With summer now in full swing, there is much going on behind-the-scenes in Lyme Regis.
One project reaching completion this month is the final phase of the council’s handrail improvement programme. New handrails have now been installed in Stile Lane, completing the final year of the allocated budget and helping residents and visitors move safely around the town.
Visitors to the Langmoor and Lister Gardens enjoying an evening walk may also notice the colourful lighting displays, which have recently been updated to create a vibrant multi-coloured feature after dark.
As mentioned last month, this lighting display can be customised to support local causes and community events, so if your charity or organisation is planning a fundraising event or awareness campaign, the council may be able to illuminate the gardens in colours associated with your cause.
Keeping Lyme Regis looking welcoming is a year-round task, and seafront attendant Lewis Grattan has been putting the council’s new battery-powered handheld pressure washer to good use, cleaning the street furniture such as benches and bins throughout the town.
Meanwhile, the lengthsmen Mark Bujniewicz and Pete Williams continue their regular programme of verge cutting, clearing drains and gullies, and cleaning road signs to ensure approaches into Lyme Regis remain inviting.
The gardening team are already looking ahead to later in the year – the large flower bed above Jurassic Coast Photography has been cleared and the soil conditioned in preparation for new planting in early-autumn, returning the area to its original planting scheme.
Elsewhere in the gardens, new educational signs will be installed to help visitors discover some of the themed planting throughout Langmoor and Lister Gardens.
One of these highlights is the Moon Garden, where white flowers are carefully chosen to attract evening pollinators such as moths, which in turn provide food for bats and other nocturnal wildlife.
If you are looking to create your own Moon Garden, try surrounding the white flowers with green foliage to help make their colour stand out even more.
Trees continue to receive special attention during the warmer months. The cherry tree avenue is being regularly watered and treated with additional nutrients to help the trees establish strong, healthy growth and combat Interveinal Chlorosis, a condition where the tissue between the veins of a plant’s leaves turns yellow while the veins remain green and is often caused by a deficiency in nutrients such as iron and magnesium.
The team also continues to tackle invasive plant species on council-owned land.
Japanese Knotweed is treated by carefully injecting individual stems with herbicide, while Himalayan Balsam is removed by hand before it has the chance to set seed.
Although only found in small areas of council land, both species are managed carefully, with eradication programmes often taking between three and five years to complete.
The Woodland Walk bridge is also receiving some attention, with worn decking boards now being replaced. Originally constructed in 2008, the bridge has served visitors well for almost two decades, and the council is now exploring the use of recycled composite materials as a more durable solution for the future.
As summer progresses, the town’s wildflower areas will soon begin their natural transition into autumn. Once the flowers have seeded, the team will cut the meadows back, allowing seeds to fall naturally before removing the cuttings.
This simple but effective technique helps ensure another spectacular display of wildflowers next year.
Finally, work continues in the Jane Austen Garden, where new planting, including the beautiful Jane Austen Rose, is helping soften the surrounding landscape and create an even more attractive setting for residents and visitors to enjoy.