The last two weekends I've been away.
Firstly to Stourhead on the edge of it's fine grounds in Wiltshire - the Farm Shop had an 'Apple Day' in rather uncertain weather.
A slightly understated affair, but an excellent range of local grown historic apple varieties. I can't remember the name, but there was an excellent small apple that was crisp, yellow with some pink striping and tasted of strawberries...
Venison sausage hot-dogs with apple sauce were quite pleasant too and chunk of smoked cheddar cheese and fresh bread rolls picked up for a picnic later.
(Together with a mixed bag of heritage variety apples, from which I'll keep the pips to see what hybrids they give me and if there is any viable fruit in a few years time).
Stopping in Salisbury, I took the opportunity to wander around Harnham Meadows - a deliberate flood-meadow landscape now managed by a conservation trust.
With natural low-lying land and deliberately constructed channels for seasonal flooding, I was particularly interested in tree and hedgerow varieties to compare with the meadow here in Chester which has the risk of natural flooding occasionally.
In Salisbury, I picked up an excellent book: The Tree House Diaries - 6 months sustainable living in the woods and full of useful recipes, tips and practical advice.
On the journey home, I picked up some graft-wood from a roadside apple tree in the hedgerow south of Stonehenge. A particular tree on an exposed elevation that has reasonable fruit still on the tree in late December in all weathers.
Near Boscombe Down there was another graft-wood acquisition opportunity from a deep red apple too.
Taking the Pewsey road to Marlborough, I dropped by a small nursery and picked up an established pear tree (Beurre Hardy) in a large pot.
A week of pottering about down at the field - out with the measuring wheel for more planting scheme ideas, some pot-holes in the access track filled and the leaves on the mature ash trees turning and falling in the first frosts.
Looks like sheep have been through again, so hedges and fences are now stepping ahead of initial planting, especially holding back on the orchard layout until it's stock-proof.
A spot thinning in places of the meadowsweet now that it's come back after the summer grassland mow - a few clumps potted up for division into a nursery bed and then 'champagne' from the flowers and ale from the leaves next year...
Another weekend away, this time to Whitby, North Yorks for a Goth music weekend. With a semi-nocturnal long weekend, opportunity taken during relaxing days in Becketts Cafe on Skinner Street to try to finalise the small woodland and traditional orchard planting layouts, at the same time indulging in relaxed chat with friends and rather fine home-made cakes...
The week ahead includes a quick service of the tractor, hopefully the new gate, posts and east fencing going in and getting the plot ready for planting.
I have farmed an area of "flood meadow" all my life which is part of a hundred or more acre system on the estate. The old men who remembered their old men working them always said the water must "trot on and Gallop off", this carries silt and oxygen and grass survives under water.
ReplyDeletePS The system has not been worked for the last two generations. It don't suit tractors.
thanks for the comment, my own small plot sits at the floor of a river valley with the River Dee (usually) in a deep narrow winding channel. There doesn't appear to be any historical deliberate flooding, but it's something that occurs most winters
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