8th June 2012 – Midweek Group
I think the main challenge of the Balsam over the summer is going to be coming up with new & imaginative titles for our blog posts! We were back out last Friday with the Midweek Group at the Contullich Burn. The balsam itself is varying greatly in size, from tiny baby ones that are really tough to get out by the root, to larger ones that are relatively easy to pull out – unless they are surrounded by nettles!
Our regulars ensure us that last year some were even taller than them! But as yet we have not encountered any such Balsam giants, but I’m sure there is still time.
VDO Elspeth and VO Gillian working away with smiles on their faces!
Volunteer Billy must be thinking it’s time for a coffee break!!
It’s quite a change from the Rhododendrons, which required a bit more muscle and gusto – perfect for letting off some steam! The balsam is quite gentle in comparison and the only opportunity to let out a little steam is telling the nettles what we think of them! Although we’re almost certain that we will all be immune to nettle stings by the time we are finished with the Balsam!
Our sea of balsam, which we successfully cleared on Friday!
As always, more photographs can be found on our Flickr Page. All photographs above were taken by our regular volunteer Aaron.