St Mark's Mansfield

Monthly Archives: June 2016


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June harvest

Poppy in gravel sack

Poppy in gravel sack

The community garden is bursting with life and produce.    Strawberries, gooseberries, rhubarb and broad beans are ready to be picked, fruit is developing on medlar, apple, pear and cherry trees and flower beds are full of colour and scent, attracting numerous bees and other insects.   Some beautiful poppies have seeded themselves in an old rubble sack beside the seating area – so lovely to have surprise visits!

The rustic arch, constructed from branches of willow that grows beside the wall, will support sweet peas and hopefully some very small pumpkins ‘Munchkin’.

We need an army of weeders.   Thanks John for taking out the nettles on the driveway – it’s looking so pretty with foxglove and mock orange in full bloom.   Any offers of help would be gratefully received – we may even celebrate with coffee and scones!

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Spotted orchid

WP_20160616_12_19_19_ProThe earth turns up such treasures when we allow it to and when we open our eyes to see them.

I was over the moon yesterday to find a Spotted Orchid (not sure whether Common or Heath) flowering in the strip of long grass beside the church wall.   Any wild orchid has a certain exotic charm and we already have a colony of rare bee orchids flourishing in the wild meadow beside the main steps.   This area is set aside from the usual management of the garden, only getting cut once a year and forming a haven for insects, birds and other wildlife.

Thank you Dulcie for discovering the bee orchids back in 2003 and to Carla who more recently had the vision for allowing a wildlife meadow to establish and to everyone at St Mark’s for being patient and allowing ‘controlled untidiness’ in the church garden.   It’s really paying off!   Why not take a walk on the wild side and see how many wild flowers you can spot and identify?   Isobel