Sunday 12th October 2025 - Schools and Japanese Knotweed

We are well into autumn.  The days are shortening, trees are shedding more of their leaves and I’m wearing gloves and a scarf, on our morning walks.  Added to this, summer flowers are fading and most of the summer vegetables, on Peter’s, plot have or are coming to an end.  The garden has been demanding our attention and with leaves cleared, lawns mowed and edged and a hedge trimmed, by yesterday afternoon we were pretty well up to date. 

Last week, I took delivery of the stock for this year’s Poppy Appeal. This year, the appeal starts early for schools; on Thursday 16^th October, ahead of the half-term break.  This extension is welcome, providing plenty of time for children to donate and choose something from the school packs or a poppy.  So, if you see poppies being worn ahead of the start of the main appeal, on Thursday 23^rd October, you know the reason why.

It's difficult to tell if the planned spraying of the Japanese knotweed, on the cliffs above a section of the promenade, went ahead last week.  This is because it’s natural for these plants to die back at the end of summer and any changes observed may be down to its annual cycle.  Even though the plants drop their foliage, leaving behind brown stems and may look dead; below the ground the plant lives on, storing nutrients ready for spring growth.  This indicates, we won’t know if the knotweed has been eradicated, in part or totally, until next year.  What we have noticed is, the winter heliotrope growing on the cliff where the old hotel stood has gone brown.  Strange, as the leaves of this plant stay green throughout the year.

Today’s photo is off the remains of Alexander plants, which are lined up like a family with their arms outstretched.