I am feeling proud. Last week we planted around 600 trees on the farm. They are not fruit trees, but they are a part of the orchard. Inspired by some bold planting last winter at our neighbours, Hammonds Farm, and saddened by the very ragged state of the hedge at the southern end of theContinue reading “Tree planting extravaganza”
Author Archives: Jessie Marcham
Pickaxe planting
Yesterday I was planting daffodils with the help of a pickaxe. This wasn’t the original plan. Three years ago, with the help of many volunteers, we planted our first daffodils as an understorey to the first apple trees. Despite never being weeded or mulched, and despite being accidentally ploughed up by a contractor one year,Continue reading “Pickaxe planting”
Emergency measures
It was a bit like finding myself on the scene of a whodunnit crime. There I was, innocently checking the nursery beds, expecting to stroll through, happily admiring the work we’d done the week before. But the more I looked, the more certain I became that someone had been eating our precious baby trees. AtContinue reading “Emergency measures”
Scythe work
We have been a bit alarmed at the rate of growth in the orchard. The docks are already threatening to get way out of hand, and it’s only April. In September last year we sowed a special grass clover ley, with a mix of many grass species, a high proportion of clover, and a fewContinue reading “Scythe work”
Nursery
The past couple of Sundays we’ve been creating a nursery at the farm. Not for kids, but for baby trees. We’re working on a long term plan to expand the orchard beyond the current pilot phase, and for that we’re going to need more trees. Lots more trees. We’ve ordered 100 organic apple rootstock forContinue reading “Nursery”
Daffodil harvest
We had such a nice surprise today! We were at the farm, preparing the nursery bed, ready for the trees we’ll be grafting next month. More on this later. And we thought we’d just have a go at harvesting a few daffodils to see if we had enough to make up a couple of bunchesContinue reading “Daffodil harvest”
Daffodils
The daffodils are coming! We are excited – and slightly nervous. The first daffodils are opening at the orchard. This means we need to start picking and selling them really soon. Eek! We each picked a first experimental bunch last Sunday and took them home. The straight stalks and green closed buds didn’t look much.Continue reading “Daffodils”
Woodchip therapy
On Sunday we spent a a happy couple of hours wheelbarrowing woodchip for the orchard. We are blessed with huge piles of woodchip at Oakbrook Farm, cheerfully donated by local tree surgeons who are grateful to be able to off load what to them is a waste product. We barrowed backwards and forwards all afternoon,Continue reading “Woodchip therapy”
Once upon a time
I have to admit that I’m more interested in planting trees than creating websites. But we’re also keen to share and document our journey. We want to sketch out our vision, and to invite you to be part of it. Let’s start at the beginning of the story. Almost two years ago I started dreamingContinue reading “Once upon a time”