We had a little weather window of two bright clear calm days last week which fortunately coincided with the gardening team coming to start work on what will eventually be a mini orchard. The plan was to remove extraneous and not very exciting sapling trees and a superfluous privet hedge from the top end of the garden and construct a deer proof fence along the road boundary. This involved using the mini digger to remove roots where possible.
Working at the apple tree roots
The old apple tree was removed. It was in very poor condition and had canker but is going to be replaced by two eating apple varieties and one cooking type.
Remains of the apple tree
In the above photo you can see how few leaves have been left on the beech hedge after all the gales of the last month. The gate and gate post in the fence were removed to let the digger through to the top part of the garden.
Grubbing for roots
The privet hedge along the wall was cut down and then the digger grubbed up the roots. Across the top edge of the garden three or four self seeded sapling trees and large bushes were cut down and the stumps will be poisoned.
I have been doing a lot of internet searching for suitable varieties of fruit trees for our climate bearing in mind the violence of the storms recently. At the moment the plan is for at least 3 apple trees, a pear, a plum, a cherry and I have an irrational desire for a hazelnut tree.
A Blank Canvas
Framework for the Fence
Once the fence has been erected I will plant a mixed shrub border in front of it. We had a very interesting debate about which way round the fence should go – should the ‘finished’ side be facing into the garden our out onto the road. I lost the vote and it is facing out!
When the gardeners were working last week they pointed out that the huge big rowan tree was in quite poor condition and they reckoned it would only survive another few years (rowans seemingly have quite a short lifespan in tree terms). Not sure whether to grasp the nettle and get it removed now before we plant out the new trees or leave it be for a few years.
Looking peaceful but old
