Nature Blog by Jenny Bourne

For the past years or so you may have noticed a tall, quiet and bespectacled chap, usually in wellies walking to and back from the south west corner of the site, sometimes carrying bundles of hazel sticks or fearsome looking cutting tools. This would have been Andrew Saunders,

This must be going down as one of the wettest Novembers on record – another full rain gauge and it has sometimes felt this month as though we’ve had rain almost every day since Hallowe’en!

Tonight’s Hallowe’en trick or treaters may need their umbrellas up as Storm Ciara makes her presence felt; damp and soggy on site but the autumn colours and clearing skies made for some lovely views, in between showers. Late flower varieties are still blooming, even some annuals re-growing and leaves still on the fruit trees

It’s been interesting to look back over the past years to see how our allotments site has been managed for the wildlife that can benefit us on our plots. Habitats and specific areas have been created and managed to provide shelter, food sources and nesting places for beneficial wildlife.

This splendid Sedum Man is hopefully serving two purposes, to keep the pigeons and corvids off the produce and to provide forage for pollinators – defensive and attractant at the same time! .