Autumn/Winter 2011/12 - Harcourt Arboretum - University of Oxford
Autumn/Winter 2011/12 - Harcourt Arboretum - University of Oxford
Autumn/Winter 2011/12 - Harcourt Arboretum - University of Oxford
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Botanic Garden News | No. 79<br />
5<br />
Nothoscordum bulbs<br />
If this project continues, we’re confident that<br />
we can bring the Nothoscordum population<br />
down to a manageable level and, hopefully,<br />
eradicate this menace completely in the<br />
longer term!<br />
Meanwhile, other volunteer projects at<br />
the Garden and the <strong>Arboretum</strong> have included<br />
weekly watering <strong>of</strong> newly planted material<br />
during the very dry spring; dead heading;<br />
dividing and potting up plants from the<br />
Herbaceous and <strong>Autumn</strong> Borders ready for<br />
the Friends’ plant sale next summer; planting<br />
bulbs; a volunteer gardener for the vegetable<br />
beds; volunteer involvement in clearing<br />
Rhododendron ponticum at the <strong>Arboretum</strong>;<br />
and data entry on our new plant records<br />
database. The Friends’ Administrator also has<br />
regular and invaluable administrative help<br />
from a volunteer member <strong>of</strong> the Friends.<br />
Without the help <strong>of</strong> these individuals we<br />
could not have maintained the collections to<br />
the level achieved this year, nor continued<br />
developing the Garden and <strong>Arboretum</strong> for<br />
the years ahead. It has been an absolute<br />
“Volunteering at the<br />
Botanic Garden is not<br />
only fun and rewarding<br />
but it gives me the<br />
opportunity to feel<br />
part <strong>of</strong> the team and to<br />
learn from the experts.<br />
It’s also great knowing<br />
you’re doing something<br />
to help and that all the<br />
vegetables that we’ve<br />
so lovingly grown go<br />
to people who really<br />
appreciate them.”<br />
Ness Newman, who has<br />
been volunteering half<br />
a day a week since July.<br />
She works on the vegetable<br />
beds with Jim Penny <strong>of</strong><br />
the Hardy Team.<br />
pleasure to have enthusiastic and committed<br />
volunteers working with us and we<br />
would like to say a very big thank you to all<br />
our volunteers, past and present, for their<br />
hard work and positive influence on the<br />
Garden and <strong>Arboretum</strong>.<br />
We are now developing a bigger<br />
programme for volunteers at both the Garden<br />
and the <strong>Arboretum</strong>. There will be roles in<br />
maintenance <strong>of</strong> all sorts, both regular activities<br />
and one-<strong>of</strong>f projects: planting, dividing,<br />
weeding, dead heading, potting, grass edging,<br />
leaf picking, watering, clearance work, plus<br />
data entry and library administration. And<br />
we still have lots <strong>of</strong> the ‘usual’ activities for<br />
Friends to help with – the Friends’ plant sale,<br />
special events, c<strong>of</strong>fee mornings, garden visits,<br />
festivals and picnic days.<br />
If you or anyone you know would<br />
be interested in joining the volunteers,<br />
please contact us at:<br />
volunteers@obg.ox.ac.uk or by post to:<br />
Volunteers, <strong>Oxford</strong> Botanic Garden,<br />
Rose Lane OX1 4AZ. Thank you.<br />
A volunteer’s<br />
experience<br />
by Sally Strang<br />
When I replied to a request for weeders<br />
at the Botanic Garden I did wonder<br />
whether this was a rather rash decision.<br />
Did I really want to weed another patch<br />
when there was plenty to do in my own<br />
garden Three months seemed a long<br />
time to commit to, albeit for only a couple<br />
<strong>of</strong> hours every two weeks, and it wouldn’t<br />
be much fun if the weather was cold<br />
and wet. As it happened it was a magical<br />
spring - warm, sunny and dry.<br />
On our first morning our small group<br />
<strong>of</strong> volunteers was greeted warmly by<br />
Mary Isaac and Tom Price and after<br />
a short health and safety session we<br />
were introduced to the noxious weed<br />
whose rampage through the Garden<br />
was the reason for our recruitment.<br />
Nothoscordum had defied all attempts at<br />
eradication and it had been decided that,<br />
perhaps as a last resort, teams <strong>of</strong> weeders<br />
working methodically through the beds<br />
might slow down its progress. Tom<br />
explained carefully what was expected<br />
<strong>of</strong> us; he and his staff were always<br />
welcoming and were there to answer our<br />
questions, though at no time did we feel<br />
that someone was hovering over us.<br />
Each week we were shown where<br />
to weed and set to work at our own<br />
pace, chatting or comparing the size<br />
<strong>of</strong> a particularly fecund specimen or<br />
just taking in the tranquility <strong>of</strong> our<br />
surroundings. It was a pleasure watching<br />
the changes in the Garden through<br />
the spring. The birds sang, the bells in<br />
Magdalen Tower reminded us it was<br />
c<strong>of</strong>fee time, inquisitive ducks investigated<br />
and groups <strong>of</strong> school children<br />
chattered past clutching their finds. We<br />
marveled at the blue <strong>of</strong> the irises and the<br />
smell <strong>of</strong> spring enveloped us.<br />
On each return visit we would eagerly<br />
scan the six foot’s worth <strong>of</strong> bed which<br />
we had weeded last time to see if any<br />
Nothoscordum had dared to reappear.<br />
On the whole the beds seemed reasonably<br />
clear and it will be interesting to see<br />
what happens next year.<br />
We all felt quite sad at the end <strong>of</strong> our<br />
term but enjoyed a picnic lunch with the<br />
garden staff and the lovely scones and<br />
jam which they produced for us. Everyone<br />
seemed to think that we had made a<br />
difference and were really grateful and on<br />
our part we felt that it had been a privilege<br />
to work in the Garden. I’m not sure what<br />
my motivations were but it was lovely<br />
to be more involved and to learn in the<br />
process. I would highly recommend it!