All change -for the third time!

Over the weekend the garden group volunteers restored the old fence line of the School Environmental Garden.  Old fence sections were reused and brought back to life with a few modifications.  The garden is now once again secure with just the gate entrance.  However  the larger restored fence section has been made removable just in case...!

This work was essential if we are to now start the early planning stages of our Jurassic Garden.  Boundaries have to be marked out to give us a better picture.

Elsewhere signs that Spring has arrived included the first sighting of the year of a BeeFly.  A formidable looking insect but quite harmless.

Elsewhere the Willow classroom has started to green up and with a couple of weeks should look good again

In the greenhouse warmer temperatures have triggered the sundews to reappear with their small sticky leaves.  The gourds have also been planted up having been taken out of the propagator.  Once things warm up they will grow very quickly. This year we are trying Snake Gourds and Loofahs.

In the World War 2 garden the Broad Beans have appeared but the Potatoes are still waiting for warmer weather. Our bed of Jerusalem Artichokes has just started to break the surface of the soil.  Hopefully they should grow quickly now.

Finally a picture of the garden with a blue sky!

March Weather in the School Garden

The data from our weather station is shown below for the month of March.  The 11th March produced the lowest temperature of -2.8C and also that day the strongest wind gust of 10.2m/s.  The monthly rainfall total was about 2.7cms.

Day	Midday Temp C	Highest Temp C	Wind Speed m/s	Wind Direction	Air Pressure
1	7.9	8.9	2.4	N/NW	1024
2	4.5	7.4	2.4	Cyclonic	1023
3	5.2	5.7	3.1	Cyclonic	1014
4	6.8	8.4	3.7	SE	1006
5	12.6	13.1	1.7	Cyclonic	1001
6	10.6	11.4	2.4	SE/SW	995
7	7.6	7.9	2.4	SE	990
8	9.8	10.9	1.7	SE	996
9	10.9	11.4	1.7	SE	1000
10	4.3	4.3	4.4	N/NE	999
11	0.4	0.9	5.1	N/NE	999
12	2.9	5.7	6.5	N/NE	1005
13	7.4	9.8	2.7	NW/NE	1010
14	8	8.8	3.1	S/SW	1012
15	9	9.8	4.8	S/SE	1001
16	9.8	9.8	4.8	S/SE	987
17	4.1	7.7	3.1	N/NW	985
18	8.5	10.5	2.4	S/SW	988
19	7.1	11.3	1.4	SE	993
20	8	10.5	3.4	Cyclonic	1009
21	5.5	6.1	5.1	SE/NE	1007
22	6.5	6.5	4.4	Cyclonic	999
23	4	5.6	3.1	N/NE	1003
24	3.1	3.1	3.1	N/NE	1006
25	3.1	4.3	3.4	N/NE	1008
26	4	4.4	3.1	N/NE	1006
27	5.4	5.5	3.4	N/NE	1008
28	7.3	7.3	2.7	N/NE	1008
29	7.3	8.9	2.4	S/SW	1004
30	5.7	7.3	3.4	N/NE	1007
31	6	7.5	3.4	Cyclonic	1009

Spring at last!

It looks as if Spring has finally arrived. Three species of butterfly in the garden this afternoon were observed and plenty of bumble bees.  The Chaffinch was singing from his territorial song post above the machinery shed and the pair of Blue Tits were chasing each other around the willow classroom.

In the pond the frogspawn is now small tadpoles

The tadpoles are just finishing eating the jelly like substance which has surrounded them from birth and about to brave the big world outside.  They will have plenty of predators.  The newts and the dragonfly nymphs are particularly fond of them, as they are easy to catch until they get a little larger and quicker.  But realistically from all these tadpoles we only need a few to survive and make it to frogs to continue their existence in the pond.

One the fringe of the pond further evidence of Spring with Primroses and Cowslips in flower

In the greenhouse things are looking good with lots going on.

The better weather is a sign to get thing planted as the soil is warming up.  Our stand of Barley needs planting within the next day or so -  before the Cuckoos return.  Late planted 'Cuckoo Barley' always crops less well. Although we are not farmers we would like a good show!