Nature Blog by Jenny Bourne

Tonight’s Hallowe’en trick or treaters may need their umbrellas up as Storm Ciara makes her presence felt; damp and soggy on site but the autumn colours and clearing skies made for some lovely views, in between showers. Late flower varieties are still blooming, even some annuals re-growing and leaves still on the fruit trees

It’s been interesting to look back over the past years to see how our allotments site has been managed for the wildlife that can benefit us on our plots. Habitats and specific areas have been created and managed to provide shelter, food sources and nesting places for beneficial wildlife.

This splendid Sedum Man is hopefully serving two purposes, to keep the pigeons and corvids off the produce and to provide forage for pollinators – defensive and attractant at the same time! .

So much rain this September after a dry summer – it makes the soil easy to manage when lifting the spent veg plants, especially the rampant trailing squash plants!

I recently rediscovered four volumes of an 18C botanical work by one of my maternal early ancestors, ‘Flora Rustica’ by Thomas Martyn. Published in 1792, it contains exquisite botanical illustrations and a fascinating insight into the understanding and knowledge of plants, trees and their medicinal and other properties at that time.