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Welcome to our Summer News edition!
📅EVENTS AT THE GARDEN
🦋Wednesday, 22nd July, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm - An Introduction to Pollinators with Chalk Lines hosted by Buglife at the garden » TICKETS (see flyer below)
🧱Sunday, 26th July, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm - Free Natural Rendering Workshop at the Garden Hub - (all welcome, pop in or whole session)
🌿Saturday, 15th August, 10:00 am to 12:10 pm - Pottery Workshop with Anamica Chauhan Vince » TICKETS
🦋Saturday, 5th September, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm - Family Nature Connection session with Jane, a perfect event for families to slow down, explore, and enjoy meaningful time together outdoors » TICKETS
🍎SAVE THE DATE - Sunday, 27th September, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Apple Pressing Day and Open Afternoon
🔥Wednesday, 30th September - Women’s Campfire Singing Circle (tickets via ZERO soon)
🌍EVENTS AT ZERO GUILDFORD » CLICK
🐌GARDEN UPDATE
Well, it’s been an interesting time at the garden lately, with a good start and now a bit of a crispy middle bit!
The wild food forage was a wonderful June evening led by Elspeth from Joyful Outdoors. We got a brilliant introduction to foraging around the garden and tried some delicious nettle crisps and of course our signature mint tea. Elspeth will be hosting a campfire sing session in September, look out for the event on Zero and Rosamund sites.
We saw a very exciting brood of Peacock caterpillars on our nettle patch during the walk, which really confirmed how important this incredible plant is (video also at end of this newsletter). As well as an important wildlife food, the leaves in spring are packed with vitamins and minerals, and then the female seeds provide another super food that can keep us healthy over the winter. Leaving a patch in the garden is an easy way of increasing biodiversity.
Things that have thrived despite the drought are the wildflowers, it really has been a great year for them and I guess, consequently, the pollinators. I haven’t seen so many moths and butterflies for a while and the solitary bees seem to be much more abundant.
Growing food crops however is very challenging with no rain, and we’ve quickly exhausted our rainwater reserves already.
The wildlife pond has dried up completely, so we’re putting out drinking stations every time we’re there to help the many birds and mammals that have been relying on the pond.
Observing what is actually doing ok is really all we can do this year and learn what we can do and what isn’t worth doing.
The forest garden has held up pretty well due to its deep mulch and companion planting. Herbs like sage and rosemary are looking pretty healthy so far and oregano loves the heat.
Our miserable fig tree has suddenly sprung to life and the Japanese wineberries are as delicious and productive as ever. We also had a donation of sweet potato plants which seem to be enjoying the heat in poly 2, which is a tough area to grow veg. And Ann had a great harvest of garlic from the raised bed which is very good.
So it’s going to be a survival of the fittest and we’ll try and keep populating with the plants that can cope with no rain in the summer.
Other things that are interesting is that self-sown seeds and plants are so much hardier than those we impose where we want them. We see this in woodlands all the time and need to mimic how things happen in nature. Self sown tomatoes for example are incredibly drought tolerant…
The Hub
Two big steps forward last month have been the wonderful Kev from Hi-Spec Electrics, installing our solar panels and lighting; and Aniruth leading and guiding us through our natural rendering stage workshops.
We are now self-sufficient in solar power which means we can charge up our batteries, provide light for workshops and even plug in the odd laptop! Get us! Kev provided a quick and calm service with no dramas and a backup aftercare (for when I forget what he said) Thanks Kev.
The first render workshop was a great success, with a good turnout. We rendered a third of the inside and it looks really professional.
Aniruth in action
The next workshop will be in a couple of weeks, where we’ll learn how to apply the top coat and play with natural dyes from the dye garden.
Come and have fun learning a new skill and get splattered - you throw it at the wall (you can imagine).
We’re lucky enough to have Anamica lined up to lead on the final decorations, which will be the icing on the cake.
Groups
Surrey Wildlife Trust has had two training days at the garden for their staff; and Buglife have also chosen Rosamund for their pollinator talk this month.
Nudge Education are enjoying the space for their one-one sessions to bring children into nature.
We’re planning a Zero Carbon Guildford volunteer day to introduce new volunteers to the garden, and there are exciting plans to increase what we can offer.
🎥THE SECRET LIFE OF THE GARDEN
by Paul Jolley
Below is the latest video compilation from the Rosamund Gardens wildlife camera.
From a mother blackbird collecting nesting material, a baby rabbit, and the highlight of the video, three gorgeous fox cubs.
We have our first appearance of roe deer on the camera, for the orchard's sake, we hope this is a one-off.
Also a first is the beautiful green woodpecker, it's great to see such variety on the videos.
🐦⬛ALAN’S TWITCHINGS
Alan is back with another bird watching update from Rosamund Gardens and Pewley Down.
Whether you're an experienced birdwatcher or simply enjoy hearing birdsong as you wander through the garden, we hope you'll enjoy Alan's latest insights. You might even be inspired to look a little closer on your next visit.
Click here to read.
🌿FAMILY NATURE SESSION
by Jane Tyson
A few holes in the fruit cage meant the birds had enjoyed quite a feast so the Jolley family set to work - Jess chased them away and Paul repaired the holes. Meanwhile, Daniel was determined to clear the willow path leading to the mud kitchen and armed with secateurs, took on the brambles, willow and the intense heat.
Anna and Jane had a lovely catch up in the shade by the shed, no rosemary brew this month as it was way too hot.
Join the Jolleys and Jane again in September » REGISTER
🎧 New Podcast: Discover the Story Behind Rosamund Community Garden
Have you ever wondered how Rosamund Community Garden came to be, or what goes on behind the scenes to help it flourish?
In the latest ZERO podcast episode, Helen Harris and Clare Millington share the inspiring story of how the garden has grown into the thriving community space it is today. They talk about the vision that brought the project to life, the ongoing work to develop the site, and the many events that welcome people of all ages to enjoy this special place.
The conversation also explores the conservation and restoration work taking place to protect and enhance the garden's rich biodiversity, helping nature and the local community to thrive together.
Whether you're a regular visitor, volunteer, or simply curious to learn more, it's a fascinating insight into the people, purpose and passion behind Rosamund Community Garden.
👩🏻🌾JOBS AT THE GARDEN
Water the tunnels and outside veg (early morning or evening if poss)
Water the young trees in the orchard and forest garden
Water the plants in the fruitcage
Cut spent plants down and leave on the bed to protect the soil
Tidy sheds and tool shed
Harvest courgettes, tomatoes and cucumbers
Clear brambles away from paths and keep topped up with woodchip
🌼PLANT OF THE MONTH
by Helen Harris
Mugwort - Mother of all Herbs - Artemisia vulgaris. (Daisy family, Asteraceae).
Habitat
In the UK, mugwort grows in hedgerows, roadside verges, waste ground, rough grassland, field margins and other disturbed places. It prefers open conditions and often thrives in well-drained soils, including loam, sand and chalk. It can grow in full sun or partial shade and may reach over a metre tall when established.
Ecology
Mugwort is a hardy perennial that spreads by underground rhizomes and can form dense patches. Its late-summer flowers provide pollen for insects, while its aromatic foliage helps make it relatively unpalatable to many grazing animals. Because it spreads readily, it can become persistent in gardens or cultivated land if not managed.
Uses in Herbal Medicine
Mugwort was well known and widely used in Celtic and Anglo Saxon Britain. The earliest surviving record of its use as a remedy in the UK dates back to the 9th-century. The herb was listed as one of the sacred plants in the "Nine Herbs Charm" within the 10th-century Lacnunga manuscript and was also included as an ingredient in early potion compilations like Bald's Leechbook.
Mugwort is known as the “Mother of all herbs”. It was widely used to ease labour pains, regulate menstruation, and treat uterine complaints. It was also used to relieve fatigue; travellers famously placed mugwort leaves in their shoes, a practice that Pliny the Elder reported dating back to Roman times. Another use was for easing stomach pain, expelling worms, and even warding off poison.
Mugwort was also used as an additive in ancient brewing methods to add flavour and health benefits to beer before the use of hops.
A modern (1998) clinical study also examined mugwort in the form of “moxibustion” In a this randomised controlled trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Cardini and Weixin studied pregnant women at 33 weeks with babies in breech position. A treatment of holding a smouldering roll of dried artemisia to stimulate an acupuncture point beside the little toenail, repeated over seven to fourteen days days, found a statistically significant effect of more fetal movement in the treatment group and a higher proportion of babies turning to a head-down position by 35 weeks and at birth compared with routine care!
References
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020: Artemisia vulgaris L. entry.
Royal Horticultural Society, plant profile: Artemisia vulgaris — mugwort.
The Herb Society, herb profile: Mugwort.
Botanical Society of Scotland, Plant of the Week: Artemisia vulgaris — Mugwort.
Easy Ayurveda, Artemisia vulgaris Mugwort Benefits, Remedies, Research, Side Effects.
Cardini F. and Weixin H., “Moxibustion for Correction of Breech Presentation: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” JAMA, 1998;280(18):1580–1584.
AND FINALLY
Have you left a wild patch in your garden?
Check out these wonderful caterpillars in action on our nettles.
🎟️JOINING INFO
We look forward to seeing you in the garden soon.
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