ElmsWild

Christmas has come early for ElmsWild! We have been able to buy some fantastic new hand tools thanks to a grant from Mid Suffolk District Council's Pride in Your Place scheme. They will all help in our work maintaining Elmswell's wild places!

RIP Benjamin Zephaniah. Thought I'd share his hedhehog poem.

Big Hedge Planting tomorrow! Saturday 25th, 9.30-4.00, at the Blackbourne. Come and help plant the new hedge around our new playing field. Don't forget to bring these essentials - WELLIES (it's muddy!), a WARM COAT (it's cold!), GARDENING GLOVES, and a SPADE (but don't worry if you don't have one, we will have some spare). Also a mug for your hot drink!
Everyone welcome!

Hedgerow Heroes!
Come and join us on Saturday 25th at the Blackbourne any time from 9.30 to 4.00. The community will be coming together to plant a new hedge around Turner's Field. Hot drinks all day, refreshments and entertainment in the hall. Please bring a spade and a mug. Wellies highly recommended. Wrap up warm!

All connected up and ready to go! Our water tank will be so useful at Lukeswood in the summer months. Now we just need some rain to fill it up.......

Perhaps the person who dumped these pumpkins in Lukeswood yesterday doesn't have a bin of their own? Or maybe they think that Lukeswood IS the dump, a place to tip all their rubbish?
We found a whole pile of discarded pumpkins next to the footpath behind the new houses. So disappointing that people can selfishly and thoughtlessly dump toxic waste in our beautiful woodland! Pumpkins are poisonous to wildlife, look horrible as they rot, and our hard-working volunteers have to spend their precious time clearing up the mess.
If anyone knows who is doing this please contact us.

We found these in Lukeswood yesterday. Please DON'T dump discarded pumpkins in Lukeswood, or any other wildlife sites. They are dangerous to many animals. Hedgehogs in particular are attracted to the sweet taste but they get very sick and then fail to put on enough weight to hibernate safely. Put them in your compost if you have one, or in the bin.

We've been planting bulbs at the Wesley - looking forward to a colourful display in the spring!

Leftover pumpkin from your Halloween lanterns? You can eat it! Turn them into these delicious cupcakes! Or make soup, bread or even mocktails.... there are lots of recipes to be found on the internet. Whatever you decide please don't leave them out for hedgehogs and other wild animals to eat - it's really bad for them. Hedgehogs get sick and then struggle to put on enough weight to survive the winter.
Happy Halloween and happy hedgehogs!

Pumpkin cupcakes Use grated pumpkin or butternut squash for these gorgeous, spiced cupcakes

On November 25th the community will come together to create a fantastic new hedge at the Blackbourne. Come and be a part of it! Bring all the family - everyone welcome!

Did anyone drop a key at Lukeswood Apple Day on Saturday? We have it safe. Please get in touch if you think it's yours.
[email protected]

We had a great time yesterday at Lukeswood Apple Day! A huge thank you to all our stall-holders, to all our visitors and to everyone who came and helped. We'll be back again next year!

Apple Day isn't just about apples (although we are celebrating apples and orchards too)!
We also have bats, bees and beads - hedgehogs and honey - wands and willow - jewellery and jellies. Not to mention delicious refreshments, games and crafts, ukuleles, a treasure hunt and raffle. Not to be missed!
Lukeswood Apple Day, THIS SATURDAY, 2.00-5.00.

The heavy haulage team! Today we've been raking at Kiln Meadow, taking off all the cut vegetation and piling it up into ecological heaps - habitats for invertebrates and overwintering reptiles such as slow worm and grass snake.
Look at our drag sheets. They're made from old trampoline bases - hard-wearing , portable and a perfect example of up-cycling!

Apple information display at Lukeswood Apple Day - we'll have some interesting and quirky fruits to look at! Come and have a chat with John about your garden fruit trees - Lukeswood Apple Day, this Saturday (23rd September) 2.00-5.00. Everyone welcome!

Is the date in your diary yet?
All the signs are up, we're busy doing the last minute preparations, and keeping our fingers crossed for a lovely sunny day!
Lukeswood Apple Day - Saturday 23 September, 2.00-5.00.
Lots of interesting stalls, fun games, delicious refreshments AND ukuleles!
Free admission - everyone welcome - don't miss it!

Masses of gorgeous blackberries at Lukeswood just waiting to be picked! There are so many this year. You can take what you want and still leave plenty for the wildlife to see them through the autumn. Apple & blackberry pie (or crumble) - late summer on a spoon...... Get them before the rains come and turn everything mushy!

Taking a breather on a hot day at Kiln Meadow! This is our busy time of year when we cut and rake the grassland in Kiln Meadow, Town Field and Lukeswood. Hard work, but it means more lovely wildflowers and orchids next year!

Apple Day is back in September! Lukeswood, Elmswell, Saturday 23 September, 2.00-5.00.
Are you a maker, or have crafts to sell or show? There's still time to book a stall at our Apple Day. All pitches are free and we especially welcome craft stalls of all kinds. Just get in touch with us for more info or to book your place!
[email protected]

Don't miss Clare's Open Garden tomorrow! Willow House, School Road, Elmswell, Sunday 30th July, 12 noon to 3.00. Donations in aid of Cancer Research UK. A wonderful opportunity to see this lovely garden!

Buddleia on Elmswell railway station this afternoon - masses of Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies! It's turning into a great butterfly summer!

The wild marjoram in the orchard at Lukeswood is looking particularly lovely now - and it's great for all nectar and pollen feeding insects. It's buzzing with bees of all kinds and fluttering with butterflies. The smell is gorgeous too. A feast for all the senses!

Today we counted 40 Red Admiral butterflies at Lukeswood! There are lots of butterflies on the wing right now - good timing for Butterfly Conservation 's Big Butterfly Count which starts this weekend. Count the butterflies in your garden, or take a walk round Lukeswood or Kiln Meadow. How many will you find??

Lukeswood and Kiln Meadow in Elmswell are great places to record butterflies - have a little wander and do the Big Butterfly Count at the same time!

72% of Butterfly Counts were done in gardens last year 🏡🌿

But you don't need a garden to take part in the . A park, beach, balcony or even a car park all make great places to count butterflies!

Where will you do yours? Get ready for the count 👉 bigbutterflycount.org

FREE WILDFLOWER SEEDS!!
We have some packets of wildflower seeds to give away on Saturday at the Village Exhibition. Make sure you get yours! Come and visit our stall at the Wesley Elmswell from 10.00 to 3.00 on Saturday 8 July.
When they're gone, they're gone!

Lots of Pyramidal orchids flowering in Kiln Meadow - Barbie pink! Although we also discovered one white variant and one very tall bloom. One of our best years ever for orchids!

What is cooking up here? Not a bush tucker extravaganza, but all part of the fascinating process of making natural dyes. There are still places available for our natural dyeing workshop - Colours of Lukeswood - with The Woodland Haberdasher , so if you would like to find out more about this intriguing art get in touch now to book your place. Don't miss it!

Just look at these beautiful colours!
Don't miss our workshop at Lukeswood, all about creating dyes from natural materials foraged in the woodland. Fay Jones, The Woodland Haberdasher , will be helping us through the process and all participants can take home some lovely skeins like this.
Saturday 17 June, 10.00-4.00. Only £25 per person - a real bargain for this full day course!
To book or get further information please email us - [email protected]

Down but definitely not out...... Our beautiful mini meadow next to Elmswell Library was trashed last week by person or persons unknown. Today we're back at work trying to rectify the damage and salvage what we can from this year's growing season. We've raked off all the dead vegetation so that it doesn't add nutrients to the soil (wildflowers do best in poor soils) and doesn't smother any new growth trying to come through. And we've resown with a mix of cornfield annuals so we can at least get a colourful show this year. In the autumn we'll sow again with a perennial mix to make up for the loss of seeds that would have naturally dropped into the soil to flower next year. The story is not over yet!

We have another fantastic craft opportunity coming up soon at Lukeswood! Natural Colours of Lukeswood - a workshop all about natural dyeing, using materials from our woodland, led by Fay Jones, The Woodland Haberdasher . Fay will lead us through the processes of natural dyeing, using a variety of natural materials and a range of yarn and fabrics. We will be making some fantastic naturally dyed bunting!
SATURDAY 17 JUNE, 10.00-4.00.
All materials provided (some foraged from our own woodland). Suitable for ages 16 plus and children 13 plus working with an adult.
Tea and coffee provided, please bring a packed lunch.
Just £25 per person, payable in advance.
To book a place or get more information please contact us - email [email protected]

Who did this? One day our wildflower meadow was lush with colour and blooms, the next it had been mown down, nothing left but dead brown grass. Not the Amenities Association who own the site and normally cut the grass very carefully to preserve our wildflower patch. If anyone has any information, please let us or the EAA know. If you were the rogue mower - please don't do this! We've spent several years of time and effort trying to help beleaguered pollinators and other insects and to create a patch of beauty in the busy centre of the village. A tiny patch, protected by the tree nursery fence, remains. This shows what the whole area should look like. It's heartbreaking.

What a busy day we had on Saturday, willow weaving at Lukeswood! We made dragonflies and plant supports with expert basket maker, Jo Hammond. It was a beautiful sunny day and everyone had a great time. Look out for more craft sessions at Lukeswood over the coming months!

Our willow weaving courses are coming up soon - book your place asap! Just a few days left before we need to pass on details to our fantastic course leader, Jo Hammond. Saturday 27 May at Lukeswood. Learn how to weave a dragonfly, 9.30-12.30. Make a plant support, 1.30-4.30. Just £25 per session. Don't miss this rare opportunity! Email us on [email protected] to secure your place.

A great day yesterday at Lukeswood with the BT volunteers! It was cold and wet but that didn't dampen their enthusiasm. We got a lot done - removing plastic tree guards from the hedges in the green cemetery, weeding and mulching in the orchard, and maintaining the maze on Church Road. A huge thank you to all the team - next time we'll try to organise a sunny day!

Here we are collecting mulch destined for the orchard at Lukeswood. It helps to keep the weeds down around the trees and locks in moisture for the dry months. Thank you so much to W Jarvis & Son Tree Services & Landscapes for the free mulch!

The Memorial Garden next to Elmswell Library looking glorious in spring sunshine this morning! We're there every other Tuesday to give it some TLC. Next time you call in to change your books, go in and have a look!