Compost Corner - Winter Update

Priory’s gardens are our pride and joy and award-winning gardener Mr Farron wants to let parents and pupils know what to expect each month as the landscape changes.  

“Adeste fidelis laeti triumphantes”

Season’s Greetings Fellow Composters

The grounds around Priory continue to look tree-mendous thanks to our gardener Mr Farron and his helpful assistant Nathaniel. 

Mr Farron was given a few hundred trees from the Woodland Trust, the second time the school has had a donation. 

He has been extremely busy designing and planting tree saplings of various types kindly donated by the Trust – just over 100 trees including Silver Birch, Crab Apple, Rowen, Wild Cherry, Elder and Hazel, all mixed into two new small, wooded areas, east and west within the school grounds

“We want to create small woodlands,” said Mr Farron. "We have started on the east side and planted 100 trees and then will plant the same on the west side. They are saplings and it will probably be around two years before we see a difference.

“The interesting thing is that in the areas we have been digging there is natural clay but there is also clay which was dumped from Preston Docks which is around 200 years old!” 

Year 8 Nathaniel said: “We have been planting trees in the morning, around 8am, just before school. I enjoy helping Mr Farron and I have learnt a lot.”

Mr Farron continued, "This most definitely will encourage wildlife, not forgetting staff and students as well. Here’s looking forward to Spring!"
Advice for the Season

From a creative point of view, when winter-walking through established woodland, there will always be fallen branches that can be recovered and used as winter decorations once brushed down, dried and sprayed with silver or gold, then decorated. Try it, it's good fun!

Now is the time to tidy and prune, especially roses, making sure all leaves are collected and burnt as blackspot has spoiled the appearance. Also spray with fungicide, based on Benomy-Buprimate / triforine, and then again in Spring. 

There is still time to plant bulbs, preferably in pots, so go for a mixed selection and remember spring is the next one up.

Father Christmas knows well what to place within my stocking. I look forward each year to a fresh supply of exotic seeds and gardening books. These keep me busy in mid-winter with the colourful results to come.

So I would like to wish you all a happy nativitus. Keep blooming and smiling.

Mr C Farron, Gardener
Honorary Member of the RHS
Winner of North West Britain in Bloom, South Ribble in Bloom and Penwortham in Bloom
Judge for South Ribble and Penwortham in Bloom competitions

PS Oh, here’s a tip for a delightful present, try a Christmas Cacti, also known as schlumbergera mix, they are truly wonderful in various colours and can be re-potted into a colourful pot - and they are perennials too.