Lots of road closures at the moment! This one is 15th – 16th June, Mill road (the road out to Green Pastures. Starting at its crossroads Junction with Threadneedle St, for about 50m.
The relevant part of the official notice:
ORDER prohibiting the use by vehicles of the C375 Mill Road from its junction with C374 Threadneedle Street for 50m northwards…
Anglian Water sluice valve repair works are required at the C375 Mill Road from its junction with C374 Threadneedle Street for 50m northwards in the PARISH OF ALPINGTON
The Chances project delivers personalised employment support to people across Norfolkj. The project supports people both near to and far from work, including those seeking help with health conditions, employability skills, or a lack of self-confidence.
There will be a 10mph speed limit on a 0.6km stretch of the A146, around the Green Pastures junction, for about 1 month. 10th May to 7th June.
From the official notice:
…a 10 mph speed restriction on the A146 Loddon Road from a point 330 metres west of its junction with the C375 Back Lane for a distance of 630 metres eastwards… because of Norfolk County Council surface dressing road markings and stud installation works.
…traffic over the said road should be restricted with effect from 10th May 2021 to 7th June 2021…
April 2021 has apparently been the coldest since the 1980s and the driest for decades so fingers crossed, May will be warmer and will hopefully bring some much-needed rain for our gardens just as they surge into life for the Summer months ahead.
Mowing
It is now time for regular lawn maintenance and May is really the last chance to sow or lay new lawns until the Autumn. Even though it has been so dry, your lawn will probably need a weekly mow from now until Autumn and the edges will still need trimming.
Planting
Once the danger of frost has passed, plant out strawberries and sow runner beans outside, constructing your wigwams or cane supports for them. The end of the month is the best time to plant out tender vegetables like courgettes and the colourful summer bedding plants.
This is also a great time to re-pot any pot-bound plants in pots about 10cm bigger than the current ones. Give them a good feed and tie-in any long climber shoots to their supports with soft twine or string.
Pest Protection
As the weather warms up, the insect pests are becoming more active – so keep an eye out for them. Pick off scarlet lily beetle from your lilies (their larvae rapidly defoliate plants). Watch for vine weevil in container plantings – irregular-shaped notches to leaf edges are tell-tale signs (the young grubs in the soil eat the roots really quickly).
Check your roses for black spot, remove and discard all infected leaves on the plant to prevent it spreading. They may need spraying with a fungicide such as Rose Clear to keep it under control.
If you find aphids/greenfly on your rosebushes, as an alternative to shop-bought pesticides you can spray them with washing up liquid solution (the same strength as you would use for washing dishes) and on a cloudy day, spray the whole bush, including the tops and undersides of the leaves and buds. You may need to repeat this treatment regularly to keep your roses clear of these little creatures.
You can also now cover soft fruit bushes with netting to prevent birds eating the fruit. If you are growing strawberries, put straw or bark around or under them.
Pruning Spring-flowing shrubs
Your Spring-flowering shrubs will be finishing their flowering display so now is the time to prune these – eg:- Ribes, Weigela and Forsythia, as these all flower on this year’s growth. Prune them back into shape just after they have finished flowering to give a beautiful display next year.
Administering “The Chelsea Chop”
To check the growth of perennial plants which can grow too tall, you can make the plants branch out by cutting or pinching off the growing tips. Plants which respond well to this treatment are Rudbeckias, Solidago (Golden Rod), Heleniums, Phlox and Michaelmas Daisies. Take a pair of shears and literally chop off the top 6 inches of growth. This action will reduce the overall height of the flowing plant by about 25% and although they may flower a week or two later, as they won’t be so tall, they won’t be so prone to collapsing or being blown over.
Feeding Bulbs
Dead head your Spring flowing bulbs and then feed them with a granular fertiliser, blood, fish and bone, or Miracle Gro to give them an energy boost and help them flower next Spring.
Relaxing in your garden
Remember to take some time to sit in your garden on warmer days to relax and just enjoy the sights, sounds and atmosphere of your beautiful outside space.
This junction has been closed for a week or so, due to be finished today, but the works have overrun and the closure will remain, expected for another day.
The relevant part of the official notice:
..continuing the prohibition of the use by vehicles of the C375 Church Meadow Lane from 20m southwest of its junction with Nichols road for 50m eastward…
Please share this if you can so that we can reach residents who might not follow this community site.
Today (Sat 17th Apr) a Yelverton resident had a visit from 2 men in an old plain white or grey Renault Traffic van Reg No BK55 RZJ.
The resident was round the back of the house and did not know they were parked at the front of the house apparently looking around and through the windows. A neighbour saw them and challenged them, alerting the resident to their presence.
The passenger was out of the van, wearing a scruffy blue checked shirt, jeans and work boots, unshaven guy about 5’8″ tall, slim build, dark scruffy short hair with an Irish accent. The driver wasn’t seen.
The resident asked if they could help and they said they were looking for Mr Richards in Salmon Road. He showed a scruffy bit of paper with this information on it and the postcode was correct. We said we did not know of any Salmon Road or Mr Richards and they then left rather hastily.
They turned right onto Framingham Earl Road towards Poringland at 12.30pm.
The incident has been reported to Norfolk police on 101.
There was also another incident earlier this month involving a Ford Transit with Tree and Garden Services on it’s side. This van was crawling up and down Framingham Earl Road repeatedly and when approached by a neighbour as it stopped outside his house. It sped off in the direction of Poringland. The neighbour did manage to take a picture of that van:
A van involved in suspicious behaviour on Framingham Earl Road
The Junction of Wheel Road, Reeders Lane, and Burgate Lane, Alpington, will be closed for 3 days 4-6th May 2021.
If you come out of the Wheel of Fortune pub and turn left, then it’s the junction 200m down the road there.
The relevant part of the official notice:
…U76372 Burgate Lane/Wheel Road from a point 30 metres east of its junction with the U76373 Reeders Lane for a distance of 60 metres westwards, and U76373 Reeders Lane from its junction with the U76372 Burgate Lane for a distance of 30 metres southwards.
Alpington and Yelverton 
