The new year has started with the snowdrops coming out. Last year they were out before Xmas, but this year they are more seasonally in time as normally they come out in January. Rabbits tried to chew the bark off the newly planted apple trees over Xmas. We had to put on some makeshift guards to stop them. We may have "lost" one tree as they seem to have chewed nearly all the way around. We will have to wait until spring and then see how the tree responds. Either way it will not be happy and may take years to truly recover, growing slowly meantime.
The moles seem to have left the gardens and gone back to the meadow. Maybe our latest control methd has worked! We pushed short lengths of elderberry stems into the hills and tunnels just before Xmas, apparently the moles don't like it and scoot off! We will see!
A new digital camera was bought in thre sales so look out for new pictures on the blog site in the coming weeks.
Tony Woodford one of the Friends of Swarthmoor Hall is coming up for a couple of days on 16.01.07 with his chain saw. There is a pile of timber to log for the fires and a few thin larch trees in the shelterbelt to fell to make more light and space for the hardwoods there. We hope its not too windy and wet.
Bookings are coming in now for the 2007 programme of events and for groups wanting to use the site. Will we be as busy as last year?