Jarn Mound and Wild Garden, Boars Hill, 11th November 2017

By Andrew -
Jarn Mound and its woodland garden is one of three sites on Boar’s Hill where we help the Oxford Preservation Trust to restore, maintain and improve the environment.  The gardens and the mound were built by Arthur Evans with the help of local volunteers during the depression.  This provided work at a difficult time and left a legacy for our enjoyment.  It seems fitting that voluntary organisations are again instrumental in caring for this heritage.  Rachel from OPT has had talks with a garden designer to device a long-term plan to restore not only the mound but also the garden.  The ponds may never be proper ponds again, but it would be possible to create a wetland with a diverse habitat for plants suitable for a site that would remain boggy. To this end we were asked to remove many saplings and small trees from the pond areas.

The day started cold and drizzly, but we soon warmed up sawing and lopping.  The bonfire was alight in no time in spite of the damp, and kept fed by Graham with piles of chopped wood.

Sally, our refreshment volunteer for the day, thought of everything, and at the end of the session marshmallows were toasted by the fire on toasting forks and long sticks to everyone’s delight.
-Ursula





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