Thirty years in the making

Pay very close attention to this small green walnut. It is the first one on this tree. In over thirty years.

That is an awful long time to wait.  I ought to secure it from wild creatures and take it down to our previous owners on a silver platter. They planted the tree in the 1980s and waited and waited for it to produce.

We have two other walnut trees on the farm and they are positively bountiful. But not this one.

I only noticed it fruiting because I spent the morning strimming and raking the bits on the east garden where this tree was planted.

I had to start early as the strimming and then raking is hot and sweaty work.  And the summer heat hits this mountain around 10am.

This bank is the last one I strim as I do like the wild and fluffy look. There are lots of wildflowers here and plenty to keep the bees happy.  But time to tidy. I need the mulch.

So with a giant tarp and a sleepy green lizard for company I reduced the sloping bank to grass and low growing thyme. (I had to wait until the lizard was sufficiently warmed up before I could rake his hiding pile.)

And then shouldered my burden and dragged the grass cuttings all the way to the top of the property to the Winter Project.  The bank above the courtyard.

Which I have decided to call the Oak Bank in the spirit of being slighty poetic but not poncy.

Ther are oaks here. And it’s a bank. Oak Slope? Nah, sounds like one should race down it on a tea tray.

The main thing is I’m covering the poor soil and self sown festuca grasses with mulch.  It will make my weeding work easier this winter.  All I need to do now is find more time to strim other parts of the farm.

But holidays beckon.  Back anon.