From farm to park in one fell swoop

I never understood the power of the fence before. It draws the eye. You can’t see beyond.

Fresh from removing the fence from the orchard, today it was the turn of the upper terraces.

This enormous boulder sits at the entrance to track that goes up to the forest.

On the left is the top potager where I grow my asparagus and brassicas and potatoes, on the right I cultivate a mighty crop of brambles.

But no more. Well, not for this winter, anyway.

Here is the before and after shot of a terrace bank being revealed.

When you stand here now your eye is not drawn to the tangle of brambles with the understorey of nettles.

Instead it moves up to the top terraces with the view of the forest beyond.

Well it does to me.

The terrace bank is not high, and it seems to be flowing inexorably onto the road.  There are granite rocks under here somewhere.

But the festuca grasses – a great self seeder – had won the battle against stone.

One day, if I’m very, very keen. And very, very bored, I might try and remove the grasses and try and expose the granite underneath.

It’s all part of my grand plan to gently wrestle the rather domestic looking farm scene – falling down fences, wonky posts, bramble scrambling wire – and turn this space into a parkland of trees and grass.

I always get above myself when the area is strimmed and tidy for winter. It gives me the absurd illusion that I am finally in control if this massive space.