Orchard and Nuttery

I have decided to establish a small orchard and nuttery. The ground which I have determined upon for this venture is adjacent to the vegetable patch and forms portion of what was once a ménage, so unfortunately there isn't much depth of soil.

For the last seventeen years or so it has been little more than a piece of waste ground. Bonfires have been assembled and burnt on it and piles of stones and heaps of sand and gravel have been dumped there. Of more relevance to the task ahead is that some birch, ash and willow trees have established themselves as have several patches of brambles. A veritable little covert.

The task that now awaits is to tame this wilderness area. I think that I will probably have enough room for about sixteen or eighteen trees.

Being realistic about the amount of work involved and taking account of the other gardening tasks that will need my attention, I think that it might be sensible to aim for getting a third or at best half of the ground under cultivation this year with the balance then pencilled in for the following year. Anyhows as the notion was upon me I made a start on the clearance yesterday. I managed to dig out four rogue saplings, a birch and three ash. No signs of ash die back yet.

To be continued.