Early Spring 2017

Judging by the recent changes to more exuberant melodies emanating from the hedges around here –  and by 06.30 -, the early signs of bud movement on our Vranja quince and being able to shed one of our many layers out doors , everything is waking a pace!

One, disappointment in that our ditches are dry, showing that our various drainage systems have nothing deep down to fill them. The last time our drains were flowing was  July 2016. Some are over 100 years old , strategically  placed long  before Tanns came to the farm. The oldest consists of a flat tile along the base with a half pipe above it  – cross section looks like a horse shoe – , placed along the edge of our one small patch of clay, and the deepest of them all. In those days measurements were by rods, poles, perches and, in the case of our drain outfalls, chains and half chains.

Good weather for pruning, and long may it continue . If you have just planted new apple and pear trees in your garden be sure to prune them before walking away. A very common oversight is to leave them unpruned . The most  usual problem we are asked about is what to do with a young  tree which seems to stand still even after a couple of years. The rectification  often needs to be bold. Remember to tell your tree how you would like it to grow on the day it is planted.That will save a few gasps of horror and possibly the tree itself in later years !

Next week sees the anniversary of Guy Tann’s arrival here in 1922.