I’ve spent a couple of days recently building a rabbit net around a Bedfordshire veg patch. I was fairly skeptical to begin with, when my client suggested building a rabbit net that would be supported by hazel stakes and decorated with willow. However after some experimentation and discussion, we’ve developed a fence that I’m pretty […]
We hosted a day of basket making last Sunday in our wood, led by Bedford tutor, Ed Burnett. The sun shone, the wood was lovely, all was mellow and some lovely baskets got made. Thanks to Ed for great clarity, patience and good humour! Here are a couple of pictures of the day; we’ll get more on our […]
We are very pleased to welcome Ed Burnett back to the farm on 22 September to run a day of basket making. Many of those who came to Ed’s course in May wanted to come back and do more and several others couldn’t make that day, so here’s another chance. If you’ve never done anything […]
Whilst making a hurdle in the barn yesterday, I became aware of the wonderful screeching of swifts; a sound I’ve been waiting to hear for a fortnight or so and probably missing since their disappearance last August. Sticking my head into the brilliant sunshine and looking straight up, there, at around 100 feet, were a gang of thirty swirling, […]
We’ve been very busy since February and particularly in April and May, making structures for gardeners – obelisks, cloches, hurdles. At the same time, demand for hazel bean poles and pea sticks has been very strong and we’ve just about sold all our stock this spring.I think Monty Don may be behind the increase in […]
Great to be back at farmers’ markets for the spring!Yesterday Woburn and for the hour it didn’t rain we did well. After that there was a little dampness in the air and by about 12.30, all but the most die-hard shoppers had retired, either home or to the many warm, snug and dry hostelries in the […]
We bought a new thing recently and gave it its first outing last week. It’s a German power scythe in a rather fetching green/orange livery; loaded with horse power, armed with 6 gears and a mightily long cutting bar. We had hired and borrowed smaller machines in the past which worked well enough to suggest this would be the […]
It’s hard to ask for help. Pride, perhaps mixed with the certain knowledge that the help we might request is for work that is hard, cold and pretty dull. On many occasions over the last few years however, visitors have suggested we tell them when we need a hand; but we’ve not been good at asking.This year we did and things turned out […]
Despite the blooming cold weather and very un-British snow sitting on the ground for a week, we have made a lot of progress cutting willow over the last couple of days. Armed with a new (well second-hand), power scythe, bought from a lovely bloke in Bury St. Edmonds, cutting has speeded up compared with previous years.The wind picked […]
We’re doing a bit of experimental work making willow ‘fascines ‘ for a potential client in Cambridgeshire. This is an interesting diversion and work so far suggests that we will be able do the business using a mix of living sallow, Salix caprea, and a couple of our plantation-grown willows (species and varieties yet to […]