Land Team at work

Members of the Land Team have been busy over the past three months.
In January and February people were cutting off 30 cm strips of ivy from around tree trunks, as it was a planning condition to clear ivy from the trees. Sometimes this was a challenge, as the ivy stems could be 6cm across, which takes a lot of cutting, and some trees were very close to the river, which was often hair-raising.

In February and March we dug up saplings of beech, alder and ash, to transplant and grow on, ready for replanting once we have moved in, as some of the replacements for all the trees we have had to cut down in order to build the houses.

And recently we have taken our last opportunity to save some herbaceous plants before the demolition crew moves in – daffodil, astilbe, peony, solomon’s seal, primrose.

Since the trees have been cut down, and brambles cut back, more and more of the former planting scheme has become visible.

Some of the cut brambles have been piled up into a wonderful spiral habitat for small animals and insects, which Pete and Diana are calling a windrow.

 Kate

http://www.lancastercohousing.org.uk/