It is now the end of August – the end of a very exciting but cool and sometimes wet summer. The only wildlife that seems to have benefitted are the slugs…

But that is not all. We also have a multitude of birds enjoying the insects, seeds and birdfood. From Ewhurst I have seen many of them, including nuthatches in the garden, swifts around the Church and a heron flying across the green (I hope it doesn’t steal the fish from your pond!). There is a buzzard or two that can be heard calling around the woods off Mapledrakes Road.

LEAP has launched a COOL “Clear Out On-Line” service, which anyone can use to advertise free items for local collection. There are a few things there already, please take a look using the link on the right. You can easily add your own, but don’t forget to add your contact details (e.g., your name and local phone number) and also remember that that the items must be free. I will be checking the entries in case there are problems.

Over the summer our family has grown some wildflowers from the packets that we were giving away at the Carnival. Many different plants came up, them most prolific being a “Shaggy Soldier”, with thanks to Anne who identified it for us. Many other colourful flowers, including some beautiful poppies also grew. We did have the advantage of planting them a month before the event, so perhaps you will see them in your own garden later this year or next. Do tell us (use the contact form on the right) about your own experiences with the seeds. We have a few left over and are donating them to a local reseeding project.