Perhaps a good time of the year to start planning for next years growing season ???

Remembering the work of past volunteers and a time before our power tools when we also got a good workout

A variety of plants flourishing in the autumn sun

Good to see a healthy population of slow worms

A little early morning maintenance

Cleaning the air box, replacing the missing air filter on the mower and lubricating some of the padlocks.

Signs of autumn from the hawthorn in our wildlife area

One of our inhabitant common lizards on the wildlife friendly area

A year in the life of a common lizard…

Spring - Adult lizards emerge from their hibernation sites in early spring. Mating takes place around April.

Summer - Females incubate the eggs inside themselves and ‘give birth’ to up to 11 live young around July/August. Juvenile lizards are tiny – less than 5cm long – and are darker in colour than the adults.

Autumn - Lizards spend the next couple of months feeding up on invertebrates in preparation for winter. They feed on worms, slugs and insects and give their prey a good shake, to stun it, before swallowing.

Winter - Common Lizards hibernate, often in groups, amongst rocks or dead wood generally between November and March. They may take advantage of milder patches of weather to come out and forage.

Common Lizards are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to kill, harm or injure them sell or trade them in any way

Collecting calendula seeds and storing them for next year

Its beginning to feel a lot like autumn

Free trees from the Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust want to make sure everyone in the UK has the chance to plant a tree. So they are giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities.

For more information and details of how to apply please visit their website here.

Apple trees continue to bear fruit in our small orchard area

Apple trees continue to bear fruit in our small orchard area.

Vegetable seeds to sow in September

Top tips and advice from Gardeners World - Vegetable seeds to sow in September