It seems to have been a VERY long winter here in the UK. But like everything, eventually it ends and along comes spring - one of my favourite times of year as plants burst into leaf and gardens are transformed from muddy grotholes into green paradises.
One thing I'm particularly happy about is that my young saplings are beginning to burst into leaf. These trees are all native to the UK and include oak, beech, alder and ash. I also have a couple of pine trees (I ADORE pine trees as landmark plants and a way to create focus in a landscape). I bought them during IKEA's Christmas season when they were selling them for only a few pounds but they should grow into lovely trees.
The plan - eventually - is to plant these trees on my farmland in Suffolk and create a brand new wood. There's a wood that adjoins my land and I'd like to extend it by a couple of acres into one of my fields for a number of reasons;
- Future firewood
- Aesthetics (woodlands are pretty)
- Native habitat for flora and fauna
- Positive environmental action
Here's a few images of the emerging leaves and new growth.
I'm so thrilled to see these trees coming into life and it's making me want to collect even more. I'm hoping that I'll be able to start planting them out this coming autumn, though they'll need to have deer protection. I'll also need to let my tenant farmer know so he doesn't mow the field and take the young trees with him!
Thanks for reading,
Geoff
