What a lovely Spring so far! Some much needed dry and warmer days have restored the garden and everything is looking lovely. Lots of bees and butterflies are busying themselves around the garden, introducing themselves to the abundance of wild primrose, anemones and the seemingly everlasting camellia; they've put on a real show this year and managed to survive the cold blasts extremely well. Over the next few weeks the bluebells will appear along the beech walk, swiftly followed by the Rhododendron and Azaleas in the dell, and of course our wonderful candelabra Primulas along the bridge paths.

We've taken the calmer weather as a opportunity to tackle 'topping out' some of the very large holly trees near the glade. This involves us reducing and shaping the sides and removing the long tops. A good prune encourages more growth, especially in the areas where the long tops have begun shading out the middles. The new growth will in turn encourage the holly to flower and produce more berries in the Autumn, so the black birds should have a real feast for the Winter months! We've also started to remove some of the ivy stems we severed a few years ago. Why did we leave it a while before we removed it?! Well, when ivy gets very well established in trees it shades out the trunk and the tree gets used to not getting as much sunlight in that area..... yes, that's right, the trees can get sunburnt! By severing the ivy and allowing it to slowly shut down the tree gets a little more acclimatised to the sunshine, and as the ivy completely dies off the following Winter it becomes easier to remove without damaging the bark, then finally a Spring clean means the tree can relearn to protect itself as the sun becomes stronger over the Summer months. There we are then, little changes over a long time does actually make a big difference!

From all of us here at Fairhaven, we hope to see you soon.

Louise and the team

This months Wildlife update.....

I think April is best described as a dry, cold but bright month and the bright days spurred all wildlife to get a move on or it will soon be to late to get a second brood going. But I am pleased to say that our ducks, mostly mallard or mallard X with a farmyard duck are now producing ducklings. I saw my first ducklings the last week in April. On the subject of ducks it is worth noting that the majority of the tufted duck have departed to the far North and Arctic regions for the summer, but two or three pairs have remained, hopefully they will breed this year. We also have a couple of pairs of Gadwall who have decided to live along kingfisher walk, it would be nice if they bred here this year. You will see a number of herons present at the moment after the fish that are spawning in the reedbeds along the shoreline, they unfortunately will take duckling if given the chance and on the North shore of the Broad you will see a beautiful male marsh harrier patrolling the water edge again looking for ducklings and coots and moorhens chicks. Mother nature can often seem cruel at times, but the world of wildlife is not about fairness, but only about the survival of the fittest and that philosophy goes right back to the world of insects where the tiny aphids etc are preyed on by larger insects who in turn are eaten by birds and animals and that is the main reason for the conservation of wildlife at Fairhaven will be balanced in all it's forms is high on our daily agenda. If we care and look after the tiny insects the rest will take care of themselves. So we do not use insecticides, poisons or herbicides and haven't done so for the past 70 years and that is the main reason why in the last seven years we have recorded almost 4000 species of insects, some 39 of which are either rare, very rare or thought to have been extinct in the British Isles, we have 24 species of dragonflies & damselflies including the rare Norfolk Hawker & the rare willow emerald damselfly. Eighteen species of butterflies including the swallowtail, silver washed fritillary, white admiral, purple & green hairstreaks. We have a large population of bats, over 100 species of birds and the estate is a fungi lovers paradise.

There are nine pairs of great crested grebe out on the Broad and are now high busy repairing or rebuilding their floating compost like nests. The cormorants are still with us but in reduced numbers and those that remain will be driven off once the gulls & terns begin to nest. There are three kingfisher nesting sites occupied at the moment , should you come across any of these sites please do not disturb them as they are protected by law.

All titmouse species on the estate are now raising their young after a false start. The woodpeckers have gone silent meaning they are still here but busy with their parental duties. Lots of chiffchaff, willow warblers, Cetti's warblers, black caps & reed warblers arrived from Africa during the month along with swallows, sand & house martins. Still awaiting the arrival of the cuckoos and the elegant common terns that have nested here for the past four years, but they should be here any day soon. On the few warm sunny days in the month a good number brimstone, peacocks, holly blues & tortoiseshell butterflies put in appearances, Soon it will be the start of the dragonfly season and the warm days that bring out myriads of bugs, bees & beetles, the swallowtail butterflies and hopefully again this year a good showing of the quite rare silver washed fritillary butterfly.

It is nice to see visitors returning in increasing numbers since the easing of the covid restrictions.
On your next visit to Fairhaven please let us know if you see anything rare or unusual as every piece of information is useful & if you can get a photo of it so much the better.

Stay safe & keep to the rules

Tab's Taberham.
Wildlife/conservation Warden
Fairhaven Trust

What's hot in the shop...

Bagged Firewood

Seasoned hardwood;
ready to collect & burn today!

£3.95 per bag or 4 bags for £15
(Apologies, we are unable to deliver firewood loads this year)

Mushroom compost and Leaf soil
Give your flowerbeds and pots a spring feed!
Use leaf soil for acid loving plants such as Azaleas & Camellias ...
.... and mushroom compost for everything else, including veggie patches

£4.25 a bag or any 4 bags for £16

Sunday Lunch for 2 £20

2 Roast Dinners (Pork or Beef),
2 Desserts and a bottle of wine

All nicely packaged to take home and eat. Order before 2pm on Friday by calling 01603 270449, emailing or at the hatch

Book an Event

Warden walk with Tabs

Take a walk on the wild side every first Friday of the month and get insider knowledge of what makes our woodland garden such a unique environment of diverse habitats.

Booking only as limited spaces. Includes garden entry until 5pm.

Wellbeing Through Nature

Being in nature can bring a deep sense of joy and peace and being in the Garden in springtime is particularly magical.
Our garden is a 'little slice of heaven' where natural beauty and tranquillity is just waiting to be discovered.

Join Lee, our nature guide, for a gentle stroll and follow some simple and relaxing activities to deepen your connection with nature. We all deserve a bit of 'time out' to reconnect with that part of us that longs for the wild.

- The session lasts 2 hours (9am - 11am), so come prepared for all weathers and wear sturdy footwear.
Your ticket allows you to explore the garden for the rest of the day.

Katakanu Taster Sessions
and
Adventure tours

Why not try something new and try out a Katakanu?!
No experience is necessary and all equipment is provided. With seating for up to 6 people, the Katakanu is a revolutionary catamaran style canoe (hence the name), allowing you to stay high and dry while paddling.

The Pantaloons presents

Pride and Prejudice

Sat 10th Jul 7:00pm - 10:00pm

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen's witty and romantic masterpiece is one of the best-loved stories of all time, dealing with the most important questions in life… Will Mrs Bennett manage to offload her numerous daughters in record time? Will Lizzy and Darcy actually get together? Will creepy Mr Collins just go away please? Join The Pantaloons this summer for this delightfully innovative and hilarious new adaptation.

The Tempest

Sun 18th Jul 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Join open-air Shakespeare specialists The Pantaloons on a voyage to an enchanted island full of adventure, romance, magic and… monsters! Expect music and mayhem, poetry and puppetry in the Bard’s brilliant tale of shipwrecks, sorcerers and silly servants.

Wildlife Canoe Trails

Wednesdays during the school holidays and other days by request!

- Booking only please. Allow at least 2 hours for the whole event.

- Includes garden entry from 10am.

Adult £27.50 / Child £17.50

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