chequertree.bsky.social
Environment, food, farming, gardening, sometimes with a Kentish slant. Side interest in astroturfing & computational propaganda.
69 posts
198 followers
432 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
comment in response to
post
It's amazing how far even large tree seeds can travel. The diversity and patchy structure of naturally regenerated sites is much, much better than anything planted. Planted native woodlands are often rather poor for wildlife in comparison.
comment in response to
post
Nice work, not easy to find at Wye!
comment in response to
post
This is the same area in Autumn. Often flooded like this for weeks or months at a time.
comment in response to
post
Fails the 10m restriction by some margin...
comment in response to
post
Stunning! Thanks for posting.
comment in response to
post
UK & Ireland distribution courtesy of @bsbibotany.bsky.social maps, a wonderfully useful resource.
comment in response to
post
Ps many thanks to @shadoxhurstman.bsky.social for the zoom lens pics!
comment in response to
post
This is one of my favourites, I got some free with a bulb order and they're superb, fabulous scent as well!
comment in response to
post
I've always viewed deer as largely beneficial around here because of contribution to structural diversity, but on sites I mentioned I'm a bit concerned now. Your comment reminds me of an urban edge horse paddock near here where despite hard grazing to billiard table brambles & thorn still establish!
comment in response to
post
But taking the longer view perhaps browse lines are always perfectly ok!
comment in response to
post
At King's Wood and Wye they seem to be eating out a lot of the herbaceous vegetation, leaving only a few species of plants which they apparently find unpalatable such as Nettles, Brachypodium sylvaticum and Hypericum. Trees seem to be fine and there's still regen but there's a definite browse line.
comment in response to
post
Deer are definitely on the increase in Kent, I noted some serious issues with vegetation in King's Wood when surveying last year and there are also problems at Wye NNR.
comment in response to
post
How many Sky News journalists own a 2nd (or 3rd) home? How about the owners of Sky News? No explanation of who the "Taxpayers' Alliance" are for readers either.
comment in response to
post
Yes I'm keen to add some new squares rather than hanging out with the crowds of butterfly tourists, not my scene!
comment in response to
post
It seems surreal that with a bit of effort they're almost guaranteed at the moment. Strange times, long may they continue! The one I saw yesterday wasn't as smart as yours, most of its hindwings were missing.
comment in response to
post
It looks very similar now, except that the Monkey Puzzle didn't make it!
comment in response to
post
Disappointed to see you trotting out Tuftonesque stuff like this, I really admire a lot of your work.
comment in response to
post
Hard agree on that, I find them both to be bordering on disgusting. I got excited about growing Blue Sausage Tree (Decaisenea), which turns out to be a rather sprawling, untidy shrub with interesting looking but insipid tasting greyish fruits.
comment in response to
post
I think a fair few book descriptions of these novel 'edible' fruits are somewhat optimistic! They are pretty plants though :-)
comment in response to
post
Are the fruits actually nice to eat? And do they really taste of chocolate?
comment in response to
post
The huge Douglas Firs are also really impressive!
comment in response to
post
Elhampark Wood is probably best of the Lyminge Forest complex, with the added bonus that it's next to Park Gate. For me West Wood is one of those 'wouldn't this have been great before the Forestry Commission bulldozers went in' sites. Lots of Firecrests & nice colony of Lily of the Valley though!
comment in response to
post
Was that Orlestone or one of the woods on the downs?
comment in response to
post
First 2 Large Tortoiseshells reported locally yesterday so keep an eye out!
comment in response to
post
Forestry Commission, sorry for using lazy trade acronyms!
comment in response to
post
I'm sure some letters from concerned members of the public wouldn't hurt, especially if they point out the dodgy legal ground FC are on :-)
comment in response to
post
Taking matters into our own hands is probably the answer given FC's glacial practical responses to urgent problems- there seems to be no formal strategy for dealing with the issue. We shouldn't have to rely on volunteers to help FC comply with the law, but here we are. See you for cake in Summer!
comment in response to
post
They're certainly obliged to prevent it from growing in the wild, so allowing it to grow around timber stacks which will be extracted from the site is arguably illegal, as is spreading on machinery. It was raised formally with FC last year and the answer was less than satisfactory.
comment in response to
post
If they employed someone for a month in Summer it could be more or less eradicated from their East Kent woods, it really is frustrating as every year which goes by makes eradication more difficult and expensive. It's really impacting on the ride flora in some places now.
comment in response to
post
Even deep in ancient woods I've found plants with suspicious silver marks, I don't know if the true native one ever shows some silver markings?
comment in response to
post
I think a lot of it is caused by tipping of commercial garden waste by those sketchy 'bloke with a van & a mower' type outfits who don't know much about plants and certainly don't want to pay fees at the tip :-(
comment in response to
post
Even bigger problem in the local Forestry Commission woods is Himalayan Balsam, they're spreading it around on their machinery and it moves even faster. It's still just about doable but frustrating that FC won't spend anything on eradication when they splash £££ on ride flailing and stone chippings.
comment in response to
post
Depressingly this stuff is turning up in lots of ancient woodlands around here, I found large patches in the Kings Wood & Lyminge Forest complexes last year, usually near roadsides or garden boundaries where garden waste gets tipped. As you say in the vid, best dealt with before it gets marching!