On Sunday 10 May we were back in Happy Valley, Bramhall to assist in the work of the Friends of Ladybrook Valley (FoLV). This time we were helping with some wildflower-planting and the the removal of invasive non-native variegated yellow archangel.
Posts Tagged ‘Friends of Ladybrook Valley’
Ladybrook Valley – wildflowers and invaders
Posted in Invasive species, Meadows, Ponds and lakes, tagged Friends of Ladybrook Valley on May 28, 2026|
Invasive species in Ladybrook Valley
Posted in Invasive species, Meadows, Ponds and lakes, tagged Friends of Ladybrook Valley on April 22, 2025|
It was great to welcome two new volunteers to our task on Sunday 13 April in Happy Valley, Bramhall, where we were working with the Friends of Ladybrook Valley (FoLV) to help them control non-native invasive species in two different areas.
Last year, FoLV removed American skunk cabbage in a flooded wooded area and our first task was to identify and dig out any new growth and to rebury some of last year’s plants that were resprouting. We also removed a large volume of New Zealand pigmyweed from one of the ponds to prevent it choking up, then burying the arisings to prevent regrowth.
We got to hear from FoLV what makes the area special and to learn about invasive species more generally, and it was also nice that so many people walking past showed interest and appreciation in what we were all doing and why.
Lastly, it was satisfying to see that the yellow-rattle seeds that we sowed last autumn are growing, which will help FoLV return the grassland to wildflower meadow!
Meadow-raking in Ladybrook Valley
Posted in Meadows, tagged Friends of Ladybrook Valley on September 17, 2024|
On Sunday 8 September we visited a new site for us: Happy Valley in Bramhall, part of Ladybrook Valley. We joined the Friends of Ladybrook Valley in their ongoing work to improve and restore a meadow. Our main activity was to rake off the grass, which had been cut a week or two previously; this will help to reduce nutrient levels in the ground, providing a better habitat for a range of wildflowers. In some areas we cleared patches of ground and sowed yellow-rattle seed. As a semi-parasite on grasses, yellow-rattle allows gives other traditional meadow species a chance to establish themselves.
Despite a poor weather forecast, the day remained dry for us. Thanks to the Friends for a warm welcome (and biscuits!).
Update, June 2025: The FoLV have confirmed that there is now yellow-rattle in the meadow!
SMCV 