The role of my son and heir who will, I hope, see these trees at their maximum height was to hold the stakes as I whacked them into the ground with my new toy, a fencing rammer. One tree is at the far edge of the upper field next to the graveyard, the other, almost, at the other corner of the field, just above the line of the Ha Ha.I am aware that I need to cut back the grass around the saplings to make sure they grow and that is a job for this week. But two more trees are now planted to delight local innumerate celeb Ms Eleanor Farr.
Meanwhile I can report that the 80 tree blackthorn and blackberry hedge at the bottom of the upper field is taking well with green shoots emerging along the line. Being next to a very small stream, the recent dry spell has not been the disaster I feared. But I see both nettles and brambles are re-appearing along the line and am aware that they need to be chopped as well.
Next up three mulberry trees to go along the bottom of the upper field a few yards in front of the blackthorns and the two silver birches already there. Just how fecking green is my valley?
