19th February 2015

I started with the Woody Team today. I worked with Carly who looks after the Mediterranean Terraces and Dell area. I helped her rewrap some Chamaerops humilis (photo 1), the badgers keep distmantling them and taking the straw wrapped around the plants within.

Photo 1: Chamaerops humilis all wrapped up again.


Then we weeded through the terraces and cut out any dead and deadheaded any Phlomis tuberosa and Phlomis fruticosa that had completely passed and didn't look good anymore. P. fruticosa can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat.

We tackled a particular patch of a terrace that was invaded by a weed called Northoscodum borbonicum, which is a virulent weed here. It is easy to see why because it forms many bulbils and when they are disturbed and are being pulled out, these bulbils come off easily and start sprouting soon themselves. My colleague Paola writes a good description about them with pictures: http://www.ortocecconi.com/2014/10/nothoscordum-borbonicum.html

Photo 2: Northoscodum borbonicum foliage.


We finished the day with cutting out the dead of an old Ceanothus 'Skylark' that is reshooting at the base, so we're trying to help it along by letting more light in the middle.