growing in it. The shrubs are never watered and consist of lonicera nitida, a Rose of Shannon, and some mangy Shasta daisies. My fingers itch every time I walk past but have avoided offering any help as someone has also been around the trees, pine, ash, hawthorn, etc., and removed what I can only assume were dead branches. For some reason, a length of branch approximately one to two feet has been left sticking out on every one.
The cricket club has risen from the ashes after a break of several years and they have begun cutting back the undergrowth of brambles which quickly began to invade the edges of the so-called Village Green.
I did offer to transplant some of my surplus primroses and Lesser Spotted Orchids into the woodland area but it was never taken up so I am holding my counsel.
If you are still wanting to help out I would choose tough as old boots shrubs that can withstand no care or attention such as the above. The Lonicera has attractive tiny golden leaves and is evergreen, the Rose of Sharon, St John's Wort, has large golden buttercup flowers during the summer. They can both be easily clipped into size and shape. No thorns. Unless you especially want a project to work on I would not stress yourself about it as very few people will even notice the results of your work. Sadly. If further remedial building/repairs need to be done your efforts would be in vain anyway, the plants will just be trampled on. Concentrate for the moment on caring for yourself, when you are sorted you can review the situation
I noticed a wild orchid flowering on the edge of the mown area of my local green a few years ago and warned the chap who did the mowing, so he could avoid it, a couple of days later the flower had disappeared, no stalk, nothing. A year or two later the same thing happened when I spotted another orchid flowering on the opposite side of the green. Again I warned the mower chap but the flower disappeared a day or two later. My inclination was to blame children for picking the flowers but I do have a sneaky suspicion in the back of my mind.
Hi everybody,
I have still not had any procedure on my hand but I have an appointment to discuss the options in early February. I am limited in what I can do It is now winter and the garden is looking somewhat forlorn and not helped by the fact that last month the main hall roof had to be renewed and scaffolding Sorry for the delay in replying but after delays with MRI scan and ultrasound I was erected on part of the garden area and plants and shrubs were trampled on and the roofers have left behind a lot of old roof tiles which will need to be cleared up
Hi everyone
it was a bright but cold day yesterday so I went down to the cricket club to take stock and take a further look in the light at the damage caused by the roofers and their scaffolding
it’s not too bad and I did a bit of left handed tidying up in the beds to the left of the main hall
I am going to tackle it a bit at a time
To recap it is not a Landscaping project
The remit is simple
It is just a question of weeding and tidying up ( some of which has been done ) and introducing some low maintenance new blood into the existing raised beds which were looking rather faded and injecting some colour
The beds were created as previously mentioned many years ago by ladies of the parish who are now too elderly to be involved
The project is not big and I am just within budget of £100 at the moment but feel sure if I ask for a little more that would be granted
When it is time for the small over the boundary team to resume work in readiness for the new season I am sure I can get someone to barrow away the old roof tiles which the roofers have dumped in a corner of the raised beds
This project is a one off job that I was asked to do and has taken me away from the usual over the boundary maintenance work on the cricket field which will be forever ongoing
The likelihood of getting younger help is unlikely
We will get there in due course - there are no deadlines - we are just volunteers who are happy to help because of our love of the club where we all played and the love of the game of cricket
Once completed maintenance on the project should be very low
A lady who lives nearby wishes to revamp and minimise her garden and give plants / shrubs to us in spring
I have taken a look and we can certainly benefit from that
Also I will be donating plants / shrubs from my own garden
As it happens this project is not really a cricket club project
I was asked to do it for the Community Hall Trust which leases the Buildings and runs the bars and functions
The cricket club is a separate entity but we help each other
The area is adjacent to the joint car park
I have received great advice here on the forum and thank you so much for your input
Any further input will be appreciated.
I took a photo of the small round bed to the right of the main hall door with which I have done nothing so far
It is north facing and gets no sun at all
It did have some hostas in there Planted by the ladies
I got a colleague to give all the white border stonework a lick of paint last summer
The project is just beyond the green gates next and in front of the first segment of the Community Hall
If you are desperate for colour, why not use potted geraniums as annuals, and replace them each year?
Last week I spoke to a friend who's husband plays cricket locally. The wives of the cricketers got together two years ago to create a small garden next to the pavilion.
They all got together on four saturday mornings had a laugh worked hard and got it done. Best Wishes Suze
Thank you Joyce
I am more or less working alone on this project apart from help in the painting
The bed in the photo needs colour - the doors to the left are the main doors to the large Community Hall where functions such as Birthday Parties Wedding Anniversaries and Weddings are held very frequently so the remit is to make it more welcoming
I will have to do likewise with the raised beds to the left of the doors which lead to the Community Lounge which I will resume work on as soon as I am able
https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/home-garden/gardening/ideas/planting/north-facing-garden-plants
Thank you GardenerSuze
Our over the boundary team as I have probably said before consists of a band of should I say elderly ex cricketers who get together to enhance the over the boundary areas
Like the ladies to whom you refer we meet up to do whatever is needed have a laugh and a cuppa and a chat
Over the boundary we have quite a lot of land bounded by trees - it is a lovely safe area where the children of the players or spectators can play
i have quickly taken a look at the link / that is very helpful for north facing
I will take a closer look later
I may have some here in the garden which I can donate