Bluebells on the move
It’s spring
Hazel, willow, beef and storytelling from Bedfordshire
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If the Hat Fits…
Doing several things for a living results inevitably in getting labelled in different ways by different people, depending on how and where they come across you. Until our website picked up traffic, I sold our willow products at numerous farmers [...]
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Landmark tree surgery
Gravenhurst has few landmarks. Two ancient churches, a charming methodist chapel, a Victorian school house, a village hall. Our river and its bridges are modest in scale, our hills unmountainous. But we do have something that is very much worthy [...]
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Bio-chain oil in your chain saw?
If you use a chainsaw, electric or petrol, you use chain oil. This sticky oil is pumped into the groove of a chainsaw’s guide bar when the throttle is activated. The chain distributes it around the bar, providing essential lubrication [...]
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Two trees – an update
In June 2018 I published a post entitled “A tale of two ashes” in which I described the fate of two young ash trees I had coppiced the year before and which, after regrowing vigorously were succumbing, to different extents, [...]
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More ponds – more newts
When did you last see a newt? Have you ever seen one? Would you even want to? If you have a pond, you might just be lucky enough to have these amphibians quietly enjoying your garden alongside you. And unless [...]
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Worms and Winter Weaning
At this time of year we aim to be completely prepared for winter. All winter feed is in, water supplies are working and insulated against the coming frost, shed clean and tidy. For once I think we can tick all [...]
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Fuel for thought. How your choice of ...
Last September, I met Lyndsey from Central Beds Council at Centenary Wood, near Greenfield, to talk about some ride widening she wanted us to do for her. In return for taking out some young trees that were overshadowing some paths [...]
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Sallow, Hazel and the Emperor
For years I’ve been waging lowkey war on the sallow that grows in one hazel plantation we look after. (Sallow for simplicity, but I’m including ‘goat willow’, Salix caprea ‘grey willow’ S. cinerea, as well as hybrids of the two, [...]
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Silent Summer
Suddenly it’s quiet in the woods. It happens sometime in July, and it happens almost overnight. Because for large parts of the year the wood is my office, I’m lucky enough to enjoy the seasonal tide of bird song as [...]
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Propagating Hazel by Layering
Hazel (Corylus avellana), like many shrubs, can be propagated by part burying stems whilst they are still attached to the parent plant – layering. Roots and shoots will, with luck, be produced at the point of contact with the soil [...]
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