Hedgerow and Shelter Belt Planting – Thurs and Fri 11th and 12th April

By Ross Laird

Thursday was an excellent day for another volunteering session. The day was sunny and warmer than it had been lately and there was a lot of work to be done.  There was a wide range of activities for example the radishes were planted out, the vegetable bed was dug and a wormery was set up.

The main job for the day was planting an edible hedge, with a wide variety of species including Crab apples, Hazel and Blackthorns. The digging was quite tough with stone not far beneath the surface, but the difficulty was compensated by the great weather and it was great to have a break from the rain.

On Friday there was another job to do; planting a shelter belt (of native species) for the new wetland area, in Dunnikier Park. To name a few of the different species that were planted: Holly, Elder, Alder, Roses, Hazel and Blackthorns. It was great to see a part of the local area transformed after only several hours of work.

After we had finished planting it was great to go on a tour of the developments in Dunnikier Park and it is great to see the park in great condition in the shadow of Dunnikier House. There has been a wetland created which not only is very nice to look at, but serves the practical use that it should mean that the playing fields will not be so frequently waterlogged.