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).
Friday, 30 September 2011
Saturday, 24 September 2011
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.
I took a tub of masonry paint and a long scrubbing brush to the footpath underpass to obliterate the grafiti.
(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.
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 |
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 |
Friday, 16 September 2011
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
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 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.
Friday, 2 September 2011
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):
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 |
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