Wetland shows signs of promise

Here at Orchid Meadows, it's a case of the good, the bad and the ugly...

Let's start with the good. Restoring our sphagnum wetland seems to be working. After removing encroaching willow scrub last winter and knocking back the rushes in spring, we have seen a good display of bog plants, including the curious bog bean, seen here. The marsh marigolds have been fantastic too and we are now moving on to water forget-me-not and cuckoo flower.

Sadly, things have not gone so well in the potting shed. It seems odd writing this now with temperatures of around 30C outdoors but we have had a prolonged cold, wet spring. This has affected germination of vegetable seeds and many pots have failed. Those that did make it, including squash and courgette, were duly planted out in the polytunnel and then attacked by woodlice, which weakened the roots. And now with poor rooting systems, they are struggling to cope with the searing heat.

And then, there’s the ugly! Over to our new woodland... Again, the cold, wet spring has brought problems. Pretty much all our young oaks have caught a fungal disease called anthracnose. Whilst not necessarily fatal, it weakens the plant, leaving it open to other problems. Now that the weather has improved, the trees will likely eject the dead leaves and put out a fresh lot. This will take a lot of energy, so we are hoping for benign conditions for the rest of the summer to help them recover.