December

Back home and a few weeks off until mid-January...
A careful watch of the River Dee flood levels, after a couple of emails and automated calls of flood warnings and then an 'all-clear' at Farndon (for now).

The river is still within its banks for now, but Appleby's Brook and the ditches are up and some minor ingress at the south hedgerow low point.
A wander around this morning with no worries for now in ordinary boots.
After some of the weather from the last couple of weeks, I was keen to check the orchard trees. Fortunately everything was as I left it from two weeks ago.
The larger, recently planted cider apple trees have two Rubberloc commercial / amenity grade ties to hold them steady.

The frosts have finally turned the trees with late leaves left on. Rumours of snow on the way for the end of the week too...
Quite a bit of work to get done, but weather dependent. The waning moon and a couple of extra storm lanterns might compensate for a lack of daylight, but I'd like the river to subside at least another metre before contemplating the tent and wood-burning stove and picnic bench.

Jobs on the horizon including young native tree-planting at the field margins.
Six more fruit trees to go in (a 'traditioinal' orchard of ninety mixed trees could probably be considered substantial) and a small mixed collective of hazels to make a margin at the east side of the orchard grid.
Continuing the long-term boundary stock-proof fencing.
Hedge-row gap filling and rujuvinational pruning.

If the weather is less than favourable, then there is quite a bit of documentation and admin stuff to wade through at home and planning for next year's planting of appropriate native stuff in the grassland and hedgerows.
Continuing with landscape history research too...

history

For last Thursday night, a notice in a local shop mentioned Holt Local History Society putting on a talk "The making of the Maelor Saesneg"
A landscape history lecture for the area around the River Dee catchment area from South Cheshire and the border with Wales and Shropshire. A touch further south than the field, but still an insightful talk on an area with interesting landscape that I've spent a good few years exploring.

Afterwards, a good chat with some of the Society members regarding the more immediate landscape around Holt and Farndon. Modern geophysics techniques have been utilised including magnetometry and Lidar maps - as well as field walks. Access cooperation with local landowners around Holt Castle is being looked into, hopefully an area I can help with regarding the field.
Whilst planting the trees recently, the west half of the field which appears slightly higher, has around 6 to 8 inches of silt / soil deposit beneath the present turf, but above a previous grass level. There is also the lump of sandstone to drop off with the museum that was in the ground near the junction of two tracks on the field boundary.

Another couple of frosty nights, but still the leaves are on a few trees - particularly the quince.
Quite a bit of time levelling and mulching around the fruit trees and fitting commercial grade amenity tree-ties to the stakes, then some time back at home looking after the landscape machinery.
A couple of visitors, looking at the trees as well as the wider landscape.

Also noticed increased Police visibility lately, on both the English and Welsh sides of the River. Hopefully this will reduce some of the random anti-social activities in the area.

Unfortunately in one corner of the field an entire wing, of either a tawny owl or pheasant?

From Meadowcopse 2011

A bit of time back at the day job, hopefully seasonal river flooding will hold off long enough for more groundwork, fencing and hedging during my next spell off - if the river level stays consistently low I might chance another spell camping before the year ends too...

Another weekend

Various mushrooms in the grass at the field:

From Meadowcopse 2011

From Meadowcopse 2011

A rather busy week, 15 young but rather large cider apple orchard trees transplanted...
Quite a bit of work to get them out with as much root as possible:

From Orchard 2011

Also a lot of preparation work to get them planted and secured:

From Orchard 2011

Many thanks to the donor who sadly was moving away from their location and thanks to a colleague from a few years ago that made the arrangements.

About 90 mixed orchard trees now, with only about 36 being apples.

Working into darkness to get the latest trees in, various mammals still moving about the undergrowth and an adventurous mouse looking around the mulch was briefly mesmerised by the head-torch - still about 5 owls to be heard at night too and the buzzards in the daytime.
There is also a large random domestic type cat (white & tabby mix) that is around day or night.

Driving to the field this afternoon, i noticed the River Dee noticeably higher, but still no concerns about Flood Warnings yet.
I think this time last year there was snow, bizarrely mild - although a chill stiff breeze was creeping in late afternoon.

The weekend

Towards the end of last week I spent some spare time looking back over the various Chancery Deeds from the National Archives for Farndon and Crewe by Farndon.


A slow start to Saturday (a combination of Crohn's Disease grumblings and a Goth night in Wrexham late on Friday). First stop was a light lunch at DeliFine in Holt, then over to the field to mark out more orchard plantings.

A sudden revision to the planting plan, due to the opportunity of transplanting a young, but established cider apple orchard of up to 15 trees (the owner, a specialist micro-brewer with CaMRA recognition is moving, but had put a fair bit of thought into what he had established for a premium small scale cider production and was understandably reluctant to abandon it).
I'd been put in touch by a respected work colleague from a few years ago who, since retirement has gone on to specialise in fruit tree culture and grafting.
Some sizeable holes for the trees were dug and with a few other minor jobs around the field, it was dark by the time I'd finished...

During the day, the chance to chat to a couple of respected local folk, the nearest neighbour mentioned that suspicious vehicle activity and anti-social behaviour at the top end of the access track / minor road was still a problem, dog walkers confirmed that the sheep 2 fields away were prone to straying (glad I put the extra wire net fencing up now) and at the edge of the village, the gift of a pot of local honey.

Quite a few pheasants about, yet more mole hills, and owl hoots as darkness falls.

Saturday was a mild evening, so I carried on into darkness. Then things got interesting...
My Cousin said he might call, I left the gate to the field open whilst digging holes for the trees. A car came part way down the track, then cleared off. Another vehicle, a 4x4 was making it's way through the darkness, through the gateway and I assumed it was my Cousin. For a laugh, I put my oil lamp down a hole, turned off my head-torch and lurked in another planting hole. Only when the 4x4 slowed by my Landrover and put it's full-beam on did I notice the blue and lime-green chequers and the word 'POLICE'
Hmm, this could get interesting explaining a wheelbarrow and shovels at my side...
Turns out to be an unrelated incident involving vehicle movements along the lane at the top of the track. They saw the funny side, as if it's normal to be planting trees in near darkness in the middle of nowhere...

On Sunday I took the Landrover and trailer to the Wirral to start extracting the orchard trees.
A fascinating conversation regarding specialist brewing and the desire for something good to come of the trees. 15 in total and ranging from 10 to 15 feet tall!
Varieties: 'Kingston Black, Chisel Jersey, Harry Masters and Broxwood Foxwhelp.

Initial digging was 'challenging' - the large garden of a traditional estate cottage, one end had at sometime had a path and the ground was a bit stony as I initially dug a very generous diameter around the first tree to establish root spread.

For replanting at the field, I'll be part filling the holes around the roots with Barker & Bland's composted wool and bracken mix and with a sprinkling of mycorrhizal RootGrow granules and the fine alluvial soil from the field mixed in.
I am a touch concerned by the size of the trees compared to the root structure after digging up, particularly as they still have some leaves on. I'm hoping that some fine fibrous new root growth might start before winter dormancy completely sets in. Because of the size of the trees, staking is essential for a few years (although they all impressively stood unaided when the planting holes were filled in at their final location in the field.

By Monday afternoon, 9 from the 15 were satisfactorily transplanted.
The final holes to dig on Wednesday and hopefully transplanting completed by Thursday and looking forward to a fruitful collaboration for small scale cider production in years ahead...

By dawn's early light

Back home in Cheshire after 2 weeks of night shifts, I haven't quite adjusted to daytime living yet.
Up at 4 am and down to the field for 6:30am before properly light.
The overhanging willows are trimmed back a touch along the bypass hedge to the north of the field. Hopefully enough room now to get in and clear a neglected drainage ditch.
Owls were hooting before daybreak and the sound of a buzzard coincided with small mammals scurrying through the undergrowth along the old trackway.
It looks like the sheep netting from last month has done its job keeping neighbouring sheep out. Traces of human activity are random small lumps of limestone hurled into the bottom quarter of the field from the track (now removed before they compromise the next time the tractor and mower come out. One random golf ball at the west of the field and minor extra graffiti on the inside of the west underpass - surprisingly the east trackway underpass remains clear since I repainted it late summertime.

The trees have lost their leaves or those remaining have autumn colours - apart from the quince, which are still quite deep green.

A fair amount of mole-hill activity while I've been away and the ground noticeably softer after a couple of weeks with rain.

Winter around the corner?

The field now gets a short rest whilst I get on with my proper job...
I sometimes wonder what the immediate impact on wildlife is when I spend time down there? (Longer term I'm hoping it is positive, although some of the hedgerow and grassland work is bound to have caused some compromises until re-established and stabilised. I do look into and assess what is around a while, before doing work).

Anyway, almost a week in a large tent and the daytime has birds from robins to buzzards and at night time there are about 5 owls, bats, badgers and foxes.
The bees in the hollow tree are still active on warm days and something has pawed up an old honeycomb of ground nesting bees.

I still wonder about the possibility of dormice - an old birds nest was full of dry hawthorn leaves and 'ropes' of twisted hay in a ball - unfortunately full of dry silt too as it was below the winter river flood level.

A diverse range of fungi have started to appear in the grass.
I didn't manage to get the 'thatch' from the scarifier removed as quickly as I'd have liked, due to rain as I was finishing the task and for most days I was free afterwards.
The Wessex collector works fine, as long as the surface debris isn't sodden.

Somewhat hurriedly, 150 metres of wire stock fencing has gone up (with very handy help from my Uncle), due to sheep reappearing for winter 2 fields away. Last year I'd have been happy for them to have stayed and grazed when they strayed in, but not now with the orchard and young native trees in.
The wire fencing is temporary and positioned to allow enough working space for filling gaps in the hawthorn and for work with a post borer on the tractor for a long term livestock proof fence along the hedge boundary.

Some interesting and good natured talk with local folk and interesting to consider the range of views of people who live and work in the countryside as well as the various walkers along the track. (A large walking group on Saturday were doing part of the Marches Way).

My first night in the tent last week coincided with a ground frost overnight, fortunately the woodburner kept the chill off until about 4am, although a Cadbury's Wholenut bar managed to melt some distance away from the stove.

I was quite pleased during the recent tree work to get a birds-eye view from the hydraulic platform.

Maybe more than coincidently, a carved pumpkin I left on the gatepost for a couple of nights seems to have kept some of the less desirable visitors at arms length.

For the next few months I'll have to be more mindful of the risk of flooding from the River Dee (the daily height trends are on the Environment Agency website and I get alert and warning notifications).
The next areas of work are hedges and ditches and planting clusters of native trees at either end of the field.
Dandelion reduction is back on track with a replacement removal tool swiftly sent from Fiskars.

Now the darker nights and less clement weather are here, a bit of catching up of paperwork and planning ahead, as well as delving into surrounding history.

A busy weekend ahead...

Last week I acquired a Wessex sweeper for cleaning the field grass up behind the tractor. (now we've finally had a dry sunny day, I can get round to using it for collecting the residue the scarifier lifted).
The hedgerow tree work is done for now, including re-pollarding. Hedges and fencing to continue with next month.
The final handful of fruit trees to go in for this year, the unusual varieties I picked up earlier this month.
I've set the tent up (with integral woodburning stove), for a weekend at the field finishing off a few tasks...

A few interesting chats with neighbours and locals over the last couple of weeks - and a couple of random encounters with couples in cars getting a bit blatant in broad daylight with activities that are best left for indoors now the weather is getting colder!
I guess anti-social and illegal activities can be as much of a problem in a rural setting as in built up areas.

One night had particularly clear skies, so a mate with an iPad assisted with some celestial navigation.
Jupiter is particularly bright and there have been a few shooting stars.
All with the background sounds of owls and other creatures.
Each morning there are the remains of chewed corn-cobs across the grass - I thought maybe from a fox, but apparently badgers really like them.

In the daytime the buzzards are quite noticeable swirling high up.

autumn...

The leaves turning and colour changes and less daylight now noticeable.
I do however have a quince tree in bud and trees that have lost leaves also have advanced buds.

From Meadowcopse 2011

The dandelions have slowed down, but still prevalent on a sunny day - I bought a Fiskars removal tool - it initially seemed quite good, but broke after about 40 plants pulled up (their Customer Services sent a replacement within a week).

From Meadowcopse 2011

Whilst I was tidying up the broken bottles and thrown away beer cans and smoking debris I had found at the field, there was a hairdressers receipt amongst the rubbish that included: client name and address with 'under 15 discount 10%'
Only a couple of miles away, I dropped by and met his parents - they weren't amazingly impressed, but were quite sensible, civil and understanding about it and words will be had by them.

A bit more overhanging willow from the boundary with the bypass cut back and some odd fence rails replaced here and there, the picnic bench dropped off and locked to the fence whilst I back and to each day.

From Meadowcopse 2011

A few evenings had been pleasant enough to cook a quick meal and sit outside listening to the wildlife. Daytime and Deli-Fine near-by over the bridge at Holt remains tempting for daytime refreshments.
Some good and interesting chat with locals and walkers too and a few comments regarding police awareness of anti-social / illegal activities close-by.

A few owls about - one brushed the top of my head as I walked across the field as it went dark.
Something after dark makes a short, load metallic 'chirp' - it sounds like it is in the trees, but can't work out what it is.
Voles and moles evident and a few 'larger' small mammals rustle through the base of the hedges. A random pheasant too.
The crop of maize in the neighbouring field has been cut, still a few part chewed cobs appear in the middle of the field - I'm guessing from a fox?

Some tree-work done, accessed from a hydraulic platform.

From Meadowcopse 2011

A few low overhanging branches removed and some height reduction of a hollow tree to reduce the risk of it being blown over by the wind.

From Meadowcopse 2011

A part rotten branch from high up had large green pellet like chrysalis clusters (about 8mm dia x 20mm long each)?

From Meadowcopse 2011

Another medium sized ash tree that had struggled for leaves all year turned out to be spongy with rot when a couple of dead branches were removed.

From Meadowcopse 2011

Although not the intention to cut any down, structurally poor and lacking vigour and leaning, it was reduced to fence height.

From Meadowcopse 2011

I went to the 'Quince Day' at Norton Priory - interesting again with Fruitscape and Cheshire Wildlife Trust amongst some of the displays. I also came away with a couple of random hybrid quince seedlings.
Last Sunday evening was mild and pleasant enough to run the mower over the field again (still leaving the meadowsweet at seed).
With the tractor and machinery dropped back at home, some pondering about the general condition of the grass...

I'm convinced since the construction of the by-pass in the late 1980s, the field was at least partly re-seeded, certainly some previously disturbed / compacted ground parallel to the boundary.
Hedge and fencing gaps, the new orchard and more young trees to go in and the risk of winter river floods make sheep grazing an impossibility for a year or two yet.
There are noticeably less weeds this year but I decided to run a scarifier over the entire field. This was to lift previous years matted grass and vegetation debris.
The mower I use behind the tractor is a compromise, unless the clippings are removed - a more efficient solution has since been arrived at...

Meanwhile,

From Meadowcopse 2011

a scarifier (on hire, as they are a phenomenal price even second hand for a robust one), lifted a lot of 'thatch' and that now has to come off the surface - the temptation is to compost it long term, or to cleanly burn it with hedgerow brash and use the ash in a compost mix. (I'm tempted to hire a tractor mounted one next time though).

Unpredictable weather and a few downpours make day to day planning tricky for jobs to be getting on with - I would stick a reasonable tent up for the next week as a site hut and maybe stop over night, but a frost Tuesday morning was a touch off-putting.

Over the weekend, I have a large piece of agricultural / green-keeping equipment to pick up (Wessex SC12 powered sweeper / collector for behind the tractor to keep the grass tidy after mowing).
There is also Stourhead Farm shop Apple Day and a short spell back in Salisbury and some tree-hunting (wayside apples with potential).

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.

Travels

A short evening spell at the field on Thursday night after 2 weeks away with work.
Someone had dumped a load of hedge clippings in the middle of the footpath / access track, so an hour spent recovering and converting them for compost / mulch (fly-tipping really annoys me). 
The overpainting of the graffiti on the bypass underpass is still refreshingly clear after a month.

Noticeable autumnal changes to most of the orchard and hedgerow trees, apart from new leaf growth still apparent on a couple of the younger mulberry trees and the heartnut.

Just about finished putting 1.5 m3 of water onto the planted trees when a monsoon fell.
Back at home a few trees arrived in the post, including a young black walnut.

A brief excursion to Sheffield for a night of live (and lively) Goth music, then an overnight cross-country drive by the light of half a moon to Salisbury - scenic still despite semi-darkness.

A day now at Cranborne Chase Wood Fair, then Sunday is an orchard open day at Blackmoor Nurseries, followed by more trees to pick up for the orchard on Monday...

more trees

A few more trees ordered for the field...

From Cool Temperate Nursery:
Wellington - "a black x red hybrid mulberry, long cylindrical fruit, dark red, good flavour, long cropping season".
X Sorbopyrus auricularis Bolwyller Pear - a pear x whitebeam hybrid, (intergeneric pome fruit info...)
Walnut, Excelsior of Taynton - Rare old English variety from Somerset

From Burncoose Nurseries:
Black Walnut, Juglans nigra
Sweet Chestnut, Castanea sativa
Wild service-tree, Sorbus terminalis (the Bristol variation would be interesting)

The above are a few 'curiosities' (apart from the chestnut).
I should already have a few Black Walnut young trees, but small mammals 'liberated' the seedlings I had at home from the pots before they developed properly.

A couple of recent Twitter posts by The Grasslands Trust highlight the importance and scarcity of 'unimproved' grassland as a valuable habitat. I'm mindful that with two planned wooded field margins and the mixed orchard, that the plot has some compromises.
Hopefully the spacing of the nut and fruit trees with a 6 metre grid will allow enough light and space. (I'm leaving a reasonable sized open area of grass / meadowsweet and wild flowers).

Relaxation, contemplation and work.

Back to my proper job, so the land and wildlife get a break for a couple of weeks.
The previous couple of weeks on the one hand passed quite quickly, but also day by day at a sedate sort of pace steadily getting through some jobs at the field and also looking around the surrounding countryside and chatting to locals and neighbours and visitors.
Still a lot of local history to patch together, from modern websites and back to formal archives at Kew back to the year 1200 odd.
The enclosures map at Chester Records Office sheds a bit more light on old field boundaries and trackways - including the 'lost' track to the south of the field.

Before winter comes, I'd like to sort part of the planting scheme for a small copse at the field widths at either end, planted up from nursery stocks of native local broadleaf trees back at home.
At the same time, I need to get the south boundary secure against small livestock (last year saw a few occasions of sheep interloping from a couple of fields away).
Being as it's September and traditionally a good time to do so, some reseeding of the grassland - although the grass in the minority and an intended proliferation of appropriate meadow flower seed to go in. (I've left a couple of areas of meadowsweet standing so that it goes fully to seed and spreads a bit more).

Looking ahead and further afield, there is Cranford Chase Woodfair (coincidentally near where I landed in a hot air balloon from Salisbury last year) and a Quince Day at Norton Priory nearer to home soon in October.

Back at the field I'm going to experiment with rose-hip syrup and / or jam from the profusion of dog-roses in the hedgerows.

With a couple of things at home and work rescheduled - I decided to take the tent down to the field at the same time as the machines and tools. (Rather than drive home and back the next day several times).
I got the post and four rail fencing at the bypass underpass finished (replacing flimsy sparse posts and strands of barbed-wire), this has got some mixed hedgerow plants to go in either side of the fencing.

From Meadowcopse 2011

I took a tub of masonry paint and a long scrubbing brush to the footpath underpass to obliterate the grafiti.

From Meadowcopse 2011

(No 'Banksy' like works of art were cancelled out in this process).

Back to the grass, after another mow - a 2 metre rake behind the tractor, a combined weighted chain Harrow and a large sprung tine hay / lanscping rake by hand and a pitch-fork to de-thatch things, the residue becoming ash to blend with soil and compost.
A constant battle seems to be a few docks and dandelions in great profusion.

From Meadowcopse 2011

The orchard

The layout of mixed fruit and nut trees so far (6 metre spacing):

September

Breaking out of night-shifts seemed a struggle, so I took the tent down to the field and took advantage of waking at strange hours of the morning and plodded on with some more work.

A quick survey and measure of the orchard area. This is for some form filling for the Rural Land Register regarding the establishment of a traditional orchard.
Finished the substantial stock-proof fence near the neighbouring field - this became more pressing since more and more people started trampling over the original barbed wire to avoid the horses in the riverside field with the footpath.
An afternoon and a tub of reasonable masonry paint obliterated the graffiti on the inside face of the by-pass underpass. Not sure how long this will last, but at least a change from rather poor attempts at artistic expression and mis-spelled profanities. (Anyone good at murals in a rural setting)?

The grass has recovered and greened up after getting scorched soon after August's mowing. A bit of time spent eradicating dandelions.
An interesting proliferation of mole-hills, particularly around the newly levelled soil. (Rather than treat the moles as an enemy, I've been collecting the soil from the humps for planting jobs (a few of the old horticultural books like Louden's encyclopaedia recommend this).

The darker nights are upon us already, although the approaching full moon and mild evenings allowed for a bit more time with some de-thatching of the grassland. More than a couple of times I was cooking outside approaching midnight and retired to the tent with a warm mulled / spiced wine.

A pleasant morning break has been astroll across the River for coffee and a breakfast toast at Deli Fine in Holt.
More chat with locals and walkers along the trackway and riverside walk too.

The weekend saw a trip to Northamptonshire to collect more fruit trees from Bernwode trees:
Apples - Court Pendu Plat, Devonshire Quarenden, Roundway Magnum Bonum, Redstreak and a Black Worcester pear.
Onwards through Oxfordshire and Berkshire to Winchester for a relaxed evening meal, then across to Salisbury for the night.
A few items of tools and gear picked up from Scats Countryside Stores, then tree hunting on the edge of Salisbury Plain.

My target was the pleasant mid-winter apple I spotted some time ago.
Unfortunately, the Council / Highways had done some roadside clearing - all that was left was a substantial stump and some windfalls. Brushwood killer had been applied too, but there were two reasonable small shoots - I snipped half of one to try some chop grafts, the pips of the apples might have half of the good attributes of the parent...
Back home cross-country and a quick check of the mature hedge-row trees back at the field during the rising winds.

A novel approach...

A short while ago I picked up a novel The Wilding by Maria McCann. Set shortly after the English Civil War, the title subtly refers to one of the characters as well as an apple tree that grows wild outside of normal cultivation...

An enjoyable and escapist read, within the first chapter I wasn't disappointed. The Author has the main character describing several varieties of apple as he goes about his local countryside cider pressing. 'Sops in Wine' is an unusual variety I already have, but some brief research turned up an interesting background to 'Redstreak' - a once profound cider apple mentioned in the book and enquiries with my favourite fruit tree nursery, Bernwode Fruit Trees had me ordering one on m111 root-stock. (The catalogue from Bernwode is as good a read as most novels, with fascinating insights into the history and rediscovery particularly of hundreds of less usual varieties).

Another, more modern discovery (from the HortWeek Twitter feed) is Christmas Pippin a 'wilding' discovered similar and considered superior to Cox's Orange Pippin.
Another one for the shopping list, but a reminder to get on with some planned grafting after new year with my own wayside discoveries...

Back at home and at the field there has been sufficient rain finally not to worry too much about things getting a bit dry by the end of August.
After two weeks away, it'll be interesting to see the difference, although the most noticeable thing I guess will be less light in the evenings.

The last few days I've been considering local variety and appropriate flower introductions into the grassland at the field. The existing meadowsweet and cuckoo flower / lady's smock is a good start in terms of proliferation and I'm sure the buttercups aren't going to go away.
The recently levelled and rolled area of bare earth will be a blank canvas to see how things go.

On a matter of seeds coming up, I was pleasantly surprised to find from this year, some young oaks in the grass below the height of the tractor mower blades and some dog-rose seedlings doing pretty well along the north roadside fence.

Meanwhile, the orchard planting layout so far (6 metres between trees):

From Orchard

Towards the end of summer...

After planting more fruit trees at the field from the stock back at home, a steadily busy time with other tasks around the field, before returning back to my proper job for a couple of weeks and a little less intensity down at the field.

From Meadowcopse 2011

Unintentionally, the apple trees yielded quite a bit of fruit (I nipped the buds out earlier in the year as they are still relatively young trees).
Quite a range of flavours, but not greatly developed apples as such, so a bucket full was pulped and pressed to make juice, that was quite good (although the small quantity worked out at about £5000 litre, if you take in the cost of buying a field, trees, tractor, mower etc.

During a riverside walk, I spotted a rather old orchard on the Welsh side of the bank at the same level as the field, alaying any concerns about the winter flood water risks as the trees seem rather established just down from the ruined castle.

From Meadowcopse 2011

The spacing is reasonably consistant with my own planting scheme and the established orchard recently visited (during a fine lunch and weekend away) at Barley Wood Walled Garden near Bristol.

Flooding is the least concern at the moment with the dry weather and yet more extra watering carried out.

From Meadowcopse 2011

Turning up with the tanker on a warm summer evening seems to have caught a couple of amorous folk out too as it draws dark - although one couple seemed to be about to get down to things even when my Landrover was blatently parked in the middle of the field.

Rather chuffed by mid-August to now have the bulk of the orchard planted at a low density spacing and some handy help doing so and with the watering after-care too.
Into the second half of August and some slightly more mundane tasks but some far from mundane days (and nights) at the field.
The Topsoil I had for levelling a couple of low spots has been spread and levelled (the resident moles seem to like it too, the other day a new mole-hill was appearing about every 20 minutes, despite rolling it)!

From Meadowcopse 2011

I spent nearly a week with the tent - giving each day a more flexible and open timetable and relaxed working into darkness.

From Meadowcopse 2011

A couple of fine cooked breakfasts over a camping stove as well as the handy and wholesome Look What We Found brand of ready meals in the evenings washed down with locally brewed ales. An extra pleasant aspect was Deli-Fine across the River Dee at Holt - decent coffee, decent light breakfasts and handy take-away baguettes with local produce.

From Meadowcopse 2011

A short walk either along the ancient track-way or riverbank to the old Holt-Farndon Bridge, a relaxed breakfast in Holt, then back to the field.
A mix of people out on the fine days as well as the regular locals that venture as down the track as far as the field either dog-walking or circular walks back along the river. A bit more time to talk, both of local history and what is going on at the field (already a subject of light harmless speculation and gossip).
I think I surprised a few people by remembering the by-pass being built in the 1980s as well as having reasonable local knowledge and familiarity (I was born and lived only 5 miles up the road).
Some very interesting chat all the same, a couple of insights about the track-way and also historical curiosities back to Roman times for the area.

The walking back and to from the village revealed some wild hops in the hedges as well as a suspected 'chicken of the woods' fungus.

From Meadowcopse 2011

From Meadowcopse 2011

The ditch at the side of the track has hardly any flowing water, but is reasonably alive with small fish and plant life at the edges. It runs into the River Dee, a bit of research suggests Mr. Appleby lived at Crewe Hall. (The late 1700s map with land enclosures might turn up a few clues regarding drainage and field layouts - the double tree lined south boundary is on it).

From Meadowcopse 2011

By the time I'd finished camping, the planted trees had all got a bit of mulch spread about them for moisture conservation and weed suppression.
Still lots to do, but a couple of weeks of less intensity will give the wildlife chance to re-assert itself.
The bees in the hollow tree for a second year are quite happy by all acounts (spoke to a couple of bee experts at Shrewsbury Flower Show about them).
At night time there are quite a few owl hoots and warbles and fox howls and other small quadrapeds shuffling about, buzzards during the daytime ad hedgerow small birds.

A busy start to August

Quite a bit done down at the field recently...
Out with the tractor and mower, but mowing around the meadowsweet which is coming to the end of it's flowering and forming seeds that I want to disperse.
A little more rain recently meant as well as quite long grass, the existing recent orchard trees haven't required so much supplementary watering. Some of the grass was layered badly from recent rain and where uninvited campers had been - The small local group I'd given permission to however, had responsibly left no trace of having been there.

From Meadowcopse 2011

I'd arranged a delivery of topsoil from Dandy's near Chester, to level some low patches and for dressing around newly planted trees (over and above the bracken / sheep wool compost from Dalefoot Composts that went in the holes around the large pot-grown fruit trees).

From Meadowcopse 2011

From Meadowcopse 2011

Another delivery down at the field, was a couple of tonnes of shredded tree waste as a mulch for around the planted trees from local tree-surgeons DKC Contracts also near Chester.
Delivered on a busy day with variable weather prospects, a handy gazebo covered the brewing and cooking gear (stew on the go over an open fire).

From Meadowcopse 2011

What looked like a casualty from amongst the earlier orchard planting of 14 mulberry, 12 walnut, 5 quince, 2 pear and a medlar and a plum tree, was a sweet chestnut. bought-in mail-order bare rooted, then potted up in April this year, it hardly had much more developed roots when transplanted in July and soon had it's leaves turning brown:

From Meadowcopse 2011

It did however recover recently with new growth and had a bit of corrective pruning.

From Meadowcopse 2011

Another job was some new fencing near the neighbouring field. Since they have been grazing horses this year, random dog-walkers seem to be taking a short-cut over my fence rather than sticking to the footpath and the wire fence was starting to suffer. The post-hole borer on the tractor also proved useful for tree-planting preparations with a larger drill-bit fitted. New posts with 4 rails have now gone up (in a "get 'orf my land" sort of way, as dog-mess and random sticks aren't fun when mowing grassland).

From Meadowcopse 2011

The next orchard planting scheme has gone in - doubling the quantity of trees with mainly apple trees:
Bramley, Tentation, Golden Delicious, Orange Pippin, Lemon Pippin, Arthur W Barnes, Elstar, Ribston Pippin, Sops in Wine, Herefordshire Russet, Beckley Red, Limelight, Jonagold, Pitmaston Pinapple, Rode Boskoop, Elison's Orange, Châtaignier, Crimson Gravenstein, Gascoyne's Scarlet, Tom Putt.
Three quince were also planted: Champion and experimentally the understocks quince A and quince C to see what they actually produce as trees.
Two recently acquired young walnuts from Oxfordshire were added to the existing lines.

From Meadowcopse 2011

From Meadowcopse 2011

I also acquired a Cambridge roller, although I had to be a bit selective with price (I guess the scrap metal market prices have pushed things up, it's fairly heavy).

From Meadowcopse 2011

Cheers to a couple of people who have helped out with materials and planting.

Wildlife down at the field has ranged from bees still in the hollow ash tree, 2 buzzards, pigeons, swallows, voles, moles and beetles and wasps chewing at willow leaves. Quite a few toads and the occasional frog.

mowing

Took the tractor and mower to the field yesterday, but mowed around the patches of meadowsweet (in flower) for now.

A buzzard came down and picked up something to eat and there were also a few toads at the gate end of the field.
With the dry weather the fruit trees are going to have a couple of watering spells from the Bowser behind the Landrover...

Another couple of weeks passes

Meadowcopse

A busy couple of weeks, but mainly with a small building and DIY job at home between downpours of rain.

Last month it rained conveniently and almost continuously whilst I was at work - handy for the orchard trees transplanted from their large pots to the field.
This time at home, the first few days of my time off were quite dry, so another late evening watering session with the Bowser behind the Landrover.
All the recently planted trees have new growth - including the brown and vulnerable (dead) looking sweet chestnut. In the space of 2 weeks, it has gone from the hint of half a dozen green buds to small properly formed leaves.
Almost an entire week of daily heavy rain has probably helped too (although back at home compromising progress on some unrelated tasks).

A couple of large items delivered - a few lightweight but sturdy folding directors chairs, 100kg of compress Coir cocoa fibre in 5kg blocks (expands to a fine neutral compost when wetted) and a small pallet of sheeps wool & bracken based compost from Dalefoot Composts. This is for summer moisture retention around the next orchard plantings, and to supplement the existing fruit trees too.

Not that much done with the field the last 2 weeks, a session eradicating dandelions and docks, mainly with the strimmer. Also a spell strimming down the grass around the orchard trees (I'll probably be taking the tractor out and mowing all the field in a couple of weeks time - the grass is knee high).  The meadowseet is noticeably in flower and smells pleasant too.

If it's not too hot and dry, then another area of orchard trees will be transplanted from their pots too, with a couple of weeks of additional watering too.

I've let a couple of local people discretely camp overnight. I was in two minds after random interlopers the other week leaving bottles and cans and rubbish tossed around and flattened grass in the middle of the field, but respect and trust works in many ways and it's a gamble I'm prepared to take if it gives people the chance to quietly enjoy and respect their surroundings...

From a wildlife aspect, a buzzard still circles around, owls can be heard at night and a couple of colourful insects in the long grass. I spotted a damsel fly and a dragon fly too and was convinced I heard a woodpecker pecking (although no obvious activity at the hole in the ash tree from last year.
I've seen a couple of voles along the edge of the hedges and ditches and a mole-hill appeared in front of me last week when watering the orchard trees. 

A new orchard

Another busy couple of weeks...

The initial layout of the orchard area down at the field is done and almost half of the large fruit trees transplanted from the collection in large pots from at home.
A bit of a gamble with all the dry weather - but 2 weeks of watering almost every other day from a small tanker behind the Landrover has helped.
Up to now, only a sweet chestnut tree looks 'vulnerable' and not very green with it's leaves.



The plantings include: walnut, heartnut, sweet chestnut, 12 black mulberry trees, 1 white and 1 red mulberry, 5 quince, 1 medlar, 2 pears, 1 fig tree.
Apart from the fruit and nut trees - 7 elms (5 as part of the Great British Elm Experiment for monitoring Dutch elm resilience) have been planted along the west boundary line, as well as the second female black poplar I had in stock at about 1.5 meters tall.

With reasonable soil quality, not much digging was done, but some humus rich compost was added to the planting holes, with 'Rootgrow' mycorrhizal granules added against the roots. The soil around the plantings has been mulched with rotted horse muck and a generous spread of semi-composted woody vegetative chippings.

In the last couple of weeks there seems to have been an increasing number of folk straying across the land despite no path across it and plenty of obvious footpaths elsewhere near-by. Particularly dog-walkers and random strangers / teenagers thinking it's a handy area for a relaxed smoke.
I did however notice on the Cheshire Police rural crime page, that someone got lifted at the end of the access lane for possession of cannabis - so at least there is a police presence now and then.

I brought forward some fencing improvements, particularly along the near-by track-way and path - I think horses being in the field that has a riverside path on the other side of the road has tempted folk with dogs off the lead to use my field. (The middle aged woman kicking a football about for 2 hounds amongst the newly planted trees was a bit bizarre - the condescending "Oh, should I leave then?" didn't help her cause. A few days later a bloke managed to wobble over the barb-wire live-stock fence at the top of the field, twang a wire staple out from the post in the climbing process and seem to grumble at having to walk around the Landrover and Bowser near the gateway.
Being as any more transplanting is on hold of the large pot-grown trees until it starts to rain regularly, at least a bit of time was productively spent improving the older damaged and missing fencing around the gateway.

The grass doesn't seem to have as many weeds in it this year after last summer's mow and an early mow this year - the meadowsweet has survived well and if anything proliferated. It's flower-buds are just formed, so home-brew using a nettle ale recipe will commence in a couple of weeks.

Extra strimming of docks and a few thistles has taken place and a light selective chemical spray of Himalayan Balsam that was growing in the roadside hedge - although the aim is for that to have been a one-off.

Once it looks like rain with some regularity, then the collection of heritage apple trees can be transplanted from their pots at home.
Thanks are due to some handy assistance during the planting and watering schemes.

It seems a bit quiet on the wildlife front.
Some oddly coloured beetles in the grassland and nettles, the dog roses are almost over but some bramble flowers still out, the grass has grown quite quickly since the late April mow as well as some patches of sorrel coming into flower.
Another couple of self-set oak seedlings spotted as well as young ash trees in the roadside boundary.
A buzzard has been flying about overhead and calling - also it flew out of the hedgerow along the roadside at knee height in the area I had previously seen voles.
No sightings of any owls or evidence of the woodpecker lately, but the bees were seen in the hollow tree below where the tawny owl had been roosting.
Quite a bit of mole activity noticeable since the weekend rain (the ground had previously been rather firm and hard) - must make more of an effort to collect the mole hill soil, as it is quite a fine quality.

A busy couple of weeks - elm trees...

The 5 young elm trees I have as part of The Conservation Foundation's Great British Elm Experiment, are now in their final position along the west boundary of the meadow.



A busy couple of weeks down at the meadow, marking out for orchard planting mainly, and watering periodically of transplanted pot-grown trees in the rather dry weather...

Back...

An afternoon visit to the field, some noticeable grass growth after two weeks away, but only modest rain has probably checked things a little.

The dog roses in the south hedge have come into flower and the meadowsweet is quite noticeable now as well as new growth on the cut and layered hawthorn.
A few tufts of grey/White/black hair / fur in patches in the grass might suggest badgers - although no obvious signs of tracks.
Quite a few mole-hills, despite the ground being rock-hard from the lack of rain.
Something has been eating at the leaves of the young Black Poplar I planted, I suspect caterpillars.


For the weekend I'm off to Salisbury and on a guided walk of Harnham Water Meadows...

Next week, a few days marking out and taking a chance putting some of the stock of pot-grown trees in - although I'll be revisiting with the water-bowser to give a good chance of survival whilst it's so dry.

A short spell away...

down south...

A foraging course near Lewes in Sussex presented by Nick Weston, author of The Tree House Diaries:



I really should have taken more photos - excellent weather and an excellent course.
Base-camp and preparation and cooking facilities were in a fine bluebell wood and after preparing some rabbits for the pot, a meander across fields, hedgerows and along a waterway collecting edible vegetation and some important pointers for poisonous plants to avoid.

Surprising how much vegetation out and about that I'd taken for granted and now pleasantly find edible and with fine flavours.
I hadn't done any preparation and butchery of rabbits etc. for about 20 years - sometimes it's important to get back to the basics and respect how food (particularly that which moves) gets to our position in the food chain...

One of the things that impressed me with this course, was how the food was presented after gathering and how it tasted.
I was put off liver at an early age by it's texture, taste and smell - but devilled rabbit livers with wild herbs and mustard were rather fine.
Nettle pesto with freshly done flat-bread, 'chicken of the woods' fungus omelette, wood pigeon breasts, carp stuffed with wild garlic, jack-by-the-hedge and baked in a burdock leaf in the fire embers, potted rabbit prepared and well received at a later picnic with friends...

Mowing - and from April into May...

My proper job over ran by 3 days due to fog, an early mow of the field to reduce weeds turned into a rush, as I only had until Monday 25th. of April before heading down south and two days foraging.

The mower and land-rake dropped off at the crack of dawn down at the field.
A little surprised at how much things had grown on and greened-up in two and a half weeks away, despite an incredibly dry April.
Fortunately the short length of layered hawthorn hedge and the stretch of south low-cut hedgerow have all sprung leaves and the large clusters of dog-roses are quite advanced. There looked to be a couple of small pale violas near the hawthorn stumps, but the wood anemones of last month had all but gone.
The female black poplar tree seems to have survived it's planting out too...



The grass was a sea of dandelions - fortunately just into flower and not at seed (and the reason for an April cut). I spotted a new plant - Lady's smock / Cuckoo flower
The meadowsweet seems to be coming back as well and hopefully will survive the mower.

I also spotted that that someone has been using the cover of the north hedge for a relaxing discrete smoke away from the trackway - judging by the debris tossed over the fence, I'm guessing something more relaxing than just tobacco...

Back home and grey squirrels out of the freezer to defrost, then more groceries from
Hawarden Estate Farm Shop and the tractor loaded onto the trailer ready for morning.
The cooking gear loaded up too (Bon-Fire steel pots and tripod for open fire cooking), and then an early night...

Another earlyish start on the Sunday. Down to the field and the mower coupled up to the back of the tractor.
A small camp-fire set up, kettle on for a brew and a large pot of grey squirrel stew slowly set simmering.

Back to the tractor and by now a scorching summer morning (fortunate, as I wanted the mowings to dry and shrink and be handy to rake up).
A visit from my cousin in time for the first serving of stew and the tractor shut down during refreshments...

On with the mowing, to finish across the wider end of the field. The creamy sweet smell of patches of cut meadowsweet now and then on the air as I went back and forth (not too severe a cut, as I'm hoping to start a brew from it's leaves soon).

Another break for refreshments, Earl Grey tea and the remainder of the squirrel stew.
Back to the tractor, and the mower removed and replaced with the land-rake.
Not too sure on this yet - it was reasonably handy lifting the grass and winter river fine debris the other month, but the topper mower leaves a fine residue, so it might be more effective after a day or two drying.

Back home with the tractor before it went dark and an earlyish night to get over the previous weeks night-shifts...
Monday morning and the mower and rake packed away back at home. Another stunning day, although cooler and I'm sure I got caught with sunburn whilst mowing the previous day.
A stroll across the cut field, the more interesting plants in the grassland seem to have survived and the dandelions seriously reduced.

I'd avoided cutting too near to the hedges, preferring to leave a margin of longer grass for wildlife.
A couple of mole-hills compared to the previous day and a brown vole type creature darting out from undergrowth along the north fence line.

Back home and a final flurry to have everything for travelling south.
I still ended up travelling a bit later than intended, but at least the roads were quiet.
A quick scenic stop-off at Warwick - a caffeine fix and dropping off a pack of flour - Walk Mill, stone-ground locally and from local grain.

Onwards to Sussex, I do like the M40 for scenery, before joining the M25.
Overnight accommodation courtesy of the LandRover and up and about the the farm and woodland location for the foraging session...

early April down at the field

March came and went rather quickly.
A few jobs progressed down at the field, but a brief interruption was a break-in to my workshop at home. Items recovered via the Police and 3 people arrested after a spate of burglaries in the area the same night.
Annoyingly, it happened in the early hours of the day I was due back from Shropshire after picking up 150 young trees from Heathwood Nurseries near Whitchurch. They've been left heeled in for now at home...

A noticeable progression into spring between the start of March and start of April.
Before much had come into bud, more of the south hedgerow trimmed down along about one third of it's length to encourage lower denser growth.

From Meadowcopse 2011

More hawthorn whips put into the gaps too and a clump of hazel and some alder put in where the (to be planted) wood will have a lower height profile before opening onto a small orchard.

A local agricultural contractor came and removed the mature ash tree that fell in February from the neighbouring field hedge-row, there was quite a bit of rot that had set in.

From Meadowcopse 2011

From Meadowcopse 2011

Between hedgerow trimmings, river flood vegetation debris and the upper twiggy branches of the fallen tree, five large barrows of wood-ash from burning (will end up in a compost / mulch mix).
Nearly 2 tonnes of horse-muck acquired from a local paddock too, altogether with a large quantity of dead leaves and shreddings, I should end up with a good mulch mix for around some trees.
I've since acquired a land-rake from local small machinery supplier Danelander and gave it a run through part of the grassland behind the tractor the other evening.
This was to give matted vegetation a bit of a lift and comb through from previous years and to lift things ready for an early mow in a couple of weeks time...

A few more birds noticed in the trees and hedgerows and a couple of large birds of prey over higher neighbouring fields. A random pheasant was in one corner the other evening too.
Clearing the south ditch, a random frog was lurking in the hollow of a tree.
The meadowsweet is coming into leaf, there are clusters of wood anemones along the south hedgerow and celandines here and there too. The buttercup leaves are appearing in profusion already as well as dock-leaves coming up too.
Sloes and damsons in the hedges are into blossom too, as well as the north boundary willows coming into leaf.
The grass itself has noticeably increased in height over the last couple of weeks.

From Meadowcopse 2011

Back at home, it's getting a bit late to lift and transfer bare-root nursery tree stock that I have, but quite a few large-cell pots of ash and oak and birch that will probably cope.

A few considerations for the layout of the orchard area and it's aspect and spacing - almost all the fruit trees I have are in large commercial pots, so I probably wont rush this too much, but would like to make significant progress this year.

I've also partly dug out a nursery bed with wooden edgings and will likely lay out a couple more between the orchard tree spacings for now.