The GoodGymmers came to mulch 29 August 2023

You don't expect volunteers to run to an orchard and spend 45 minutes on weeding and mulching on an evening during the working week.... and then run off again.  But that is just what eleven members of Bromley GoodGym did when they visited Mayow Park orchard for an evening session. 

They showed such amazing team work and the trees enjoyed the attention.

In no time some members were removing tree guards and pulling up weeds, while others went off to fill two wheel barrows full of  wood chips to mulch round the base of trees.

In 45 minutes they took care of SIX trees. That's fast work.

Why bother to mulch round the fruit trees with wood chips?  Here are some good reasons:

• The wood chips encourage mycorrhizal fungi to grow- beneficial fungi that live in the wood chips and work with the tree roots. They take sugars from the tree and give nutrients back from the soil . . . how cool is that?
• Wood chip mulch holds moisture in the soil round tree roots so there is less need to water, particularly good in summer
• The wood chips slow down water into the soil particularly after heavy rains, so the tree roots are not sitting in wet
• They protect plant roots from extreme cold in winter
• They protect plant roots from too much heat in summer
• As they rot down they help improve the soil

All photos are from BromleyGoodGym. Thank you for your help.

Orchard pruning session 18th Feb 2017

Friends of Mayow Park volunteers gathered for our annual orchard winter pruning and maintenance day. Eight adults and two children came to lend a hand. Our trees are in a public park, where grass mowing it carried out regularly during the summer, where dogs and children run around. The space  is well used. The trees have tree guards around them to offer some protection until they are bigger and stronger.

The trees are dormant now so this is the best time for formative pruning of our apple trees (malus) and pear trees (pyrus) to give them an open shape and encourage flower and fruit growth.

We set to work. First up was a check on the Cox’s Orange Pippin apple to identify fruit buds and leaf buds. We agreed which branches needed removing or having their height reduced, which crossing or crowded branches needed pruning  in order to open out the centre of the tree to allow air and light in.

Should I cut here or here? Cox's orange pippin

Look at what you are doing!

The Jupiter apple is growing noticeably stronger than the others planted at the same time. Maybe it is in a better location for sunlight, maybe it is better placed for moisture to its roots. It had grown much taller than the other trees - too tall.  Its fruit would be difficult to pick. We agreed to remove one of the main vertical limbs and reduce the height of another before tackling lower branches to give a better shape to the tree.

 Trees planted last March (2016) did not need pruning, other than a damaged branch. The height of some of their tree guards was reduced to allow branches to spread.

Two of the volunteers with tools, ladder and a cup of tea

The site is on heavy clay so the soil tends to dry out and crack during dry summer months. Mulching is important for our trees, helping hold moisture in the soil during the summer as well as making it harder for weeds to take hold. The two children had a great time climbing mountains (the pile of wood chip ready for mulching) and digging with trowels; to some extent they helped their mums remove weeds round a  tree and to put a thick layer of mulch around its circumference.

This is how I like to mulch

some of the water shoots in the wheelbarrow

Surveying the work from a height

 As always with outdoor activities, the weather can play an important part in the success of the day. We were lucky as it was relatively warm for this time of year (Around 9 or 10 degrees) with sunshine.

Mayow Park gets spruced up

Over the last few weeks, in anticipation of spring weather, some  grounds maintenance and improvements have taken place in Mayow Park, with positive comments  from park users. The surface under the tennis table was so bad that people stopped playing.

ground under table tennis table

The ground was uneven and very muddy after rain. Glendale was informed and within a few days the surface under the table had been renewed.

fresh new surface under the table

The children's playground has had ongoing problems withe muddy ground under the 'mushrooms' and circus for sometime. This bit of the playground is very well used, the ground gets compacted and  clay subsoil makes the problem worse.

muddy mushrooms before works

muddy mushrooms from another angle

The photos above show how muddy the ground became. The Friends of Mayow Park had a walk around the park with a Glendale manager a few weeks ago and raised concerns from parents about the state of this part of the playground. Glendale discussed with the Friends group what would be the best long-term solution. A possible option was to dig a pit in the area of the mushrooms and circus and fill with bark chips. This has worked successfully under the wooden climbing frame and under the play equipment in the old paddling pool. Glendale agreed to do this work as soon as feasible.
Today, 27th April, the work we had been promised was undertaken and completed.
 A team of Glendale grounds maintenance staff came along with a lorry full of bark chips. They dug  the pit, removed the soil to be used elsewhere and filled the pit to a good depth with barks chips. They also renewed the chips under the play equipment in the former paddling pool area.

fresh, deep mulch among the mushrooms

bark chip mulch should improve drainage

Bark mulch top up under equipment in former paddling pool

Glendale informed the Friends group that the following works would be undertaken in the next few weeks:

●     Creation of a small bark pit around the mushrooms in the play area to prevent waterlogging  This was completed on 27th April 2016

●     Repairs to areas of chainlink fencing at the back of the trim trail and towards Thriftwood entrance

●     Replacement of 2 support posts to shelter on edge of cricket field

●     Topping up of play bark to main play area and cable slide.(done) 

Grass cutting has also been a problem due to saturated ground. There was some grass mowing a couple of weeks ago but it had to be abandoned. It  was more successful today but some areas have had to remain unmown as the ground is still too damp. Despite this the park is looking at its best at the moment.

Nature's Gym volunteers work wonders

Weather plays an important part when there is gardening to do so it was a great relief that today, 17h September 2015, turned out dry, relatively warm and with some sun. Nature’s Gym volunteers and staff returned to Mayow Park and there must have been 15 people in total. 

As always there was more than plenty to do. Most of the work was based at the Triangle fruit and herb beds but a few volunteers worked at the orchard and bug hotel.

The orchard saw a team removing weeds round the base of the trees and adding a layer of mulch to suppress weeds and look after the tree roots. 

The bug hotel in the nearby woodland had more woody material added to the pallets to create a cosy environment for our park invertebrates ahead of the winter. Would it be cosy enough to attract a hedgehog or two?  

One of the volunteers did a grand job of cutting down the mini wild flower meadow with shears and we plan to sow more wild flowers in late autumn in the hope of a colourful display next spring and summer.

In the Triangle, the hedgerow round the fruit garden had become untidy with branches stretching over the woodchip path, hindering movement. This has now been pruned. The woodchip path has been raked in an effort to remove weeds growing in it. And the herb bed has had serious attention to remove bindweed which is gradually taking over available bare earth.

hedgerow pruned  to allow access to the path

Richard raking the woodchip path

Meet Gary and Gary

All this work generates plenty of garden waste. Glendale’s cleansing team were able to assist by taking it away.

Some of the team

As always these sessions are not only about serious gardening. 

There is time to relax and catch up on news during tea/ lunch break. 

And home time means packing tools back in the van.

Packing up time

The impact of all this work should be clearly visible to all. The Friends of Mayow Park are very grateful for the regular support we receive from Nature’s Gym volunteers.

This photo was taken the following day.

 

Glendale looks after our park

By Alona
In late autumn, a team from Glendale came to spruce up the park. Every horizontal surface was covered in fallen leaves and, with winter approaching, these needed to be cleared. They came with blowers and other suitable tools. Unfortunately, it seems no-one took photos of  this tidy up but plenty of people commented positively about the work. The leaves were removed and taken elsewhere to rot down and to be turned into soil improver.

Men and mulch

 Today (16th February 2015) I went in to the park around 9am, camera in hand, determined to take photos of  things in the park. Plenty of birds were singing and I could hear woodpeckers hammering away but what caught my eye was three people in high-viz jackets near the Silverdale gate, alongside a pile of woodcip mulch.

This mulch came from shredded Christmas trees recycled in early January and was being used to mulch the rose beds.

onto the rose bed

path edging

   In addition, the plant bed edges and the path edges were being    tidied up.
 Mayow Park may not be perfect and some of the paths leave  much to be desired, but we are  fortunate that Glendale sends us grounds maintenance people who clearly know what they are doing.

Christmas Tree recycling January 2015

Mayow Park is one of the parks in the borough with a Christmas tree recycling point. Hundreds of trees have been brought her since Christmas. Sometimes Glendale take the trees away to shred elsewhere but a couple of times they came along to the park with their shredder. What a great job they did. These photos are from 5th January.

It was a noisy business but very productive. The fresh shreddings can be used for mulch on paths in parks and nature reserves. When they are rotted they can they be used on plant beds and round trees.

Hedgerow planting 9th November 2014

We planned a short work session ( 90 minutes) for 9th November but aimed to plant up to 200 hedgerow whips (young tree saplings) for wildlife so fine weather and plenty of volunteers with spades were needed. Luck was on our side with 11 adults, most armed with a spade or fork, while two  babies in buggies acted as supervisors. Was the good turn out due to the email sent to supporters by Sue, the Friends of Mayow Park Secretary? I'd like to think so.

Some of the whips, canes and guards provided by the Woodland Trust

Our saplings arrived on 7th November from the Woodland Trust.They included hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, dog rose, elder, crab apple, rowan, oak, silver birch. Tree guards and canes were also provided.
                                                                                                                                                                 

Work starts behind the shipping container building

Some volunteers planted a  double row of mixed whips along the back wall of the shipping containers at the bowls green. As these grow they will camouflage the containers while helping wildlife.

Planting whips in the fruiting hedgerow

More whips were planted near the orchard to fill in gaps of the fruiting hedgerow planted two years ago.

A new double row was also planted along a fence. Some of the elder was planted  in gaps among existing bushes.

                      


                                            

Plenty of rotted wood chip mulch for  the whips

Some of the volunteers by the newly planted hedgerow 

Most of the saplings had supporting canes and tree guards to ensure some protection.
The park was full of people enjoying the mild weather and from time to time someone would stop to ask who we were, what we were dong and why.
Although we did not finish, we managed to plant around150 of the whips. We plan to have a second planting date towards the end of November.



One volunteer put most of her energy  into enhancing the mini wild flower meadow by tending the bed and sowing more wild flower seeds. Thank you Bruna. (No photo, sorry.) We look forward to seeing what will grow next spring and summer.


A huge thank you to all the volunteers who came, giving up their Sunday afternoon to improve the park for people and wildlife. Special thanks to one in particular who came on his birthday.

Two vols, one barrow + mulch: 31st Oct 2014

Mike and Alona came prepared for today's session, each bringing a spade and a fork. Our lightweight wheelbarrow came too, and journeyed to and fro from the hard-standing area near the orchard where our remaining mulch pile is located.

Although the last day of October, it was warm and sunny,  both volunteers working in short sleeves. Plants are still in flower in the plant bed and ripening raspberries were still on the canes prior to work starting.

Berries on a flowering shrub

 

primroses  beside the blueberry bushes

toadstools on rotting logs

The park was buzzing with families and some toddlers came to watch the two workers. A small frog hopped away, avoiding a spade blade stabbing into the ground and a robin fluttered into the forest of canes in search of a tasty treat.
First some serious weeding was carried out round the blackberry bushes, the plum tree and the apple tree by our volunteers. Mike took the barrow and made numerous trips to collect mulch while Alona pruned the raspberries. A young child came along, hoping to pick some of his favourite fruit but, alas, the canes had been cut down. Some were cut to ground level and some were pruned to around 50 cm high.
After two hours, it was time to stop. The volunteers had put in 4 hours between them, making a significant difference to the site.
There is plenty more to do in the fruit bed.  November could be a busy gardening month for the Friends of Mayow Park with hedgerow planting and orchard maintenance in addition to work at the two Triangle beds.
                                                             

weeds removed

blackberry bush overwhelmed by 'weeds'

mulching one blackberry bush

raspberry canes before mulch

mulch cover on the beds

    

time to prepare fruit trees and canes for winter

It has been a great autumn and the time has come to prepare the Triangle garden beds for winter. over the  past few weeks a few volunteers have dropped by and weeded out some of the overgrown plants, pulled up strings and strings of bind weed, created a low fence to protect the bed at the apex of the Triangle and given some TLC to the wild flower mini meadow. Thank you to those volunteers.
On our list of things to do in the Triangle next are:
Cut  the raspberry canes down to ground level and give a good layer of mulch covering
Weed around the apple tree, plum tree , blackberry and currant bushes and give them a blanket of mulch
More weeding around other shrubs
Plant more hedgerow whips

Moving on to the orchard our tasks are:
Cut down three more of the guards
Remove weeds inside the guards and otuside
Prune each tree to keep their shape
Put a good layer of mulch round each tree

A list of dates for all these activities will be prepared.
Our first date is Friday 31st October from 11am to midday and possibly longer if enough people are available. Bring a trowel or hoe and gardening gloves if you have them.  The Friends group will also bring a few tools.
If anyone is interested in helping with these tasks, do contact us on  friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com

Work session THURS 25TH FEB 2014

There will be a joint work session with Glendale and FoMP volunteers on Thursday 27th February 2014 from 10am to midday.

We will focus our work on the Triangle beds, pruning raspberries, weeding and mulching round fruit bushes and in the herb beds. 

Glendale staff will be working alongside the Friends to prepare the beds for spring.

Meet near the entrance to the Bowls containers.
If you would like to join us please let FoMP know by email: friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com  so we can bring enough tools and refreshments

Volunteers in Mayow Park

Mayow Park volunteers work in the main park, at two locations, the orchard and the two food-growing beds. We find it difficult to find time to work together on the site but are a motivated group. During October we were intending to use our well-rotted mulch, located by the rockery at the far corner of our area, round the fruit bushes and the orchard.

Our plans have now been ruined.

I was dismayed today, 1^st October 2013,  to see that ALL our well-rotted woodchip in the corner by the rockery has been taken. No-one asked us.  I am sure the park-keeper was not asked either as he knew what it was intended for.

It has been a hard year for us: 

• Some people, without asking any of the volunteer group,  planted trees in the herb bed (willow and ash), which had to be removed; 
• Many of our logs that mark the woodchip path through the grass area were taken. Luckily, thanks to Glendale and Nature's Gym, we were able to get more.
• Now the mulch has been taken, but we cannot get any more!

It would  be appreciated if the people who took all the mulch would own up to it.

If anyone has a realistic suggestion to get more (free) mulch I would be grateful. If not, then the people who took it all should offer to volunteer to provide fresh mulch for the orchard trees.

With our work as volunteers being undermined so often, we have to ask ourselves whether we should carry on doing this work.