Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Biodiversity in our waterways


Reintroduction of plantlife

As well as providing our Licence for Water Abstraction to generate electricity, Environment Agency have so many different functions and are helping us in so many ways:
  • sharing our concern with the Millpond leak and are advising us, where possible and practicable;
  • offering talks to groups, and also providing pictures and information for publication on our stretch of the River Dour environment, including all wildlife, invertebrates, water plants, brown trout, and many other species of animals and plant;
  • watercourse and waterflow management because over the years the way the river flows through and passed the Mill has become uneven and needs to be properly managed and maintained again, equally on both sides of the Mill;
  • EA Operations Delivery staff have used a small machine to enhance the depth of a low - flow channel in the river and have hand raked the riverbed to re-create natural meanders and pools. This should enhance the biodiversity in river and improve the spawning sites for wild brown trout;
  • this is also beneficial improving the efficiency of the waterwheel by reducing backwash. The wheel no longer sits in water, the way it was originally designed to work.
At this stage, of particular importance is the introduction to the River Dour a plant which is typically a characteristic, defining water plant of a chalk stream or river. It is curiously absent from the River Dour and is being reintroduced in our stretch of the river first.

Water Crowfoot - "Ranunculus" - is like a missing part of the puzzle of the natural habitat, most unusual. Some of the benefits are that it grows submerged in the channel, it cleans the gravel for trout; it has beautiful white flowers in the spring and helps aerate the water. It is good for invertebrates to eat and it substantially increases biodiversity.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Sponsor-A-Tree-For-Life


Crab Apple (‘Malus’) described in Trees For Life by Frank P. Matthews as “the most diverse of garden trees; flower, foliage, fruit and autumn colours.”

Mill Garden Restoration: It’s thought that Crab Apples have been grown here for over a thousand years and have a close association to the name ‘Crabble’. Even in Roman times Crab Apples were stored as ripened and dried fruit, also crushed to produced cider or the liquid sold as a culinary item called “verjuice”. It’s also thought that early mills here pressed apples into cider as well as ground grain into flour.

Brogdale Horticultural Trust in Faversham ‘Home of the National Fruit Collections’ with over 2,300 varieties of apples are helping us create The Collection. We have chosen a selection of 16 varieties of Crab Apple trees, each with their different attributes of blossom, leaf, fruit and shape of tree. These are to be planted in the gardens of Crabble Corn Mill.

Our trees are to be grafted onto dwarf stocks whereby they will each reach a maximum height of 3 metres (10 foot) after 10 years growth. Grafting will take place shortly and we will know by March/April how well the grafts have taken. Brogdale will nurture our trees through the spring and summer next year for us to plant in the Mill gardens in autumn 2007.

Sponsorship for each tree is £37 to cover these costs. Each tree will have a small plaque and each sponsor will receive a Certificate with photo of their tree type in recognition.

:: Celebrate a birth ::

:: Mark a marriage ::

:: Commemorate a loved one ::

Species, Harry Baker: dark pink blossom, ruby fruit 'til mid-Oct. Sponsor Patricia & Harry Reid, dedication "The Reid Family".

Crittenden: pale pink flower, scarlet fruit into winter. Sponsor Claire & Robin Sedgwick, dedication "name".

Golden Gem: pure white scented flower, yellow apple. Sponsor The Walters Family, dedication "name".

Sun Rival: weeping, pink white blossom, bright red fruit. Sponsor Mark, dedication "name".

Trilobata: white flower/maple leaf, late June onwards. Sponsor M. Phillips, dedication "name".

Prairie Fire: purple red flower. Sponsor The Old Rectory Residential Home, Dedication "The Residents of The Old Rectory, Ash

White Star: white blossom, golden fruit into December. Sponsor Ant Reid, dedication "Honey, Huskin, Chi, Striker".

Butterball: white blossom, butter-coloured apple. Sponsor Butterworth Family, dedication "Pee-Tree."

Pink Glow: white flower, bright pink apple makes good jelly. Sponsor Glyn & Gigi Thomas, dedication "name".

Gorgeous: pure white flower, glossy red apple until November. Sponsor Mrs E Fincham, dedication "Buster".

Laura: pink/white blossom, maroon apple makes good jelly. Sponsor Violet & Fred Gore, dedication "name".

Rudolf: single pink flower, summer. Sponsor The Goldup Family, dedication "Ray".

Toringoides: cream white blossom, red/yellow pear-shaped apple. Sponsor N Anthony, dedication "for Jo".

Liset: crimson flower, small blood-red fruit. Sponsor Mr & Mrs A. Womar, dedication "in memory of Sheila Howes".

Transitoria: yellow blossom, small and abundant in apples. Sponsor Colin & Maureen Hall, dedication "name".

Admiration: waxy white flower, red-bronze apple to December. Sponsor Miss B Harden & Mrs V Tinley, dedication "A Christmas Tree To Last A Lifetime".

Contact the Mill,
sponsor your tree.