With so many periods of drought resulting in the driest summer for 50 years, many of the trees are preserving their energy and dropping their leaves, giving the beautiful but worrying appearance of autumn at Rowlands Dell at the moment. The only positive is that the weeds have slowed down enabling us to catch up

Last week we created a bug hotel that needs populating with pictured bug friendly materials (just pop down any time with your children to insert your useful materials) and check out the neighbouring money log (pictured). Whilst this week the evolving bog garden (pictured – basically a pond with holes in that will be a

...if you have any bug loving materials pop in anytime with your children and build the hotel as pictured. The bug hotel is really coming on. We have mounted the multiple Windmill nursery donated pallets on breeze blocks. Steve has created and attached a brilliant roof with chimney. Frank has felted and artificially grassed the