Fruit Circles

Fruit Circles

Previously we’ve extolled the virtues of keeping circles clear of grass underneath our fruit trees in the orchard.  Without competition from grass the trees establish quickly and the clear area prevents us from getting too close to the stems with mowers or strimmers.

All this is about to change as we cover over these areas with turf removed from a project in the main flower garden.  We’ve decided to do this for a number of reasons.  Firstly most of the trees have been in for nearly a decade now and are well established and settled in.  Secondly, it’s a lot of work maintaining the circles, with mulching, edging, and weeding several times a year.  Thirdly, it will make the area look far more relaxed, each tree having fluffy spats of longer grass around their ankles, and a simple less fussy look.  We’ll have to be a little bit more careful with the mowing, and we rarely strim, but this more laid back approach will be better for us, easier on the eye, and of more benefit to the local flora and fauna. 


Gardeners' notes - what to do in April

Plant out potatoes Whether you’ve just purchased your potato tubers or you’ve had them chitting away for several weeks, now is the time to get them outside and into the...
Read More

Modern heroes of horticulture - Alexandra Campbell

Alexandra Campbell’s journey into horticulture began long before she ever put pen to paper.  Growing up as the daughter of a diplomat, moving home was a regular occurrence and she...
Read More

Exceptional trees - the Wood Wide Web

In recent years the ability of trees to ‘communicate’ with each other has been well documented.  Researchers have discovered  communication systems amongst trees and far from being passive organisms, it...
Read More