OUR SURROUNDINGS

 

Norfolk Herbs is set in 11 acres (4.5 Hectares) of traditional Norfolk countryside 2 miles northwest of Dereham. 

The  site is surrounded by grazing meadows and arable fields and is bordered by a small river and several acres of private, SSSI wet  woodland and  irrigation lakes.  Our own meadow  has a percentage under the Environment Agency's Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme. 

The whole area  is home to hundreds of species of Wildlife.  Please take a look at our list of birds that we have seen on and around the nursery. 

On your visit it is quite likely that you will spot  the Barn Owls which hunt over our land, even during the day if they have young  or the Flycatchers which use the nursery gate as their Summer perch.  

In the past, there has been a passing Osprey using the lakes,  a lone Bittern surveying the area and, one wonderful Summer, a fleeting visit by a nightingale to the woods and a chance to watch Kingfishers feeding their young by the river  A new visitor is a Little Egret  which  has been seen several times during the Winters of 2003/4 and 2004/2005.

The meadow is golden with Buttercups in the Spring and Common Spotted Orchids thrive in the Summer and mingle with  purple and yellow Vetches and Bedstraw. 

Late Summer sees a haze of  purple Knapweed and yellow  Fleabane and all is enjoyed by our two, rescued Donkeys and an Autumn flock of sheep! 

The complete lack of  agricultural sprays and chemicals allows for a large population of  insects including a wide variety of butterflies, bees, hoverflies, damselflies and dragonflies all of which spill over to the fragrant herbs in our gardens and nursery.

Every year is different so keep an eye out when you visit!  One year we had a host of  Clouded Yellow butterflies and the very first year on our new site, a Swallowtail Butterfly was carefully released from our netted, shade tunnel.

Foxes,  Roe and Muntjac Deer and Badgers  also roam our land.  You may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse although the well worn paths across the meadow may be all you see of the latter!