LymeLiving - OCTOBER 2026 - Edition_compressed (1) - Flipbook - Page 8
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LymeLiving - The Lyme Regis Town Council Magazine
GARDENS
AND BEYOND
FTER a long and hot
A summer, autumn brings a
change of pace for our gardens
and maintenance teams.
The prolonged spells of hot, dry
weather have left their mark
across the town council’s green
spaces, and as temperatures
begin to fall, the team will be
turning its attention to repairing
and protecting our outdoor
spaces for the months ahead.
One of the more unusual
consequences of this summer’s
heat has been cracks appearing
in lawns and pathways as the
ground dried out.
Our gardens and maintenance
team have been busy filling these
where necessary, particularly
where they could create a trip
hazard. Some may naturally close
again as wetter weather returns
and the ground expands but
keeping paths and public areas
safe means they cannot simply be
left in the meantime.
Please note the step access from
the top of Langmoor Gardens to
Cobb Road has been closed. Due
to the extremely dry summer, the
steps have become unsafe for the
public to use. There is alternative
step-free access.
The exceptionally dry summer
has also changed some of our
planting plans.
A large bed cleared during winter
2025 had been scheduled for
replanting this October.
However, following the extreme
conditions this summer, the
decision has been made to give
the ground another winter to
recover before planting takes
place in spring 2027.
Giving the soil that extra time
should provide the new planting
with a much healthier start.
October is an ideal time for
dividing many herbaceous
perennials. Although the air is
becoming cooler, there is still
warmth in the soil, which gives
newly divided plants an
opportunity to establish healthy
root systems before winter
arrives.
Around the gardens, the usual
seasonal work will continue too,
with weeding, pruning and
mulching alongside hedge
trimming throughout our
gardens and public spaces -with
a bit of luck, this should be the
hedges’ final haircut of the year.
Scheduled tree works will also
take place across several of the
council’s green spaces, including
the gardens, cemetery and
Georges Square.
Of course, autumn also means
leaves, and plenty of them as the
trees begin shedding their
summer canopy. The team will be
regularly clearing fallen leaves
from lawns, other green spaces
and paths.
for whatever the coastal winter throws at
them.
External areas of council-owned
buildings have been painted as part of the
annual maintenance programme, helping
to protect them from the elements and
prolong their lifespan. Regular
preventative maintenance might not
always be the most noticeable job, but
keeping on top of smaller works can help
avoid much larger repairs further down
the line.
Once winter arrives, the focus will move
indoors, with internal painting and
maintenance taking place while
conditions outside are less favourable.
The team has also been making
improvements to our public facilities,
including the installation of new toilet roll
dispensers made using recycled
materials.
So, while summer bedding begins to fade
and Lyme’s green spaces take on their
autumn colours, there is still plenty
happening behind the scenes. Between
repairing the effects of the summer heat
to preparing buildings, trees and lawns
for winter, looking after Lyme is very
much a year-round job.
Leaving a thick covering of leaves
on grass over winter blocks light
and air from reaching the turf
beneath, so collecting them is an
important part of keeping our
lawns healthy.
But those leaves don’t go to
waste. Collected leaves are
recycled and allowed to break
down into leaf mould, creating a
valuable natural mulch which can
then be put back into the
gardens. It is a simple cycle
where what falls from the
gardens eventually goes back into
helping them grow.
While autumn changes the work
happening outdoors, our
maintenance team has also spent
much of the summer making sure
the council’s buildings are ready
Steps to Cobb Road
