Environment Week Event Monday 8 May 2023

The weather forecast for our event threatened heavy rain in the afternoon. Not to be deterred, people came along and met up at the Abbey. Members of the Monday Group had planned to demonstrate two projects close to the Abbey; dry stone walling and installing a new bench by the middle pond. This required transporting a very heavy oak bench to the middle pond and replacing the rotted seat, which could have been there 20+ years. 

                  The Abbey was open for visitors and quite a number of people came during the afternoon. Tea, coffee and some excellent cakes were available too. 

 

A small group (see photo) set off for the Wild Flower Hunt to see and identify what species were in flower around the area. 

We walked up Beauchief Drive looking along the hedge bottoms. Garlic Mustard, Dog’s Mercury and Cow Parsley were very prolific and a joy to see, also an excellent patch of Sweet Woodruff. There were several clumps of Arum lilies, more commonly known as Lords and Ladies or Cuckoo Pint, and one patch was flowering. Bluebells were abundant in Gulleys Wood and a number of patches of Wood Anemone and Lesser Celendine could be seen. The Wild Garlic along the edge of the wood was in full flower. We then went to Gulleys Wood Meadow and unexpectedly found a few pignut plants flowering and a lovely patch of Greater Stitchwort. Bluebells were also in flower in the meadow and have now spread over a wider area away from the woodland edge, and a few meadow Buttercups too. At the Nature Park Green Alkanet and Comfrey were in full flower under the hedge by the entrance and a huge patch of Colt’s-foot in the inside car park had gone over to seed! Barren strawberries were found along the side of the central path. We were pleased to see that the Crab Apple tree planted in memory of Brian Green was in full flower; perhaps there will be some fruit to collect later in the year. 

It was a very enjoyable afternoon and there had been plenty to see. 

This is a list of the species in flower and those identified but not flowering: 

Cow Parsley 

Garlic Mustard 

Dog’s Mercury 

Common Nettle 

White Dead Nettle 

Herb Robert 

Cleavers 

Dandelion 

Herb Bennett 

Ground Ivy 

Common Mouse Ear 

Lords and Ladies 

Species Flowering: 

Forget-me-not 

Ribwort Plantain 

Bluebell 

Ramsons (Wild Garlic) 

Wood Anemone 

Lesser Celendine 

Tufted Vetch 

Barren Strawberry 

Blackthorn 

Colts-foot 

Comfrey 

Green Alkanet 

Oxeye Daisy 

Buttercup 

Pignut 

Yellow Archangel 

Greater Stitchwort 

Purple Dead Nettle 

Bush Vetch 

Crab Apple 

Ribwort Plantain 

Sorrel 

Groundsel 

Shepherd’s Purse 

Species identified not in flower: 

Holly (in bud) 

Ivy 

Hedge Bindweed 

Burdock 

Red Clover 

Ladies Mantle 

Yarrow 

Black Knapweed 

Rosebay Willowherb 

Great Willowherb 

Raspberry 

Hogweed 

Silverweed