back home

From a weekend away.
Cranborne Chase Wood fair was OK, but was more of a country fair than trade fair atmosphere, still some excellent local produce, crafts and displays.
Blackmoor Estate open day was absolutely packed, a good guided tour of part of the commercial nursery stock with some good technical aspects discussed. From a neighbouring nursery I bought another apple 'Howgate Wonder' on m106 rootstock.
Back to Salisbury and a quick drive by the edge of Salisbury Plain to look at some hedgerow apple trees that have decent fruit, a few more noticed and the one that fell victim to highway hedge clearing has at least one viable shoot. (Somewhat patiently I'll be planting a load of it's windfall apple pips in the hope that some will fruit true to type).
Another pleasant breakfast time wander around the waterways at Salisbury trying to identify more Black Poplar trees.
(Back in 2 weeks for the 'Apple Day' at Stourhead).

Cross country through Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire today to join the M1 and to Nottinghamshire. I supplemented my existing order from Cool Temperate Nursery with an Asian Pear - Pyrus Kumoi and a sweet chestnut 'Maraval' - also a excellent chat about odd fruit trees and 'own root' apple tree projects (following on from a course at Brighton Permaculture a couple of years ago.

Back home via the field just as darkness was falling, looks like a few people have had a drinking session under the far by-pass underpass (why folks feel the need to smash glass bottles on grazing land is beyond me).
Tomorrow I'm down at the field for a few odd jobs and planting preparations.