By Sara Messenger of the Bradley Stoke in Bloom group.
Recently, we haven’t able to do much other than plan what we want to do when both the chill morning mist and lockdown are lifted. However, we did manage to put out a few Easter decorations and we are very pleased to report that this year none of the decorations hopped it!
The Common East is keeping us busy; we are either tending the pond, removing unsafe dead trees, or adding more fruit trees and wildflowers to the small orchard that we have there. We have also secured a promise of some mechanical assistance from South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) to replough and replant the meadow.
We’ve contacted SGC’s tree officers regarding the trees between The Common East and Cornfield Close. These were planted by SGC but are now too large and overshadow many of the gardens. In fact, several of them have come crashing down through residents’ fences. No one wants to see them all removed, just lowered to a more manageable height, and we are hopeful that soon we can all agree on a management plan.
Our workdays are always on the third Saturday of the month, but this has clashed with the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, so we postponed it to the following Saturday. His death has reminded us that we hoped to create a garden of remembrance, somewhere with a quiet seat and where anyone could plant a tree or some forget-me-nots in memory of someone they have lost.
Although we have yet to agree on the perfect location, we were very pleased to receive from Hannah and Damien Jack a lovely gazebo frame in which we plan to install a couple of seats and to use roses, jasmine and honeysuckle as a living roof. In memory of the Duke of Edinburgh and his Greek heritage, we thought an almond tree would be an appropriate addition. In Greek tradition it is a symbol of love and hope with five sugared almonds being given to couples at their weddings as insurance for long life, happiness, prosperity, well-being and fertility.
How to contact Bradley Stoke in Bloom:
- t: 07582 634107
- e: bsib@hotmail.co.uk
- w: bradleystokeinbloom.com
- Bradley Stoke in Bloom on Facebook
This article originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 16). The magazine is delivered FREE, nine times a year, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
