Sunday 25 May 2008

Cow parsley, croissants and homemade cake

What is the difference between a weed and a wildflower? I am sure there are those who can give me a definition, but suffice it to say that, for me, a weed is sometimes simply a wildflower in the wrong place, but most frequently it is the type of wildflower, or garden flower gone wild, that will if left overwhelm all the smaller plants. Saturday saw the first official meeting of the St Saviour Jardiniers, the woodland volunteers who are bringing new life to the Jardin des Buttes, just below the parish hall. It was a drizzly morning, but mild, and the jardiniers, wearing thick gloves, worked with a will to pull up the cow parsley that has shot up to head height and beat back the nettles to areas where we can allow them to flourish. At this stage the goal was to cut them off at the root and then return in the autumn to dig out the roots. After an hour and a half of steady work, the jardiniers came up to the parish hall where we enjoyed tea and coffee, buttered croissants and delicious homemade cake supplied by Mary Le Brocq. Thanks must go to Parish in Bloom co-ordinator Graham Langlois and the committee for organising the event and to all those who came along to take part: the woodland already looks so much better, the sunlight can get down to the ground, plants and, yes, not a few weeds are flourishing and birds are nesting in the trees.

3 comments:

The Moving Finger said...

I would very much like to know why you voted for GST.
A tax on the poor to feed the rich.

Peter Hanning said...

Thank you for your comment, Mr Le Sueur, and for the opportunity to reply to it.
The proposition to establish a General Sales Tax was voted in principle in the States before I became Connétable in 2007 and became a States Member, so I had not been party to any of the debates, discussions or information that led the members to vote in favour of GST.
As a States Member, and able to be part of the later debates, I voted against GST on food, but given the downturn in the global economy, I did not feel that we could delay implementation of a tax that had already been agreed.
While not liking GST, I would rather we pay 3% now, than delay and risk 10% or more later – that would have been irresponsible. It should also be noted that some UK High Street stores are now contributing more to Jersey’s coffers as many of them have absorbed GST without passing it on to the customer.

Peter Hanning said...
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