Wednesday 16 November 2016

Coping With The Onslaught Of Leaves


9th November 2016

The autumn leaf fall has been fairly steady since the deciduous trees started their annual leaf drop. The frosts have been few and far between and, with the winds being light, the drop has been controlled and manageable for the team to keep the paths, hard landscaped areas and lawns clear. 

14th November 2016 (8:30 in the morning)

However, these perfect conditions have started to change this week as the overnight temperatures have dropped, the wind speed has increased as well as it constantly changing direction, the fun Mother Nature seems to have with the leaves has begun in earnest! On Monday morning the team were met by the results of a weekend of heavy leaf fall around the college grounds so began by working together to clear the Nuffield lawn of its leafy covering, but due to the sodden soil were unable to go on to the lawn with the ride-on mower to mow them up so had to rake them up instead. (Wherever possible the preferred method of leaf collecting on grass is by the ride-on mower as the blades chop the leaves up in to tiny pieces that rot down faster in the leaf pits and create a better quality of leaf mould.)

Leaf Piles

Leaf Collecting Equipment

Unloading

One Of The Many Leaf Pits

14th November 2016 (4:00 in the afternoon)
By late afternoon, having spent the day clearing leaves, the gardens were again being covered by a colourful layer of autumn tones, the team, all the while knowing that leaf clearance will be their main activity for days and possibly for months to come as they cope with the daily onslaught of leaves until they are all down. The trick to coping with the deluge is not to look back to the area that has just been cleared, keep going forward on to the next area, looking behind can be so disheartening! With the first of this winter's named storms, Storm Angus, due to hit the UK this weekend, Sunday through to Monday, the team know that next week will be much the same as this, raking up leaves.

15th November 2016 (8:00 in the morning 24 hours later)

16th November 2016 (48 hours later)

16th November 2016 (48 hours later)

Beech Tree Autumn Colour

Sun Light Filtering Through The Branches

A Thick Layer Of Colourful Autumn Leaves

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