christmas trees

I started a christmas tree plantation this spring. A mix of nordmann and noble fir were planted in a well sheltered triangular field. As there are an abundance of hares in the locality there was a need for rabbit fencing. The plants were well watered in with lots of rain and hopefully will put on some growth in their first year.

orchard

I have planted up 4 plums and 4 apples in the orchard. The plums include a Damson, Green Gage and two Victoria plums. The apples are Discovery, James Grieve and two Bramley Seedling. I raised them up on planting mounds due to the high water table here. All were well fed with some rotted mushroom compost, chicken manure pellets and some calcified seaweed.

garden visitors

I love to see all sorts of fauna visit the garden. But last Sunday morning we had some hungry herbivores come for a visit again. The lower part of the garden had some lovely lush grass which was quickly munched by this lot. After a couple of hours they moved on. Again I resolved to put up some barbed wire and get the gates finished promptly. 

future firewood

 The willow that were planted in March have all shown some growth despite the poor weather. They were 'biomass' varieties Salix cinera and Salix smithiana. I also took cuttings of Salix alba at the time, which have rooted well and I'll have to think about potting on already. The willows will be coppiced or pollarded but I also planted some alder. Whether these can be successfully coppiced or not, I'm unsure yet.

Salix cineria

Salix alba cuttings

Alnus glutinosa

Riabhóg Mhóna

I can't quite identify this bird for sure, firstly I thought it was a starling, but it seems too light in colour. Then I thought it was thrush, but too small. After a bit of poking around the birdwatch ireland website it could have been a Skylark. But, most likely it's a Meadow Pipit;

wild flowers

The improved weather seems to have awoken many plants and flowers;

tadpoles

I spotted some frogspawn a few weeks back. I forget about it until today when my daughter ran up from the pond announcing the discovery of tadpoles. There's hundreds of them, all nice and plump. It'll be interesting to see how many make it all the way...