Another fine day for our intrepid team of Denburn diggers – we do seem to be able to lay on the good weather! Around a dozen of us – from school age to bus pass age got stuck in.
There were two main threads to our work this time, at the cemetery end new turr was laid to smarten up the path. Both there and elsewhere plants that had finished flowering were cut back to keep the verges and beds tidy.
The cutting back enabled us to spot and remove a rather large sycamore seedling that was threatening to both undermine the wall by the roadside and to shade out the smaller, more attractive trees in the area. It also showed us where some of the smaller shrubs had been completely submerged in nettles, buttercups and hogweed so we cleared some space around them and gave them a light pruning so we should get some good blossom next spring. Other shrubs had been damaged – whether by weather, age or deliberate vandalism wasn’t clear but we had to remove half the damaged buddleia and the entire top of the pheasant berry – which is a shame as the butterflies and bees love both.
Weeding and a small amount of planting also took place but we’ll be planning what to plant in the autumn soon to improve the look of some of the shadier areas.
The next Denburn digger day will be on September 7th at 10am when we hope to welcome as many new and old hands again. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided at half time.
— Erica H.
Crail Preservation Society 