Thursday 4/7/24 Helen has given us folding steps, lengths of timber, white spirits, garden wire, and builders bags for use at the mill. Howard couldn’t join us today, but he lent us a wildlife camera and gave us wood, tools, tool belt, tool trays and mugs. We put everything in the trailer and took it to the mill, where Eddie unloaded it all, sorted out the wood and put everything away in the shed and mugs in the wagon.
Fred has repaired our mower, so I cut the paths through the meadow again, its still very much in flower and looking good. Eddie cut all the grass at the mill which had grown quite long, he noticed birds have eaten all the cherries, including the branch under the wire netting which we hoped would save some for us to eat. Eddie filled all the bird feeders again. The Teasel seed heads we put out for birds last time had all gone.
Emma and Anne Marie walked down, Emma used the small trowel and fork, which Helen also gave us, to weed around the grindstones. Emma also strimmed, pulled up large Hemlock weeds and found the Ash tree that Beryl gave us, which now looks more healthy, I put a metal stake beside it to mark and protect it.
Anne Marie brought two red Lupin plants which she grew from seeds I brought last year from my garden, and planted them next to the blue Lupins. Today I gave Anne Marie more red Lupin seeds from my garden to grow. Anne Marie also weeded and watered the river bank and other gardens.
In April Anne Marie gave us a chutney box, today I brought my mitre saw so I could make the box into an insect hotel. I used wood that Howard gave us to divide the box into four compartments with canes, drilled block, pine cones and a butterfly box, this layout suits a wide variety of insects. I will put it on a stand next time. Insect hotels have to be made from untreated wood or it would kill the insects, so they don’t last very long, the ones we bought with the wildflower grant in January 2022 are deteriorating, we had to repair one recently.
Anne Marie invited some visitors to the mill today, Harry, Ann and their God daughter Elizabeth crossed our bridge with their dogs Chaser and Rosie. They walked through the wildflower meadow, Anne Marie showed them round the site and they watched a video of the water wheel turning and slideshows of the model mill and making the wildflower meadow on the screens in the visitor centre.
I brought a pack of Velcro pads, as some of the photos on the displays had fallen off, I stuck the pads on the photos and put them back on the boards. Eddie modified the bolt on the greenhouse door as it would not stay closed, he used a piece of wood which Howard gave us to make a block for the bolt.
Emma spotted a Duck with Ducklings on our river bank, they went down into the river. Emma drove round and loaded the piles of Hemlock she pulled up into the trailer, we took it back to The Maltings to be disposed of safely, as its poisonous.
We now have a monthly entry in the Nar Valley News parish magazine about the bone mill, to raise awareness and hopefully get more volunteers. We’ll continue to advertise our open days in NVN nearer the time.
Thursday 11/7/2024 I took the mower again and cut the track on the way down, then went through the wildflower meadow cutting the paths. The recent heavy rain has flattened some of the flowers, but there are still plenty in flower.
Eddie got a fire going in the incinerator and burned scrap wood, then he mowed most of the grass which had grown as a result of all the rain.
I brought my saw again and made a stand for the insect hotel I made last time, using a length of wood which Helen gave us. I fixed the insect hotel to the stand and put it in the wildflower meadow with the others.
Anne Marie brought some Lambs Ears plants and put them on the river bank, the ones she planted last year next to the Lupins have lots of pink flowers. We have a tall Hollyhock in flower, its growing beside the trunk of the Cherry tree, Anne Marie found a tree guard to put on the Hollyhock stem, as it had been chewed by animals.
We had a visit from Jane and John from Fincham and their young Labrador, Bonnie, they crossed our bridge and looked round the mill and saw the video of the water wheel turning as well as the finds discovered on site on our illuminated shelves.
Beryl gave us some Peaches from her greenhouse which we had with our lunch, they were lovely and juicy, she also gave us a bag of special bird seed which encourages Turtle Doves, so we put some out on our bird table.
In the afternoon Anne Marie and I pulled up tall weeds from the wildflower meadow, Eddie strimmed around the wagon and levelled the metal mat outside the wagon door by cutting pieces of wood which Howard gave us, to put under each corner.
The family of Swans now have seven Cygnets, they were beside our wall for a while, so we all watched them. I threw some Swan and Duck food to them but they were not interested in it.
Eddie used Barry’s push mower to cut the triangle of grass next to the trench and I sorted out the tools Howard gave us, there is a good selection, I already used the rule when making the insect hotel, I put them away in toolboxes and on the rack in the shed.
UPDATE 8/8/2024 The insect hotel is very popular, in just a month many canes have been occupied by Leafcutter Bees (see last picture below). There is usually insect activity around the box.
Graham Bartlett
Interactive Plan Activity Green Grant Wildflower Gallery Volunteer Previous Next
