Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Course Ltd
We have now packed up our worldly possessions and left Upchurch for a new life in Suffolk and have moved into temporary accommodation while we wait to complete on a cottage. It turns out that we have ventured just across the border into the Norfolk village of Burgh St. Peter. To Suffolk people, this is the equivalent of being on the wrong side of the A2. We are in a Park Home on the Waveney River Centre on the edge of the Norfolk Broads National Park. It comes with a marina on the Waveney River, a pub, a restaurant and a swimming pool. If it wasn’t for the Land Registry, we would have been here back in the Summer!
Each Lodge has a parcel of land, which has been landscaped with shrubs and grasses in the past. Like so many organisations in the leisure industry, they are struggling with staff levels, so I have set about the age-old task of weeding and pruning to try and get the landscaping back under control. In earlier years, the sea inundated this area, which then slowly silted up until there were just a number of tidal rivers and shallow lakes (broads) remaining. The soil here is drained marshland and incredibly sandy. In fact, the Eastern coast is very sandy, including the cliffs, which are eroding rapidly. Suffolk Coastal Council has now abandoned attempts to prevent coastal erosion as there is very little that can be done. As you move away from the coast, the soil becomes a heavy thick clay which will not be easy to work.
A mix of shrubs and grasses with a lot of weed!
There is no lawn here to worry about, just clumps of various coastal grasses. As the weeds are cleared and shrubs pruned, I will divide the grasses and fill the empty spaces. The Duchess has brought all her pot plants along, including a rather striking black grass which can be divided to add a bit of contrast. Cotoneaster is doing well in this soil, so the long green stems of the ground cover variety have been trimmed back to show off the bright red berries. This can be done with a lot of shrubs that produce berries this time of year, especially Pyracantha, which produces a mass of either red or yellow berries.
Other than tidying up the plot, cleaning down the outside of the Lodge and treating the wooden decking, there isn’t much to do until we can move into the Cottage. Now is the time to start planning the new garden and to think about seeds for next year. A key part of the garden will be a vegetable patch, and being a bit of a survivalist this is becoming more important to me. Without trying to be gloomy, it is reasonable to say that energy and food inflation is becoming a serious problem. As far as food inflation is concerned, a kitchen garden can provide some of the answers. I am looking to develop a vegetable patch that can provide seasonal vegetables all year round, which can then be propagated from their own seed. Some vegetables are suitable for storage e.g. Potatoes, but with the introduction of a wider range of Winter/Spring plants, it should be possible to harvest fresh vegetables for 12 months of the year. Whether those hybrid plants will come good from their own seed I have yet to find out. Anyway, that’s the objective, I just need to decide on the seeds required for the first year.
I hope everybody is well in Upchurch and that UHS continues to thrive as life skills like gardening seem to be less popular among younger people these days. That may change in the future, and the experience and know-how of active growers may become an asset to local communities.
As I look out over the marshes towards the river, a thick mist has rolled in and dampened everything. Which reminds me that I need to put a few Ghost Ship beers in the fridge if I want a chilled one this evening… ONE!
UHS is always looking for new members and tries to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables, and flowers or even enter any of the shows we hold each year, please get in touch. We would be happy to hear from you.
Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society
