Wednesday 16th July 2025 - Play Lane Millennium Green, Ryde GG #1039

 

Some of the surviving whips along the boundary

The 'mother' oak

A stand of rosebay willowherb in the wildflower meadow

Mark's photos

The spring and wet conditions during a drought!

The end result

This week we had a respite from pulling Himalayan Balsam!  We were at Play Lane Millennium Green in Ryde, first visited by Green Gym in 2008.  This time we were working on the streams that run through the site.  Previously, we had put a small bridge over a stream running through the site near the Play Lane entrance.  This stream has now dried up and the bridge removed.  We were asked to fill in the resulting dip in the path with limestone chippings.  Further into the site at the top end of the wildflower meadow the ground is very wet (even after all our recent dry weather!).  The team armed themselves with spades and mattocks and deep channels were dug so that culverts directing the water could be laid.  This was tough going as the ground was clay and previously laid chippings had to be dug through. 

In February 2023 GG planted whips along the boundary between the Green and the bridleway at the Play Lane end of the site - see link below.   Today these whips were checked over and any weeds encroaching or smothering the young trees was removed.

Isle of Wight Green Gym - Official Blog.: Wed 8th Feb 2023 - Millennium Green, Ryde. GG # 920.

Thank you to Mark for the photos.