garden – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

May 2024 Talk: Silent Earth – Averting the Insect Apocalypse

Dave Goulson, Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Sussex specialising in the ecology and conservation of insects, and author of several books*, gave a talk about the dramatic insect decline worldwide. He outlined some of actions required on a National and International scale to reverse this apocalypse and what we as gardeners can do.

Dave Goulson with our Chair, Stella and the range of his books for sale at the meeting

When he was a boy, he started collecting caterpillars (in his lunchbox) and his interest in insects became a life long passion when one of them pupated into a Cinnabar Moth. He explained that insects evolved over 480 million years ago and there are now around one million known species worldwide. They were the first creatures to fly and sing and many have complex inventive ways to camouflage themselves or mimic others. Examples of some ‘weird and wonderful’ insects were shared with us such as the Shield Bug from Thailand whose back very much looks like the face of Elvis.

The horrifying statistics on insect decline were shown, particularly over the last 30 to 40 years. Studies show that the decline is around 75%. He has researched the Shrill Carder Bee which was common across Southern England pre-1960 but by the year 2000 the populations of this bee had greatly decreased and there were only about six populations left. Since 2000, the population which inhabited the Salisbury Levels has become extinct.

May Plant Sales 2024

May is the month for plant sales! We held two this year, our big annual one was held at Charlton House on Saturday May 18th, along with the Blackheath & Greenwich WI and a select group of other market stalls. The plants were all set out in the Peace Garden which is not only a lovely setting but also meant we didn’t have to carry them too far! Visitors started queueing outside the gates before we opened at 10, aiming for a bargain and a bit of horticultural conversation.

People buying plants — Peace Garden 10.05 am

Queue to buy plants — Peace Garden 10.05 am

Our plants had mostly sold out by 12.30, which was a bit sad for latecomers. But volunteers were on hand to chat about the gardens and Stella presented her findings about the history of the garden in the Old Library.

We also had a “Bugs in the Beds” trail for the little ones and Frilly’s was open all day.

The View from my Window

Vija and Anna started these great posts about the view from their windows, and I thought I would add my bit. Really, in these cold, grey days of winter, it’s a bit odd that I should find the view from my window at all exciting. We have big patio windows which are unforgiving at this time of year and expose everything in the garden: the ragged border edges, uneven lawn, leaning obelisk (Storm Henk!) etc. But I can sit in my comfy chair looking out and now the leaves are all gone I can see all the way to the end fence..

…and I can Plan.

When I say I can see the end fence, this is because we took out a row of 20 ft high Leylandii trees last October. (Did we buy the house with them, I hear you ask? No, I actually planted them, one of those teeny gardening mistakes surely anyone can make..?) The idea behind getting rid of them is that it will let lots of light in, when next we have any. The stumps have been left, as I couldn’t face a stump grinder trolling through the house, so I need to Plan some sort of feature around them. (Maybe a birdbath on top of one..!)

A bonus is that for years and years I had been piling leaves and cuttings out of the way under the trees – so I am now left with some truly gorgeous compost! A little silver lining.