Today we planted some oak and elm saplings.

The iconic elm largely died out in the UK in the 1970s (see Wikipedia on Dutch elm disease), but there are now disease-resistant strains. There are no mature oak trees on the Roundhill at all. Conditions are clearly tough for oak but the ones we planted in 2013 seem to be surviving Ok.

Ruth had collected and germinated acorns from St Catherine’s valley, and wanted a happy home for half a dozen oak saplings. She came with posts and collected some topsoil kindly left in neat piles by Mr Mole. We had some recycled tubes and wood chippings from the tree work. Mark and Lewis were on site already with superior tools; we diverted them from their gate work and asked them to dig the holes (very helpful when the ground is mostly stones and I’ve slipped a disc or something like that).

Harry had ordered elm saplings to replace the losses in Owen’s avenue of elms, and Billie from Brocks Adventures lent a hand which she’s very good at.

Ruth had collected and germinated acorns from St Catherine’s valley, and wanted a happy home for half a dozen oak saplings.

Harry had ordered elm saplings to replace the losses in Owen’s avenue of elms, and Billie from Brocks Adventures lent a hand which she’s very good at.