Our Church Garden has become a bit overgrown. It has been invaded by a multitude of vigorous Drooping Sedge plants which grow rapidly, spread and smother other plants as well as reducing our lawn and borders. Many of the shrubs and trees have become overgrown plus plenty of Sycamore saplings have sprung up which will quickly become trees.

Our Church Warden and other interested members of our congregation agreed that it would be a good idea if we had a Gardening Group to look after the garden. I have agreed to lead the group and plan the way forward to tame the invaders and co-ordinate the work that is needed to be done. The first meeting of the group will be held at 7-30pm on 16^th October at The Shepherd and Flock Public House and everyone is invited.

In the meantime we decided to have an Autumn clear up and on the morning of Saturday 9^th  September a group of willing(?) volunteers assembled and set to. We concentrated on clearing and levelling the borders along the sides of the car park and tidying the chain link fence. We were blessed with warm sunshine and a nice cooling breeze and worked until 1230 achieving weed free borders. During the following week Annie and I finished the levelling. We then laid a weed block membrane on the bare soil and covered it with pea shingle.

The consensus at the moment is that the borders be planted with native wild hedging but more of that later in the year.

Gillian and Kevin have been busy tidying and planting the borders on the east and north sides of the church walls. I recommend you have a look. They have planted some lovely border plants which are in full bloom. Thank you Gillian and Kevin.

Lastly may I ask if anybody knows if any of the shrubs, roses or ornamental trees in our garden were planted in memory of anyone. Please let myself or Jennifer Patterson know if you do.

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“is that a tiger in the bush? No, would you believe it`s a Rose being smothered?”

Bill Thomas.