Tiny Forest, Giant Effort

Warm wet weather meant weeds have grown super-fast at Ladywell’s Tiny Forest over the last couple of weeks, threatening to overwhelm some of the 600 saplings. So Linda and Tree Keeper co-ordinator Caroline went into battle… freeing slender tree trunks from bindweed entanglement, yanking out invasive couch grass and beheading tall-growing mallow. After an hour and a half’s careful work, most of the tiny saplings were soaking up the sunlight, free to continue their springtime growth spurt untroubled by unwanted neighbours. After all this purposeful destruction, it was lovely to walk through Ladywell Fields admiring the banks of dandelions, daisies and other “weeds” left to flower to encourage insect pollinators – a joyful sight at the start of No Mow May.