Recent Achievements
 | As those of us with gardens are particularly aware, it has been a dry August. The undergrowth in the Pinetum has been looking very floppy and the hart’s-tongue ferns (Asplenium scolopendrium) in the Grotto are lying flat on the ground. Even the nettles are looking sad but, inevitably, the brambles seem unaffected. One benefit of the drought is that we have hardly had to mow the grass. No water flow in the brook meant we were able to concrete a level platform in the race under the entrance bridge upon which the planned ram pump will be bolted. Buckets of concrete were mixed on the bridge and lowered on ropes in relay. Those involved certainly felt they had done a full day’s work! |
| A dry river bed meant we were able to cut up and remove a large rotten trunk that has been lying in the stream above the entrance bridge. We need a clear stream bed to lay a pipe that will ultimately feed the ram pump. While all this was going on Veda, Viv and Jan have continued with the never-ending task of keeping the paths trimmed and young trees free from undergrowth. |  |
Recent Events
| British Red Cross Open Day Sunday 10th July saw us open the Pinetum to the public for the 5th time as part of the Red Cross’s open gardens scheme, to raise money for the Red Cross and to increase understanding amongst the wider community of what we are doing with our restoration project. We had 126 paying visitors, which we were pleased with, considering we were competing with Andy Murray in the Wimbledon tennis final, the British grand prix and some rain in the morning. The afternoon itself was beautifully sunny though. |  |
Visitors were also able to visit the University’s Astronomy Department’s telescopes and enjoy an exhibition of Pinetum inspired art, photography and poetry, curated by Jan, in the main campus building, where the Red Cross offered tea and cake throughout the afternoon.
 |  |
