A noticeable 'greening' of vegetation at the field.
All of the pear trees are in blossom, the quince not far behind and the 30+ varieties of apple varying from just about to break open buds, through to leaves and blossom. The mulberries and walnuts are still without leaf but the hazels are progressing. The hawthorn and willow in the hedges are well into leaf, including those newly planted.
Quite a few things still to plant throughout the year ahead from stock in pots, including some stuff donated by friends from local seed. A couple of visitors during the week - always pleasant to have a chat about what's happing with the field and also generally locally in the village and just over the border on the Welsh side of the river.
One negative event was local teenagers up and down the footpath on a mini-motorbike and then riding around through a neighbour's crop and disturbing the horses in the next field, the police are apparently aware...
The 'copse' part in the name meadowcopse (a northern European term for pasture / woodland margin) has had some further planting on the narrow east shadier side of the field - this opens out onto a common hazel hedge, before the 6 metre grid planting of the orchard starting with nut trees...
A few more low spots in the grass levelled from last months lorry of topsoil and some work along the gateway planting up gaps with more hawthorns and reducing the spread of soil onto the access track, then reseeding bare soil with a native northern hedgerow wildflower seed mix. The first proper cut of the grass for the year, mainly as with last April to reduce dandelion seeds proliferating, partly backed up by root extraction. 1/2 an acre of grass is left long to the west side, for cutting later in the year (with patches of meadowsweet already breaking through as well as cuckoo flower in a couple of places).
All of the pear trees are in blossom, the quince not far behind and the 30+ varieties of apple varying from just about to break open buds, through to leaves and blossom. The mulberries and walnuts are still without leaf but the hazels are progressing. The hawthorn and willow in the hedges are well into leaf, including those newly planted.
Quite a few things still to plant throughout the year ahead from stock in pots, including some stuff donated by friends from local seed. A couple of visitors during the week - always pleasant to have a chat about what's happing with the field and also generally locally in the village and just over the border on the Welsh side of the river.
One negative event was local teenagers up and down the footpath on a mini-motorbike and then riding around through a neighbour's crop and disturbing the horses in the next field, the police are apparently aware...
The 'copse' part in the name meadowcopse (a northern European term for pasture / woodland margin) has had some further planting on the narrow east shadier side of the field - this opens out onto a common hazel hedge, before the 6 metre grid planting of the orchard starting with nut trees...
A few more low spots in the grass levelled from last months lorry of topsoil and some work along the gateway planting up gaps with more hawthorns and reducing the spread of soil onto the access track, then reseeding bare soil with a native northern hedgerow wildflower seed mix. The first proper cut of the grass for the year, mainly as with last April to reduce dandelion seeds proliferating, partly backed up by root extraction. 1/2 an acre of grass is left long to the west side, for cutting later in the year (with patches of meadowsweet already breaking through as well as cuckoo flower in a couple of places).
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