The winter planting of trees and hedging has just begun for the third wave. We are just filling in a for a few new plants that were lost from last year’s big planting. On the whole the survival rate was very good last summer, largely due to Nigel diligently watering them. My approach is to thicken the boundary hedge on the north side of the meadow, keeping the main area open and sunny. It is sort of woody glade creation which is of course just what a lot of butterflies love. It enhances the richness of the ‘edge effect’ which Permaculture design emphasises.
I collect self sown seedling for transplanting or buy bare rooted plants from Buckingham Nurseries, who have a great choice and service. They even have male and female plants of sea buckthorn on the shelf. See – http://www.hedging.co.uk Or I go to Simpsons Nurseries, Fordham when I am in Cambridgeshire – http://www.simpsonsnurseries.com
My new trees
Buckingham Nurseries
Root ball trees at Simpsons, Fordham, Cambs
eat hay - Helen Pitel 