Lancaster & Morecambe Crematorium

We know whilst today is a day of celebration for many, for others it’s not that easy. To anyone who finds today difficult we send you our love and strength to get through it ❤️

🌾🌼Groundskeeper Insight🌼🌾

Many of you will likely of heard about No Mow May. This is a wonderful concept created by Plantlife, a wildflower charity in the UK.

No Mow May aims to bring awareness largely to the native wildflowers growing, unflowering, in many lawns. When untreated lawns are cut and the grass collected year in year out, the grass is suppressed and weakened to a certain extent. This allows other plants to survive in what would otherwise be a monoculture of dominant (often non-native) grasses. Those native wildflowers, however, don't get much chance to flower due to regular and/or close-cropping mowing regimes.

So why have we been mowing throughout May on our grounds?

Here at Lancaster and Morecambe Crematorium we manage the grounds for a mosaic of habitats, including the grassed areas. As well as having dedicated native and non-native wildflower areas, we have lawns of varying lengths which are mown at varying intervals.

Our memorial gardens are mown weekly (weather depending), but not as low as they once were. We have found that cutting at a slightly higher level is not only better for the grass by allowing for greater photosynthesis, but it also gives brief windows of low-growing flowering. And of course allows us and you to walk on and enjoy the gardens.

However, we also have other areas that are mown less often, but still fairly regularly. As seen in the photo 📸, which includes longer grass surrounding the short, and a flush of yellow buttercups. Great for our pollinators 🐝 🦋

Furthermore, even better than No Mow May, we operate a No Mow Summer atop our hill. Where carefully mown paths allow visitors to walk through the long grasses, which we only cut once a year.

All of these different lengths and mowing regimes allow something for everyone, and something for everything. Be them wildflower, bee, butterfly, mammal, amphibian or bird. Robins and blackbirds love a good mown lawn, whilst many other species like it longer so they can safely move about, hide, and feed.

I hope this gives an insight into why our grounds have the long and longest bits, as well as the short bits 🌾🌼

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Jon

🐝Wildlife Weekly🐝

As shared by our Kim recently on a comment to our post on honeybees, and with a nod to previous posts I've made about bumblebees and mining bees, here is a wonderfully detailed poster by The Wildlife Trust.

Needless to say, most people aren't aware we have such a variety of bees in the UK. And this isn't all of them! Although we have many of these across our grounds.

Next time you see a bee, take a closer look. Without disturbing them of course. If the bee is relatively round in shape and fuzzy, they're likely a species of bumblebee (which are docile and would rather not sting, despite being able to). If you think they resemble a less striking wasp, they could be a honeybee (perhaps slightly more likely to sting than a bumblebee, but much less likely than a wasp because it doesnt end well for the poor honeybee if she stings). And if tiny, they're most likely a solitary/mining bee (which can't sting). As for males of any species, they can't sting. They don't have the equipment and are probably too lazy to even if they did.

All bees (and wasps, believe it or not) are massively important pollinators, but they're in decline, so we're doing what we can to create and protect habitats for them on our grounds.

How can you help? Plant flowers! The more the merrier. Although the really ruffled looking flower heads like double Dhalias are not helpful for bees. They can't feed off them. They still look nice for us though. You could even offer up a drinking station: a shallow bowl with a few pebbles in, filled regularly with clean water can help them land and take a drink without the risk of drowning (bumblebees can be clumsy).

Enjoy the summer 🌞
Enjoy the flowers 🌸
Enjoy the bees 🐝

🐝Hive Update🐝

We now have two!

Sunday just gone, Jordan setup a second hive (the one on the left in the photo). How incredible it is to see hard-working bees from two separate colonies living side by side in harmony 🧡

He also performed some essential work on the original hive on Wednesday, as seen in the other photo. It's certainly been the weather for it. 🌞

If you visit this week, you may see orange cones around the hives. We just wanted to give the new colony some extra space whilst they settle in. Which shouldn't take long.

Watch this space for more bee news and wildlife news as Spring nears Summer.

🌱Groundskeeper Insight🌱

The weather 🌞 is finally offering us more than a dry day at a time. Mostly. Which has helped us fight to get back on track with the grounds after what has been a very wet 🌧 spring so far.

We've been able to get out mowing more, are finally starting to catch up with the fast-growing weeds (which feels like painting the Forth Bridge at present), and have Seamus out on the strimmer this week, tidying up edges of memorials and paths. It's starting to come together!

Also, the bluebells are stunning! 💙 Always a lovely site to behold.

We are excited to announce that we have been working with Jordan Alston, a local bee keeper, to setup and establish a now thriving honeybee hive in our memorial gardens. 🐝

Our hive is situated at the back of the native wildflower circle, to the left of The Glade, at a very safe distance away from memorials.

Whilst we already encourage wild bees, we feel it is an amazing opportunity for our visitors and staff to experience a working honeybee hive. Especially kept by a local bee keeper!

As shown in the photo, Jordan has added a warning ⚠️ sign as a precaution. Bees do not want to sting. It doesn't benefit them at all, apart from in the defence of their hives or themselves. If unprovoked, honeybees and bumblebees are laid back ladies doing an important pollination job (the males don't sting at all, but nor do they really work).

Our hive can be viewed from a safe distance, and it's quite a site on a sunny day! 🌞 Simply ensure you stand to one side, rather than in the flight path of the bees as they fly in and out of the front of their hive. This will give them space and allow for a fantastic view.

Should you want to view them but feel unsure, feel free to ask one of our groundskeepers who are here Monday to Friday and they will be happy to show you. You may even see Jordan checking on his bees at weekends. I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

Watch this space for more news on our hive (soon to be two!). 🐝

Our very own Joe has been back out taking beautiful snaps. This time, tulips...because the sun came out! 😎 We had to share the colours.

🐝 Wildlife Weekly 🐝

I spotted this yesterday, a little tawny mining bee (Andrena fulva), which is a relatively widespread species of sand bee. Solitary in nature, they are only 8–12 mm long, with females having distinctive fox-red fur. Males are less distinctive.

Just like other bees, tawny mining bees are important pollinators of flowers, fruit trees and crops. They time their appearance in April with blossoming 🌸 trees. Makes sense why they're here! Unlike bumble- and honey-bees, however, they will not sting (not that the others do often or willingly), nor do they live in colonies. Single females work hard in their often lawn-based nests to lay their eggs in little, individual chambers. Ever see mini volcanoes in your garden with a single hole on the top? Well that is likely to be a mining bee home, not an ants nest.

We give thanks for such garden friends, working hard to pollinate the food we eat and the flowers we love. Such furry little characters.

Apologies for the photo quality. I wish I'd had Joe to hand with his photography skills. 📷

Thanks for reading,
Jon 🐝

We mentioned cherry blossom recently in a post, but couldn't resist sharing these photos of our trees in bloom right now.

Absolutely stunning to say the least. The queen bumblebees are building their energy on the pink and white blooms, and we are soaking up the colours as a rare glimpse of sunshine shows them in their best light.

If you're visiting us this Easter, we hope you enjoy the trees in all their glory whilst you walk, sit and think about those loved ones we miss dearly.

Thanks to our very own Joe for his wonderful photos. They're so much better than mine, I have to say. We need more from him!

A simple post this week, showing off just a few of our beautiful daffodils. If you've visited us recently you may have seen the new strip of daffs along the drive as you first enter the grounds. We're planning on planting more of the same in autumn, since they've worked so well. Here's to more bulbs year on year!

🌸Groundskeeper Insight/Wildlife Weekly🌸

The last two weeks have seen our first mow of the year coincide with the first blossoming of some of our many cherry trees.

Seamus and Steve took the top off the lawns last week, whilst we enjoyed a rare stretch of dry weather. All in prep for our Spring/Summer mowing regime which, when in full flow, we carry out weekly until the end of season frosts hit.

The beautiful pink blossoms have also appeared, offering early food for emerging queen bumblebees and other pollinators, as well as putting on a show for us. 🐝

Here's to more signs of Spring - we're already seeing the bluebells pushing through, ready to carpet our grounds in blue 💠

Whilst many people will be celebrating Mothers Day today there will be others where it will be a day of reflection, grief and sadness. To you all we wish you a day of peace, love and strength ❤️

🌳Groundskeeper Insight/Wildlife Weekly🌲

We've had a busy week this week on the grounds. Our new, local tree surgeons were working on site. As you can see from the photos, they worked on through the rain 🌧 and got the job done. Trees made safe and tidied up with skill and precision. A massive thank you to Chris and Laura of CMH Tree Services. We'll be having them back in future to continue to care for our trees. 🌳

Meanwhile, we've been using our battery powered hedge cutters to scythe down our wildlife areas in preparation of a new spring sowing of seed. This will give a later summer boost to our already established wildflower areas and benefit pollinators, and us, for a longer period. The raked piles will be left over the weekend for invertebrates to emerge before we take the cuttings to our compost heap. Chris and Laura also created a new logpile for our wildlife, as seen in the photo.

Here's to spring, blossoming trees, butterflies 🦋, bees 🐝 and emerging wildflowers 🌼

🪵Wildlife Weekly🪵

Whilst working on and around the grounds, we often here the 'yip' of our resident greater spotted woodpeckers as they sit atop the highest trees, making themselves known.

Another sound many of you will recognise is the hammering of beak on wood. Whether working on their nest holes, or signalling to one another, this sound reverberates through the area in a distinctive way.

Greater spotted woodpeckers are striking birds. Black, white and red, they're easy to identify. The UK is also home to the lesser spotted woodpecker which looks very similar, but is a lot smaller. We do not have any of those on our grounds, alas. A larger, green woodpecker is also resident in the UK, although we haven't seen one here. It is possible though, as they were here years ago. So, we shall continue to listen for their 'laughing call' and a flash of green across the lawns and meadows.

Greater spotted woodpeckers often take two years to hammer out their homes from 'standing deadwood', working on their new home whilst living in their existing one. This is why it is important to safely leave the trunks of trees where possible, even when the branches have been removed due to the health/age of the tree. We will be doing more of this in the future. Such 'standing deadwood' is vital to many of our native creatures.

Keep your eyes and ears open next time you visit. Perhaps you have seen one or even have them visit your garden/local green space? They do like to visit bird feeders! Have you seen a green woodpecker in the area? We'd be interested and grateful to know.

Photo credit: Max Gindele

🌳Groundskeeper Insight/Wildlife Weekly🌳

Hedges hedges hedges. That's what we're tackling at present, whenever the breaks in rainy 🌧 days allow. We've managed to get a few done in the last two days, including the car park hedges, today.

Why the mad dash? We're trying to get them done before the end of the month after a very wet winter. The sodden ground has made it difficult to get to our compost areas with loads of hedge clippings. But we're finally managing at present.

Once March kicks in, nesting will be well underway - there could be the odd ones now, so we're being vigilant - and we want to get everything done before then. That way, the birds 🐦 won't be disturbed at a crucial time. We have several species that nest on site, from wrens and robins to long-tailed t**s and greater spotted woodpeckers.

At the same time, there are some road repairs taking place here and there around our carpark, so please watch out for the traffic cones!

Here's to more birdsong to come once nesting has begun. The songthrush has already been serenading us this week 🎵🎶

🌾Groundskeeper Insight🌾

This week we received our order of grasses and sedge from Laburnum Nurseries.

Seamus and I managed to use yesterday's window of lovely weather to plant them into beds across the grounds, from opposite and outside our chapel to Windermere Way.

The photos don't do the grasses and sedge justice as they swayed in the wind and caught the sunshine, but we're sure you'll notice the difference when next visiting.

Come late spring/early summer the same beds will be planted with a mix of perennial and annual bedding. And we're looking forward to how the mix will look once established. Hope you'll all enjoy the new planting schemes too!

🌺Wildlife Weekly/Groundskeeper Insight🌺

A joint post this week, mixing winter wildlife with gardening. We're going to talk about Hellebores, which consists of around twenty species of plant in the Helleborus genus.

They can be herbaceous perennial or evergreen, and come in a variety of colours. We have some beautiful purple, and white, hellebores on our grounds, which are in flower now - photos taken after cutting back the old growth. Therefore, not only do they add some beauty and colour in winter, but they provide some much needed food to winter working pollinators through their nectar- and pollen-rich flowers. 🌺🐝

We recently cut back the fading foliage to let the fresh flowers and leaves emerge. It makes a change from cutting back shrubs as we currently are, to be able to cut something back that offers immediate flowers and interest.

There are many stories and legends surrounding hellebore, some going as far back as Ancient Greece. We're just happy to have them adding intrigue and colour to our grounds in winter. Perhaps we'll plant more in the future...

❄️Groundskeeper Insight❄️

A quick post this week with regards to the crisp, icy weather - plus a little snow - we've had around here.

The first job we have on the grounds on any day like this is gritting. As soon as we get in, we're out with the salt, both on our road and around our paths. A wheelbarrow, bucket, and gloved hands does the job. And I don't mind saying it's been particularly cold out this week, especially first thing! But it gives us peace of mind to know that those arriving after us can enjoy the wintery scenes without a worry.

Photo taken on an early morning this week by our very own Joe.

🌳🌳Groundskeeper Insight🌳🌳

There is a lot of preparation and work going on at the moment across the grounds, readying us for spring and summer. Perennial and annual bedding plants have been ordered through our local Laburnum Nurseries, lavenders are being cut back ready for fresh growth, and hedges are being trimmed before the birds begin nesting in them.

A large part of said preparations has been the decision to remove and replace a section of leylandii hedging. Leylandii is a fast growing, evergreen hedge that creates wonderful screening for us, and habitat for wildlife. However, leylandii lasts for around 10-20 years and, since ours is at least that, we have already started losing parts of it. More will certainly follow.

Whilst some of the hedge has been replaced here and there in the past, we have decided as a team to do something new. Each winter a section will be removed and new plants, trees, and shrubs, will replace it. This will improve plant and habitat diversity, let more light through to our woodland area (which is good for the grass and other plants), generally open up the grounds, and brighten up the area through the variety of colourful flora we will be planting.

We look forward to seeing the fruits of our labour and hope you all enjoy it as much as we will.

❄️❄️Wildlife Weekly❄️❄️

With cold temperatures arriving and crisp winter days finally here, it's an absolute pleasure to be seeing the emergence of our beloved snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis).

Something I only recently learnt was that snowdrops aren't native to the UK. Although it isn't known when exactly they were introduced. Despite that, they're well known and loved across the UK.

The pretty, drooping flowers range in height from 7cm-15cm. But why do they droop? Some say it's because they're shy, which is lovely and quaint, but the truth is that their pollen must stay dry for the few winter pollinators that visit them.

Here's an unusual fact: snowdrops contain natural antifreeze! They collapse in freezing temperatures but are able to pop back up when temps increase thanks to said antifreeze. It was even used during WWII to de-ice tanks!

A pretty and well known reminder that Spring is on its way, we're happy to have a wide spread of snowdrops across the grounds. And those are but a few of the wide range of varieties available to gardeners. Do you have any in your garden? Once the bulbs are planted, they'll reward you each winter with a sprinkling of white.

Here's to more of our bulbs making an appearance as Spring approaches 💐

🐦🐦Wildlife Weekly🐦🐦

Happy New Year to you all! I wanted to make our first post of 2024 a positive one, so let's talk about the ever-cute little bird that is the long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus).

I got the idea whilst working on the grounds this morning. A beautiful, tinkling sound reached me as a flock of long-tailed balls of fluff bobbed through the air above me. They were, of course, long-tailed t**s flying in a flock. They're certainly sociable characters, often numbering twenty individuals in a single flock.

We're happy to say they are resident in the grounds here at the crematorium. We have found their ball-like nests of fluff in the shrubs before, and are therefore mindful how and when we cut shrubs and hedges, bearing nesting in mind.

Our blush, white and grey/black residents weigh in at just 8g, but are not closely related to blue-, great-, coal-t**s etc., despite having a similar look (tail aside). However, they are thankfully common like the others and so are doing well both here and across the country. Often seen on feeders eating seeds and the like, especially in winter, their main food consists of invertebrates, making them a helping hand in the garden!

I think you'll agree they're a pretty and welcome site on our grounds, and we hope you spot a flock on your next visit. Maybe you get them on your own garden feeders? Let us know in the comments below.

(Photo credit: Jonny Gios, Milnthorpe)

Whilst we know how difficult this time of year can be for many of our families, we would like you all to know that you are in our thoughts.

Our team members here at the crematorium have experienced their own losses over the years, and it is with that understanding that we sincerely wish you all peace and comfort throughout Christmas and the coming year.

We wanted to acknowledge and talk about an upsetting recent event in which a lovely local family experienced the theft of a cherished Christmas piece from their son's memorial here at the crematorium.

Firstly, we are of course incredibly sorry and saddened that this happened in the first place. We do all we can to look after our memorials and families, and to give them a place to reflect and pay their respects. The family this happened to are regular visitors and take great care to lovingly care for and decorate their son's memorial garden.

This was of course upsetting for the family, everyone else who has loved ones at rest in the memorial gardens, and for us. The items laid on memorials mean so very much to our families. They are reminders, keepsakes, signs of hope as well as festive decorations. They mean a lot to us all. I would please ask that if, for any reason, anyone thinks about taking such an item, large or small, they pause and think of the people who put them there and have respect for those laid to rest. Please leave things where they are. They were placed there for a reason dear to someone.

On a positive note, we are so very pleased and proud that, in this particular case, our local community came together through the power of social media and observant visitors to the grounds, and the cherished Christmas piece in question was found and returned to the family it was taken from. What amazing Christmas spirit and incredible community spirit coming together when it was needed. Thank you to those involved!

Please be assured we are looking at ways we can increase security, whilst acknowledging that we keep our gates open all year round so our families can visit whenever they need to.

We wish you all a very merry Christmas and look forward to more acts of community spirit in the new year.

🐦🐦Wildlife Weekly 🐦🐦

Following on from our robin post last week, we wanted to share our newest nestbox. This characterful home was put up on the edge of our scatter woodland yesterday. It was kindly donated by our own Nikki who is currently on maternity leave. And impressively crafted by her dad!

I think we can all agree it's a lovely addition and a fine new home for a pair of blue- or great-t**s next Spring. Now is a great time to put up nestboxes before birds begin house hunting. Just be sure to face them East to Northeast to avoid intense sun for the sensitive chicks next year.

Do you have a nestbox or nestboxes in your garden or where you work? Robins like open fronted ones compared to small holes for bluet**s and the like. Perhaps you have one of those?

🌲Groundskeeper insight🌲

Despite today's weather, yesterday looked like a winter wonderland across the memorial gardens. Especially early morning. A particularly stunning view was of the snow-covered mountains of the Lake District from the top of our hill. Well worth the climb on a crisp day.

It was also lovely to see some familiar faces visiting and laying wreaths and flowers, bringing a festive feel to the gardens.

The interaction with our visitors, 'our families' as we call you all, is certainly one of the most special sides to all of our roles here at the crematorium. Whether inside or out. We're always here for you, even if it's a quick chat or hello!

🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛Wildlife Weekly🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛

The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula), or to you and me Robin Red Breast, are a regular and pleasant resident around our grounds.

This little member of the chat subfamily likes to follow us around the grounds, waiting for us to disturb the earth or leaflitter, uncovering tasty invertebrates for the robin to eat. If you do any gardening yourself, you've likely had the same experience. They're very beneficial as natural 'pest' control and are gardeners friends.

We love our little robins here, fondly calling each one 'Dave' despite knowing it won't always be the same one that sits on our wheelbarrow or shovel handle. They add character and a colourful flash as both males and females confidently show off their red/orange breast.

It's a common misconception that robins are present more in winter than summer. Most don't migrate, but are likely foraging in shrubs and the undergrowth in summer, hidden away. In winter they'll show themselves more as they hunt for scarcer food. Our colleagues Andy and Joe have even had 'Dave' feeding out of their hands!

You might have heard people say 'when robins appear, loved ones are near' and we hold onto that here too. Seen as a sign that a loved one who passed is at peace, or is even visiting us, seeing robins as you visit the grounds adds that extra sense of comfort.

Next time you're visiting, summer or winter, keep an eye out for robin red breast. Their songs are beautiful, too. It's worth searching for a soundbite online so you can recognise it next time a robin sings.

Photos taken in our grounds by Shay, Joe, and Jon.

🍂GROUNDSKEEPER INSIGHT🍂

Autumn is in full swing, winter seems to be making an appearance now too and the leaves are falling fast, if not fallen altogether by the time this post reaches you 🍃

Beautiful colours are on show across the grounds as we fight the battle through wind and rain to clear away the leaves. There's also a festive touch of frost this week, that adds to the magical scene.

It may not always look like it, due to the continuous fall, but Shay, Andy, Steve, our cremation technician Joe, and me, Jon, are busy blowing, raking, and shifting swathes of leaves.

These leaves are taken to our 'throw', which is a long stretch of compost heap on the grounds. Come January or thereabouts we'll 'throw back' said leaves, and grass clippings, ensuring the 'throw' doesn't grow and the compost is turned. All of which creates a wonderfully rich compost that is reused on our flowerbeds.

Each morning we do our best to work with the wind, clearing our roads and paths, allowing our visitors a clear route through and around the grounds. As often as we can, we clear memorials of leaves, and once or twice a week there's a big push to clear the lawns too! We don't want the leaves smothering the grass, after all.

We used to clear a lot of areas mostly unseen by our visitors; shrubberies, embankments and such. We do this less often if at all now, understanding that those fallen leaves are nature's way of feeding the roots, enriching the soil, and sheltering our wildlife.

Despite the work it creates, which largely replaces our mowing regime at this time of year, we can't argue that the frost-touched reds, yellows and oranges look fantastic. And lead us nicely on into the festive period. We also recently planted more bulbs around the grounds, giving us all something to look forward to in Spring!

Thanks for reading and for your support as always. Apologies for the gap in updates of late, we shall share more Wildlife Weekly and Groundskeeper Insights soon.

As Remembrance Day draws closer this year we would like to remind you that you are more than welcome to lay a wreath upon our Remembrance Memorial within our grounds. We do have a number of poppy crosses which we would be happy to write a message on should you wish and you can either contact us on here or by calling the office on (01524) 848394.

We had a fantastic time at the RHS Britain in Bloom North West Awards in Bolton.

It was a huge honour to once again win a Gold Award ✨️ in the Large Retail category.

Not only that, but for the first time we also won a Conservation and Environmental Award 🐝🦋

A wonderful achievement that acknowledges the work we've been doing for nature, the environment, and our visitors wellbeing. There'll be more work to do in the future, but we've come a long way in the past couple of years; logpiles and wildflower meadows, stump-planters and Wildlife Weekly posts on here, commercial recycling and peat-free compost...the list goes on.

It was a sad shame the whole team couldn't be there on the day, but a massive thanks to everyone at the crem for all they do. Especially our leader Jayne, who allows and trusts us to do what we do best.

A massive thank you to the NW in Bloom chairman Bernard, our two wonderful judges, Laburnum Nurseries for their beautiful bedding and hanging baskets, everyone else involved, and to Heysham Village for their community spirit and friendship in and out of the awards. Well done on your awards this year Heysham Village!

Our awards will be on display in our Chapel entrance as always.