Work our volunteers have completed in Birkenhead Park
Wednesday Volunteer Diary
2024
Wed 10 Jan 2024
Alan Brighouse reports as follows: -
Wednesday January 10 was the first official return day for the volunteers after the Christmas break. However, to overcome the excesses of the festive season there had been a few unofficial sessions. One such session included the removal of the epicormic growth from the trees on the bowling green side of the driveway to the main entrance. The gardeners helpfully completing the task using a chainsaw to remove the large growth from a tree stump.
By getting ahead of the schedule it provided an opportunity to finish off some remaining work around the upper lake. Following a health and safety talk the group continued the work of thinning out the tree growth around the upper lake. Central to Paxton’s plan is the concept of ‘hide and reveal’. A concept that must be retained. Although a remark from a passing dog walker was welcome, “thank you for opening the views of the lake; it is why we come.
Wed 17 Jan 2024
The work was programmed from the Quarterly Inspection in November. The first quarter of 2024 is to concentrate on the Lower Park. The task was to cut off epicormic growth from trees on the left-hand mound where the Grand Entrance Avenue meets Park Drive.
This developed into a heavy prune of hawthorn and holly along with removal of the lower branches of yew intertwined within them. The spreading habit of the hawthorn was cut back into a more vertical appearance.
Epicormic growth around the base of a chestnut under stress was totally removed. The strategy for removal is to cut back young spindly growth with secateurs first. This allows better access for pruning saws on the older thicker growths. A sequence of cuts, often from differing directions, is needed to progressively trim branches close to the bole of tree.
Where growths have been cut back in the past they have been left well away from the bole and leave thick intertwined growths close to the bark. Their removal needs care and patience. The gardeners may be able to advise on whether too close pruning back puts further stress on the tree where the wider cuts can act as a source of infection for the future.
Growth around a double boled cut down tree (on which fungal growths were emerging) was removed to expose a young yew which was intermingling with the branches. This required a delicate sequence of removal. In a sense, the growths were protecting the yew; now it will have to adapt to a more exposed position in the light.
The beautiful, sunny yet freezing day was joy to the ten or so volunteers and Michael the Ranger. Cooperative work ensured a large pile of branches cut by length and size to aid shredding by the gardeners. Recent rains, direct sun and the clayey soil brought out ooze to the surface though the traffic of volunteer feet and the track of a fully loaded wheelbarrow.
Epicormic growth Growth closely cut off
Strong low winter sun and young yew
Thinned shrub View towards Grand Entrance
Wed 24 Jan 2024
The task was the removal of epicormic growth from trees in the night pasture close to Park Drive and in the group of trees opposite the British Legion. Because the trees had not been pruned or a few years the branches were substantial and numerous. Those from the night pasture were carried to the Figure of Eight Lake and piled up over the fence. Those by the British Legion were left in small piles around the trees from which they were removed.
On one tree in the night pasture the removal of the epicormic growth exposed the presence of deep holes in the trunk. At waist level in a horizontal depression behind the outer growth a small bottle of distinctive design had been deposited amongst the branches. Further growth had encased the bottle, and it withstood all attempts to remove it. An expert in bottle design would be needed to identify its provenance.
Pile of epicormic cuttings Bare tree base with epicormic growth removed
Wed 31 January 2024
A diverse group were taken round the Lower Park by Hannah the Ranger for a talk about trees and their identification.
She explained that the Park would be identifying small trees which it wished to be retained. This would be done using tags to mark them. The idea was that young trees in groups in areas of open skylight would be plotted for retention. The best placed, most mature and undamaged would be singled out to be kept. Attention would be paid to Ash and Beech along with Yew.
Whereas Eric the Ash tackled those trees with gusto letting no root overcome his digging, it is now important with ash die back to plan their succession with care. Beech also are important as the mature ones on mounds are suffering from increasingly stormy weather, shedding limbs and being liable to windthrow.
Not all epicormic growth needed to be removed. Limes adjoining pathways were a priority. However, a Holm Oak with extensive growth gave the appearance of a bush around the parent tree, helping to hide the bare earth mound beyond and should be retained.
Hannah identified English, Red and Holm Oak, Beech, Sycamore, Maple, Chestnut, Cherry, Cedar, Hornbeam, Hawthorn, Lime, English and Irish Yew, and the humble Elder. Dogwood, gorse, rhododendron, laurel and viburnum as bushes completed the identification round.
Without my setting out her various pneumonics, she demonstrated a strategy for winter identification. Bark is so important. Then pulling on lower branches to get a close-up picture of buds was essential. Finally, looking underneath the branch spread for fallen leaves, fruits and cones could help identification. Leaves were mixed up by wind and some such as chestnut would decay quickly. Close examination of leaves could distinguish between types of Oaks for instance.
The group also saw the sorry state of the Figure of Eight Lake. Its level had risen so high that the landing stage was totally submerged, and the gate, notice and railings emerged as incidents in the flat mirror of the water’s surface.
On the way back, the volunteers were shown the new interpretation board explaining the Roman Boathouse with its pebbled floor designed by Maggie Howarth in the 1990 improvements. The board, low down and angled, is to help those with disabilities unable to mount the steps to appreciate the structure and its floor. Such interpretation boards will be necessary for explaining the Park as a potential World Heritage Site.
During the walk the group came across Glyn Bennion and Paul Hill clearing a mound of leaves and bramble to allow spring bulbs to come through. This mound was behind the Korean Dogwoods by the lakeside path.
New noticeboard for the Roman Boathouse Flooded Figure of Eight Lake and noticeboard
Wed 7 Feb 2024
The program of work had been prepared by Chris Osborne.
Attention was focused on the area between the Figure of Eight Lake and Park Drive. The Saturday volunteers had already made a start by the path entrance to the submerged gate. The arisings from the pruning were stacked as they lay along with the pile created on the 31 Jan.
The growth of bramble was intense. The area behind the gate had been heavily worked on pre-Covid 19. At that time invasive bramble immediately behind the fence and gate had been pruned back and the roots dug out. It was noticeable that the cleared area up to 1 metre from the fence had largely remained devoid of bramble growth. However large and long arching growths had rerooted into the grass. Pulling on these provided an exercise in following the strand entangled in the grass or burrowing in the ground over distances of two or three metres. The bramble leaves were starting to emerge from buds, showing early growth in the winter season.
Wed 14th Feb 2024
Bramble clearance continued on the Figure of Eight Lake. In the process, the digging up of bramble roots rediscovered the line of the pathway from the gate from Park Drive to the lost ‘amphitheatre’ now partly submerged by the floodwater of the lake. From memory, these features were established under Paul Sinclair (Park Ranger) around ten years ago. This demonstrates how quickly features can be lost as nature re-absorbs people’s constructions.
Brambles near the fence had been cleared and roots dug up some five years ago. A metre wide strip clear of bramble remained, but a start to re-rooting of arched tips was evident. Beyond that strip very strong growths created a multi directional panoply of arches forming an impenetrable thicket. The most efficient way to thin this out was to make a cut at knee height at the thick end of the stem. Pulling vigorously on the cut arch would gradually unwind the remaining stem from the clinging arms of the thicket, gradually unwinding the thin growing portion all the way to the re-rooting tip. This enabled gradual access to the core of the thicket and the ability to clear the dead stems nestling underneath.
Cleared area Tractor with flatbed exposed pathway
The development of the flats across Park Drive is nearing completion. At least one flat has been occupied. However, the Heras fencing is still in position. The planning permission is likely to require the erection of the permanent fence to the boundary of a similar height before first occupation.
Heras fence to occupied flats in the development to the rear of 54-56 Park Road South
Wed 21 Feb 2024
As Mike the ranger was not able to supervise the work of the volunteers, we worked on the beds to the Tool Store side of the Visitor Centre. The beds were edged and weeded. In the bed next to the door, the soil contained a plethora of worms all wriggling and aerating the damp soil. The most invasive weed along the western edges was creeping buttercup.
The bed towards the park boundary was exceedingly wet. Edging created a ditch with a thin ribbon of groundwater and the dampness of the grass with foot traffic soon created a muddy surface mess. Perhaps, action on this bed should be paused until the dryer winds of March or April have worked their magic and allowed volunteers to work on firm soil. The pond around the bicycle racks was brushed into the surrounding grass and the hard surface edged.
There was a discussion with Mike about Saturday working, access to tools and trust. Following this, Chris Osborne indicated to Graham that a work programme for Saturday was to be prepared. He pleaded for patience on the part of the volunteers until then. Full access to the tools to carry out the programme would be made. Until then Saturday volunteers would have to engage in litter picking.
Weeding and edging of bed by Visitor Centre
Weeding and edging of bed behind the car park in Plot 6.
Wed 28 Feb 2024
Work carried on by the Figure of Eight Lake. Brambles were removed.
Wed 6 March 2024
Work carried on around the Figure of Eight Lake. Brambles were removed and dug out with spades, forks and mattock.
Wed 13 March 2024
Work continued around the Figure of Eight Lake. (check with Alan Brighouse about the details)
Wed 20 March 2024
Yet another day around the Figure of Eight Lake. The normality was rudely interrupted at the start of the session by a loud crack and massive crash as a limb from a stressed tree landed on a boundary fence at the back of a property on Park Road South. The health of a mature landscape was craving attention.
A lot of the bramble taken down over the last month was stacked into the flat bed and hauled away by Mike using the tractor. It was intriguing how standing on the
How to hide a flatbed and tractor Crack and crash of doom
brambles on the flat bed could mysteriously compress the barbed mass into submission and that a huge pile could be loaded onto a small container. Ropes prevented the entangled stems from springing into life and distributing themselves onto Park Drive on their journey to the depot.
Great swathes of Mahonia by the flooded lake were trimmed back carefully. It was interesting to see how the planted shrubs had weaved their way across the rising ground to establish an impenetrable mass ready to burst into yellow spring life.
Wed 27 March 2024
The Figure of Eight Lake became a place of work for some of the group to do a variety of jobs. Loading of the brambles cut down the previous week was a major task. Yet again Mike crushed the stems to fit the low loader, imitating the tramping of the grapes in warmer climes but with less output and more prickle. It was a matter of wonder how the volume could be squeezed; remaining piles could be rolled up and compressed into the mass already on the flatbed. Meanwhile, others marched into the dense forest of holly bushes under holly trees, cutting out dead sticks starved of light and air. Lower branches were lopped as well and opened up the dens of out of hours drinkers. This would let the rain through and wet more than whistles. Archaeological exploration unveiled substantial sandstone blocks. Cut branches were trimmed to size to provide stepping platforms between them. A pathway was diverted by relaying the membrane from the one laid out in the last decade and lining the new alignment with cut branches pinned with short staves.
Meanwhile, those bored by constant work on the Figure of Eight Lake over the last few weeks, struck out on a voyage of exploration to the woods by the Edward Kemp Garden to saw off epicormic growth, primarily of limes. Stacks of thin branches were distributed around the open area under the tree canopy to mark progress. Areas of spring daffodils provided a counterpoint to the bare soil, beech mast and contorted exposed roots of the mature trees, lighting up an area of underworld gloom.
Contorted roots Spring daffodils springing through muddy gloom
Paul continued his invaluable work of cleaning the noticeboards around the park. For the last few weeks on his own, he has been scrubbing moss and lichen off the painted surfaces and cleaning up the Perspex fronts to rejuvenate their tired appearance and stubbed cigarette damage. The mass of old notices and redundant staples inside now need tidying up along with the faded plans showing the verdant nature of the Park and its meandering paths. Once done the visitor experience can be enhanced.
Wed 3 April 2024
Another day at the Figure of Eight Lake. It feels like an old friend. Effort was concentrated in laying out paths in the area between the lake and Park Drive. Mike, the Ranger, brought substantial branches and logs along in the flatbed and tractor for demarking the pathway. He also brought along a pile of epicormic arisings for transferring into the line of the dead hedge that he had started the previous weekend. The empty flatbed was then used for the removal of the remaining piles of bramble.
The pathway layout was extended and demarked towards the other western gate in the estate railings. The wending across the sloping landscape was later considered difficult for the retention of chippings in the long term and may be rerouted. This would diminish the area of bramble intended to be left by the pile of deposited leaves. However, the bramble area would still help to mask the bare slope behind and become a source of autumn fruit for birds and foraging humans.
Two volunteers went off to the west to remove lower holly branches and to open up views of the flooded lake. The arisings were stored behind the estate railing for subsequent chipping.
Pathway laid out with ‘dead hedge’ behind
Wed 10 April 2024
Wed 17 April 2024
Wed 24 April 2024
Owing to preparations for the Green Flag judging on Fri 10th May the volunteers were assigned to edging the paths and beds in front of the Visitor Centre. As edging of the paths had not been carried out for some time it was difficult to find the margins of the paths to create a coherent edge. In most places there was a wooden edging strip and the best place was to insert an edging half-moon or spade between the strip and the path tarmac edge. Bluntness of the spades made this delicate job difficult. Spades had to be angled to deepen the cut by pressing a corner in once the correct line had been established. Shallow turfs up to 15cm wide then had to be prised from the path. Tony, a volunteer with professional gardening experience, advised on the need to sharpen the spades to make these procedures easier.
Sometimes, the edging took place behind the timber edging strip because of the difficulty of finding the path edge. Often the strip had decayed and fractured leaving a trench at the path edge. This will need to be filled with soil or brushed gravel from the path to prevent sprained ankles. The grass should grow in time over the space or the timber edge.
Marion’s Herb Garden was also edged and weeded.
Wed 1 May 2024
Continued work on path edgings in front of the Visitor Centre. Mainly completed but some work to be carried out by the Saturday volunteers.
Wed 8 May 2024
Some volunteers painted the benches in the area around the Visitor Centre. This was mainly to give colour to the new slats fitted by the heritage gardeners from timber salvaged from fallen trees in the Park.
The main group removed weeds from the area between the Swiss Bridge and the transverse fence to expose the hydrangeas on one side of the path and the mixed dense bed on the other side. The bed edges were recreated. Brambles and thistles were dug out. The following day the gardeners were to strim the weeded areas leaving small areas of Alchemilla Mollis which self-seed in a sunny spot.
Wed 15 May 2024
Now that the Figure of Eight Lake had been drained the volunteers went to work on clearing the damage caused by the flooding and high-water levels. Submerged brambles had died back so the stems were cut down from the water’s edge and the brittle remains swept up along with damp leaf mould and cut leaves from rushes to be dumped into the flat bed on the tractor. The pathway around the lake was swept of the remains of aquatic plant and leaves. Submerged branches were hauled up on to land to weigh down the growing mound. An abandoned shopping trolley graced the top of the compressed pile.
G R Arnold
15/04/2024
