Author: alpington-yelverton-admin

Feb/Mar 2025 edition of Eleven Says, the Newspaper of the Bramerton Group of Churches covering 11 Parishes.

An organ recital titled “Inspired by Bells” by Richard Bower will be held at St. Mary’s Church, Yelverton on Saturday, 8th March at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are priced at £10

From the FRIENDS OF
ST. MARY’S CHURCH

Saturday, 8th March

‘INSPIRED BY BELLS’

An Organ Recital by Richard Bower

in St. Mary’s Church, Yelverton

at 7.30 p.m.
Tickets £10 available from Mary Fewster 01508 492059 or Brian Bugg 01508 492131

Norfolk County Council plans to temporarily close a section of Cherrywood Road in Alpington from February 4th to 6th, 2025, to facilitate Anglian Water works for a new water connection.

From the official notice:

…proposes to make a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (the “Order”) (STRO11884) affecting the U7624/18 Cherrywood from 35m west of its junction with U76524/12 Cherrywood for 35m westwards (the “Road”) in the  Parish of Alpington to facilitate Anglian Water works for a new water connection, the Road will be temporarily closed (except for pedestrian access) for the duration of the works/period the closure is necessary which is anticipated to be from 4th to 6th February 2025,

February is the month which should signal the end of Winter, when we can all start preparing for Spring and enjoy being out in our gardens more often, as the weather permits.

Plants to buy or enjoy this month

Shrubs: Early flowering Camelias, Jasminum nudiflorum (winter flowering Jasmine), Garrya elliptica (also known as the Silk Tassel tree)

Perennials & Bulbs: Hellebores, native Primroses, Pulmonaria. Also early Daffodils, Crocuses and Aconites.

General Garden maintenance

• If snow falls, knock it off evergreen shrubs & conifers to prevent branches snapping or bowing under the weight
• Firm back down any plants that have been lifted by frost
• Put garden compost or well-rotted manure on beds and fork it in
• Clear away old plant debris from pond margins and scoop out any leaves that have fallen into the water
• Spread a layer of well-rotted manure around roses and shrubs
• Install a nest box with a camera, so you can watch birds raising their young in Spring

Flowerbeds & Pots

• Cut down deciduous ornamental grasses left standing over winter, before fresh shoots appear
• Divide large clumps of snowdrops and Winter aconites after flowering and replant to start new colonies
• Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free
• Move dormant deciduous shrubs growing in the wrong place
• Pot up containers with hardy spring bedding, such as primroses, wallflowers and forget-me-nots
• Sprinkle slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and other flowering shrubs

Pruning

• Prune hybrid tea and floribunda roses, before growth restarts
• Prune late-summer flowering clematis, cutting stems back to healthy buds about 30cm from the base
• Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers if they have outgrown their space, before birds start nesting
• Prune winter-blooming shrubs such as mahonia & winter jasmine after they’ve flowered
• Cut back wisteria side shoots to three buds, to encourage abundant flowers in spring
• Give winter heathers a light trim after flowering, removing shoot tips but not cutting back into old wood
• Prune buddleia and elder down to 1m or to the base to keep these vigorous shrubs to a reasonable size
• Cut away all the old foliage from epimediums with shears, before the spring flowers start to develop
• Finish winter-pruning fruit trees and soft fruits, including apples, autumn raspberries and blackcurrants

Greenhouse

• Remove any faded or yellowing leaves from overwintering plants
• Wash greenhouse glazing inside and out to let in more light
• Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them frost-free in a greenhouse and pinch out Autumn-sown sweet peas to encourage side shoots
• Sow summer bedding and tender annuals, including cosmos, lobelia, dahlias, nasturtiums and snapdragons
• Sow tender crops such as tomatoes and chillies in a heated propagator
• Plant dahlia tubers in trays to encourage shoots to develop
• Start planting summer bulbs in pots indoors, including begonias, gloxinias, lilies and agapanthus
• Cut back overwintered fuchsias and start watering them sparingly to encourage new growth

Winter is an excellent time to prune trees, hedges and shrubs before the bird nesting season kicks off in Spring. 

It’s especially important to check any trees, hedges or shrubs you have that are alongside a public footpath or highway as hedges or shrubs and trees that overgrow a footpath can seriously inconvenience and even endanger pedestrians forcing them into the road or even causing injury – a poke in the face from a branch is no joke!  You should also check for and remove any low hanging branches from trees that could potentially impede or injure a passerby.  Remember you are responsible for ensuring that your plants, trees, shrubs and hedges do not encroach beyond your boundary line, especially if this affects the use of the road or path.

If you are thinking of planting new trees, shrubs or hedges then check what the eventual width will be – you may need to plant further back from the boundary than you thought.

So be a good neighbour and check your hedges, bushes, trees and shrubs in your gardens where you have a public right of way adjacent to your boundary and where necessary cut back any overgrowth as soon as possible. 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Alpington with Yelverton Parish Council

Plants to buy this month

• Snowdrops and hellebores. Buy plants in flower, so you can choose the blooms you like

General Garden maintenance

• Clear soggy leaves, algae and moss from paths, patios, decking and steps
• Top up bird baths with fresh water and feed birds high energy food to help them through the cold weeks ahead, remembering to scrub the feeders regularly
• Repair wobbly or damaged fences
• Give your lawn mower a basic service while not in use
• Put up bird boxes in sheltered spots, on tree trunks, sheds or walls
• Clean and sharpen your tools, including hoes, secateurs and shears. Spray metal tools with oil
• Sprinkle an all-purpose fertiliser along the base of hedges and around shrubs
• Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers
• Give empty pots and seed trays a thorough wash and scrub

Flowerbeds

• Plant bare-root roses, shrub & hedging and ornamental trees, as long as the ground isn’t frozen
• Clear away and compost soggy, collapsed stems of perennials
• Remove larger leaves of established hellebores to reveal the flowers
• Press mistletoe berries into the bark of apple trees to establish your own mistletoe plants
• Clear leaf debris from small alpines
• Move dormant plants that are in the wrong place to more suitable sites
• Check for rot on stored bulbs and tubers, and ensure dahlia and canna tubers haven’t totally dried out

Pruning

• Continue pruning climbing roses, while they are dormant
• Prune apple and Pear trees

Greenhouse

• Sow winter salads in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill, for harvesting in a few weeks
• Tidy up the greenhouse, disposing of any broken pots & old compost etc
• Move potted strawberry plants under cover to encourage early fruiting
• Prepare your greenhouse for spring – look at ventilation, shading & heating
• Ventilate the greenhouse on sunny days to prevent humidity building up

TWELFTH NIGHT QUIZ

To raise funds for the Village Hall

At Alpington Village Hall

on Saturday, 11^th January, 2025

at 7.00 p.m. for 7.30 p.m.

BYO Drinks and Nibbles

Mulled Wine and Mince Pies provided

Tables of up to 6 people

£7 per person

Please contact Pat Barter on 01508 493570

to book a table or individual seats

Full details on the flyer below!

Dec/Jan 2024-25 edition of Eleven Says, the Newspaper of the Bramerton Group of Churches covering 11 Parishes.

Gull lane is closed 3rd and 4th Dec 2024, which is one of those smaller roads cutting across from the a146 through to Poringland.

From the official notice:

…affecting the C187 Gull Lane from its junction with U76369 Yelverton Road for 1150m northwards (the “Road”) in the  Parish of Framingham Earl to facilitate Norfolk County Council drainage works, the Road will be temporarily closed (except for pedestrian access) for the duration of the works/period the closure is necessary which is anticipated to be from 3rd to 4th December 2024 but may continue to be closed/restricted until the 15th January 2025…

Some photos of the event to mark the opening of the new accessible seating area, at Alpington and Yelverton village pond.

It was well attended, with the Parish Council, Lord Fuller and Cllr Vic Thomson, and David Whitely, amongst others.