Blossom Watch at Swan Barn Orchard

​Due to a cool, late flowering spring, our Blossom Watch was pushed into May, on a wet Coronation Day. As well as doing the Citizen Science, it’s a good time to note extra issues within the orchard. While Claire noted the state of the Blossom, with help of a Southdown flock, Gareth prepared a grass snake heap egg-laying site.

Grass snake heaps are layered-up like a lasagne, with sticks on the bottom, followed by cow manure, then grass, with the layers repeated and finished-off with a final covering of grass. They are then checked in Autumn for signs of egg-laying.