Goring Gap Boat Club

Message from Nick Digby:

The facilities and space at our new home are great, but of course the “estate” need managing. Lots of planting has taken place and the new plants are doing well, but there is more to do.

The idea is to encourage the biodiversity on the riverside site, encouraging wild flowers, grasses, the sedge and of course the Lodden Lilies. The site has been neglected and has been taken over by the neighbourhood bullies, thistles, nettles, bindweed and goose grass. We need to control these and give space for the rest to survive and thrive.

We can’t cut or mow the wild areas as we would be cutting and mowing the species we want to encourage, so we have to pull by hand the bullies to give space for the good guys to thrive. Over a period , by pulling out the thistles and nettles, they will become weaker and not produce seed, and so reduce in numbers, but this is a long term process that will take patience, especially given the size of the site. We are therefore currently concentrating on the areas either side of the gravel path the leads to the water.

The gardeners are currently meeting on a Wednesday, after the morning row, about 11.00 am, but anyone can help at any time, by pulling up a few nettles or thistles, and we may also have a session at weekends. A word of warning, make sure you have a decent pair of gardening gloves and I would also recommend long sleeves and long trousers, to stop getting scratched or stung.

Happy gardening!