Growing Hollingdean volunteers spent a couple of hours clearing the ivy and weeds away from the base of four cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera) trees. Then they laid cardboard down and covered it in a thick wood chip mulch. This bank is very steep, the volunteers managed to fill a bag of thrown beer cans from amongst the vegetation.

This is a wonderful area for insect and manuals to hibernate and feed

The Davey Drive bank is a very good area for the slow worms, they bask in the sunshine to warm up on this south facing bank. Frogs have also been seen here and in the gardens above. Please take time to look next time your passing.

Weeds, wild flowers and blossom are important to our insects

This area may look messy to our eyes but there will be bee’s, bugs and butterflies hibernating in the undergrowth. Such as the common blue butterfly which overwinters in larval form. The caterpillars will emerge in spring, feeding from the wild flowers beds here. The humming bird hawk moths are also seen in the summer on Davey Drive’s wild flowers and weeds.

We are lucky to have such beautiful nature on our door steps.

Come and join us for our next tree guardian volunteer session. Email us through our contact page here to let us know your coming.

For all the latest news on Growing Hollingdean free events and volunteering please sign up here or in the box below. Thank you to all the Growing Hollingdean volunteers who made this possible.