Community Website
The quiz in December needed to be postponed, so it has been rearranged to the 4th March. At Alpington and Yelverton Village Hall. Bring your own food. Coffee and tea available at the break. And there’s a raffle!
Many residents may not be aware, but we are part of a wider oil purchasing scheme, where many people ordering at the same time can receive a better price.
Information sent to us by South Norfolk council:
Garden Waste collections will be delayed by one day. Rubbish and Recycling will remain on their normal collection days Tuesday to Friday and not affected by the bank holiday Monday.
To keep up to date with bin collections please download the South Norfolk Bin Collections app: http://ow.ly/u83j50Nw2cX
Alternatively, you can find bin collections dates at: http://ow.ly/riFs50Nw2cY
Here’s the schedule for 2023/24 for the mobile library that comes round the local villages each month. For Alpington and Yelverton it’s basically one Friday each month in the afternoon.
It stops at Cherrywood at 3.10pm, and then the village hall at 3.50pm. Next one is Friday 14th July 2023.
April gave us a real variety of weather but the warmer days at the end of the month have certainly given everything a welcome boost. May is recognised as the last month of Spring, we are now well on our way to early Summer and our dormant gardens have now transformed themselves into a world of new growth and greenery.
Euphorbias, Wallflowers, Honesty, Tulips & glorious Peonies, Nicotiana, Honeysuckles, sweet peas & the fragile, stunningly-fragant Lily of the Valley are but a few of the lovely flowers to enjoy this month.
Azaleas and Rhododendrons are also at their best in May together with Deutzia, Cornus (flowering dogwoods) and Viburnum plicatum.
• Hoe or hand-weed beds weekly, to prevent weeds establishing themselves
• Put supports in place for perennials that are prone to flopping, such as top-heavy peonies or phlox
• Apply nitrogen-rich summer lawn feed to encourage green growth
• Trim topiary and shaped shrubs regularly to promote bushy growth and keep them neat
• Sow grass seed or lay new turf by the end of this month
• Check shrubs for nests before you start any pruning, to avoid disturbing nesting birds
• Clean out and scrub bird feeders regularly to maintain hygiene
• Build sturdy wigwams and supports for climbers such as runner beans, sweet peas and morning glory
• Watch out for aphids on shoot tips and young foliage, and wipe them off or spray with a shop bought solution
• Scoop out pondweed, blanketweed and algae from ponds
• Paint or treat wooden garden furniture ready for summer
• Prune spring shrubs eg: forsythia and chaenomeles, after flowering to keep them compact
• Plant out dahlia tubers and cannas after all risk of frost has passed
• Tie in the new shoots of climbing plants, including clematis, wisteria and honeysuckle
• Plant up hanging baskets, but keep in a greenhouse or porch for a few weeks to establish, before putting outside
• Apply liquid feed to tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs to encourage a good display next year
• Plant out summer bedding and tender annuals, including sunflowers, cosmos and nasturtiums, after the last frost
• Check lilies and fritillaries for scarlet lily beetles and their larvae, as they can rapidly strip plants of all foliage
• Harden off tender plants raised indoors, but bring them back in at night to protect from late frosts
• Pinch out the shoot tips of bedding plants and young annuals to encourage bushier growth
• Add interest to shady borders or corners by planting a selection of hostas and ferns in the ground or in pots
• The Chelsea Chop is a way of cutting back herbaceous and perennials plants to make them bushier, with more stems and more flowers. It’s good for plants which can get too tall or leggy later in the year, such as Nepeta, Phlox, Alchemilla and daisy-flowered perennials like Asters and Michaelmas Daisies.
• By chopping of the top of the stems in late May, growth will be checked and the plant will throw out more shoots and flower later. The Chelsea chop is really a light prune, and the result is a more compact plant which will flower slightly later.
• Traditionally done in late May to coincide with the time of the Chelsea flower show, the idea is to prune the plant back by about a third, by reducing the length of the plant stems. You can either chop the whole plant, or selected plants in the group, or individual stems on the plant to stagger flowering. Whilst May is the traditional time, it depends on the growing season as the plant needs to have put on a decent amount of growth to be reduced by the Chop.
• Earth up potatoes, covering the shoots with soil as they appear
• Start sowing dwarf and climbing French beans, as well as runner beans, directly outdoors in warm weather
• Pick rhubarb stems and water plants with liquid feed
• Start hardening off tender young plants, such as tomatoes and courgettes, ready for planting out in mild areas
• Sow batches of salad leaves and stir-fry crops every few weeks to provide continuous pickings
The next Alpington with Yelverton Parish Council meeting will be held at 7.30pm at the village hall, Mon 15th May 2023. The agenda is downloadable below.
Below is a communication from the Parish Council on the improvements proposed at the pond.
The proposal centers around a much more accessible seating area with a ramp. The letter attached below puts this work into the context of the recent works and overall plan.
Comments on the drawings are invited by May 21st (to the parish clerk, clerk.alpington@gmail.com) after which date the parish council will be
reviewing the proposal for detailed design and submitting a planning application. The aim is
to progress the works during late summer this year, subject to the necessary approvals.
The full letter and drawings are attached below, and they will also be put up onto the village noticeboards.
There are 4 drawings. The originals are the PDFs attached below, but I’ve also converted them to PNG images so they’re more easily viewed online. Some of the detail may be hard to see in the PNG images, so you’ll need to refer to the original PDFs in that case.
There will be a street party at the Wheel of Fortune pub in Alpington, to celebrate the King’s Coronation. Sun 7th May, 12-3.30pm. come and celebrate with your friends and neighbours!
Hot food available to buy from Broadland Bars (or bring your own picnic)
Cakes for sale from The Jasmine Cakery
Live singalong music from ukulele group Jelly and the Biscuits!
Apr/May 2023 edition of Eleven Says, the Newspaper of the Bramerton Group of Churches covering 11 Parishes.
March is the first month of Spring, longer and brighter days at last! After a relatively mild February this year, there are likely to be some cold weeks but overall the average daily temperature will be increasing, encouraging our gardens into life again.
Herbs: Seek out small herb plants to pot up in containers near your back door
Young bedding plants: Look for good value young bedding plants to grow-on in your greenhouse, until they can be planted out.
Some plants to enjoy: Bergenia, Camellia, Daphne, Hellebores, Primroses.
• If dry enough, mow lawns and re-cut the edges with a half-moon edging tool
• Dig out a small pond to attract more wildlife
• Put slug barrier products around the new shoots of Hostas
• Replant pots of flowered bulbs from indoors into borders
• Check that tree ties aren’t too tight and that stakes are still firmly in the ground
• Prune out any wind-damaged branches on trees and shrubs
• Check for new shoots of ground elder, fork these up & remove all roots you see
• Place bug boxes in sheltered corners, for insects to lay their eggs
• Keep putting out food for garden birds, as the breeding season gets underway
• Cut back winter-flowering Jasmine to tidy it up and encourage flowers next year
• Deadhead any daffodil seedheads on daffodils leaving the leaves to die back naturally
• Finish pruning roses early in the month
• Cut Dogwoods, Willows and Cotinus right down to the base to promote vigorous new growth
• Start sowing hardy annuals outdoors, including California poppies & Nasturtiums
• Tidy up alpines as they start to flower, removing dead foliage, then mulch with grit to keep the foliage off damp soil
• Plant lilies and other summer-flowering bulbs in pots
• Feed ericaceous shrubs, such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias and Pieris, with an ericaceous fertiliser
• Tidy up borders, removing established and newly-germinating weeds, then mulch generously with garden compost
• Plant new roses and other shrubs and climbers
• Sow native wildflower seeds in trays or modules, to produce plants for your own mini-meadow
• Scatter general-purpose fertiliser over flowerbeds and around roses, shrubs and hedges
• Give blackcurrant bushes a high-nitrogen feed
• Sow tomatoes, chillies, sweet peppers and aubergines in pots indoors
• Plant onion and shallot sets, spacing them 10-15cm apart, and keep the bed free of weeds
• Avoid carrot root fly by sowing an early crop of carrots under cloches or fleece
• Make the first outdoor sowings of spinach, covering with cloches or fleece
• Plant early potatoes in trenches in the ground or in pots
• Sow parsnips as soon as the soil starts to warm up, as they’re slow to germinate and need a long growing season
• Plant a fig tree in a large container to restrict its roots, which encourages fruiting and limits its overall size
• Start hoeing veg beds as soon as the weather starts to warm up, as weeds will germinate quickly
• Plant strawberries in a hanging basket or trough to keep the fruits away from slugs
• Open greenhouse vents on sunny days to prevent humidity building up
• Get celeriac, celery, lettuces and parsley off to a good start sowing indoors, to transplant into the garden later
• Sow a selection of vibrant annual climbers, such as Spanish flag (Ipomoea lobata) and black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata)
• Sow Coleus on a warm windowsill to enjoy their vibrant foliage indoors or in tropical-style displays outside
• Sow dwarf French beans in a large pot for an early indoor crop in June
• Pot up overwintering cannas into fresh compost, water in, then place in a warm spot to spur them into growth
• Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill
• Protect greenhouse sowings of beans, peas & sweet peas from hungry mice
Say thank you to local volunteers, neighbours and groups that go the extra mile in your community. Winners will receive £250 to spend on a charity or community group of their choice.
Nominate easily online by searching South Norfolk Commmunity Awards or call 01603 430591.
Those shortlisted for the awards will be invited to attend our awards evening, consisting of a two course sit down meal followed by presentations from our sponsors and councillors.
Nominations Close on 3rd May 2023.
The categories and category descriptions are listed below. If you have a group or individual in mind, please nominate here
· Inspiration of the Year – someone who strives to achieve their best at work, in their studies, in sports, the arts, or in the community
· Young Person of the Year – a young person who has made a remarkable and inspiring achievements in support of their community (Aged 18 and under)
· Volunteer of the Year – an individual who has volunteered their time to make an outstanding contribution to their community
· Helping Hand Award – a friend, neighbour or carer who always goes the extra mile to help or support others
· Green at Heart Award – an individual, school, business or community group who has made an extra effort to have a positive impact on the environment.
· Business in the Community Award – a local business that has led or supported community initiatives and values
· Community Group of the Year – a community group that has made a significant contribution to the residents of their local area
· Community Hero – a person who has made a positive impact on an individual or their community. Someone who deserves special recognition for their effort and commitment.
There are local elections on Thursday 4 May 2023. Please find attached the details, including how to nominate candidates.
Hardcopies will be on the village noticeboards.
This is the link to the council Elections page for the above elections, which will be updated regularly District & Town/Parish elections Thursday 4 May 2023 – Broadland and South Norfolk (southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk)
Alpington and Yelverton 