Page 38 - link magazine

38 The Link Magazine • August 2003
Wildflower sensation to Greenfingered Guides make village centre wildlife attractive
be seen at The Haven When 1st Peatmoor Guides were asked to take up a community challenge they decided to join forces with
Sunday 10 August,10amand4pm, the eco-congregation of Holy Trinity Church at Shaw Village Centre and turn the scruffy flower beds
is a special open day for The Ha- around the church into something to be admired.
ven at Cheney Manor. The church wants to improve
You will see an acre of meadow, the landscaping adjacent to its
ponds and woodland covered in building and has had advice from
British wildflowers. the Wiltshire WildlifeTrustso plant-
This is the first dry summer for ing will encourage wildlife and
years and promises to provide a plants to grow without much main-
bumper crop of butterflies on the tenance or artificial fertilisers.
site. The Guides are the first to im-
If you visit, you will leave with prove the beds and other members
free seeds or seedlings and advice of the church will undertake fur-
on how to promote butterflies in ther work in the autumn.
your neighbourhood. If you can- All the plants were donated and
not make it on 10 August, call John the Guides would like to thank
Ball on 877261. John Ball of The Haven for the
wildflowers, and Blooms Nurser-
GARDEN ies, Midge Hall Nurseries and
Swindon Enterprise Works for the
8
DOCTORS. herbs and annuals.
LANDSCAPING Ever thought about Guiding?
LANDSCAPING & GARDEN MAINTENANCE An appeal from Tina Oliver
The Guide Association is always looking for new people to help out with Rainbows, Brownies and
Guides. You can either assist a unit as a regular helper or undertake a leadership qualification to train as
a Guider.
I started out as a parent helper in my daughter's worthwhile feeling to know that you are contribut-
Brownie pack but decided to take up the challenge of ing something to your local community. I give up
becoming a Guider. The training is not difficult and a a few hours a week of my spare time, which seems
mentor is assigned to you to help you through. Most a small sacrifice when I see how much our Brown-
aspects of the training are undertaken during the ies are enjoying themselves.
• Trained team • Fully insured
For free quotation course of your unit meetings. If you would like any further information please
Being a Guider is a voluntary position. You do not call me, Tina Oliver on 881571, or Wendy Dukes
Tel: (01793)) 526571
get paid but any training costs are covered. It is a (District Commissioner) on 878154.
Mobile: 07760 127139
Terminator plant blocks up streams
LAIIJCA r A flowering shrub known as the Terminator or the Germinator of the
r
plant world is spreading trifid-like in West Swindon.
LANDSCAPE SERVICES
GENERAL GARDEN MAINTENANCE Well known birdlife in the area.
& CONSTRUCTION www.horticare.co.uk Westlea School "I used to see king-
• Fencing - closeboard. panels etc. crossing patrol fishers and several
* Patios * Ponds
• Drives and patios - slabs, man John Hodges herons along the
concrete, shingle * Turfing * Fencing first noticed the tall stream but there
• Patio cleaning, grass cutting. fronds and pretty are less of them
gardens tidied up ** Garden maintenance pink flowers of the around nowadays,
• Turfing and grass seeding * Garden design Himalayan bal- and the ducks who
• Ponds & pergolas Decking * Pergolas sam appearing in used to paddle in
Contact: 01793 692687 the stream that the stream have
Mobile: 0771 1 253508 ALL WORK GUARANTEED runs through fewer places to go
Westlea two years because the balsam
ago. Now the vo- covers the stream
racious plant has and prevent other
spread along the whole length from plants from growing, and their
Mead Way to Ashington Way, roots take the nutrients from the
Tel: 855800 Fax: 840139 nearly 1,500 metres. stream bed.
ii First introduced as an exotic "I'm not sure what can be done
V e: [email protected]
Unit 23 & 24 Oaklands Ind. Estate greenhouse plant in 1839, the bal- other than a lot of time being spent
Braydon, Swindon sam has wreaked environmental cutting back and clearing the plant
damage elsewhere by choking on a regular basis to improve the
Local family business offering a FITTING SERVICE OR SUPPLY ONLY to trade & DIY
streams and preventing native quality of the environment."
; = x g '` Closed Board/Panel or Picket Fencing
plants such as ragged robin, golden Jo Sayer, Swindon Waterways
Pressure injected timber treatment saxifrage and meadow cranesbill Officer for the Wiltshire Wildlife
• Advice, repairs & refurbishment service from growing. It has an efficient Trust, said the spread of balsam
on all fencing matters germinating system; when ripe, was a major worry. "This is a highly
\^ Made to measure gates
t pods explode to shower hundreds invasive and prolific alien species.
of seeds over a twenty foot radius. The problem will get worse if the
jj. I • Delivery service The seeds can remain viable for up possible. Is there any interest from
plants are not removed as soon as
to two years and are easily spread
^
w^,ro,^^n
John, who walks his dog along
quotations
- ___ Free home in streams and on soles of shoes. a local community group to do a
day of balsam pulling?"
_
Westlea stream, said he was con- She can be contacted on 526229
cerned at the deterioration of or mail: [email protected]