It would be so easy just to sit in the sunshine amongst the flowers and blossom just soaking it all up, spotting one fascination after another. However, there is too much work to do. The orchard is in need of maintenance, from repairing some of the wood and wire tree surrounds, to weeding – including the removal of ragwort to mulching around the base of the trees.
Stopping off at one of the mulch bays we begin the day shovelling chipped tree bark into the trailer for transportation the short distance along the woodland ride to the orchard. The recent rain and the heat generated by the natural decay process causes the pile to steam gently as we dig into it. Whereas the chippings on the top are dry and light in colour, just beneath they are wet and a dark chocolate brown and each shovel full is accompanied by a rich woody, earthy smell.
The wood chippings are incredibly light-weight and we soon have a steady rhythm, shovel scraping along the concrete base of the bay, burying itself into the steaming mound and depositing the bark with a quick lift and a twist of the body into the base of the trailer. The pile quickly grows until we think that we have had enough to be getting on with. The wheelbarrows are piled on top and we hop into to the vehicle for the short ride to the orchard where I load up one of the wheelbarrows with bark and head off for the nearest tree, cutting a swathe through the nettles – it definitely wouldn’t be a task for wearing shorts.
Once the vegetation is removed, I shovel the mulch in over the top bar of the tree guard, working on the basis of one load per tree. Then, pushing my arm back through the wire I spread it out evenly, ensuring that it is brushed away from the base of the tree to prevent the risk of rot setting in as the mulch decays. Then it’s back to collect another load and off to the next tree.
Some of the trees have black plastic sheeting around the base – although there doesn’t seem to be any pattern governing those that do and those that don’t – and this is to be removed and replaced with the bark. Upon removing one such sheet we discover a slow worm which, despite having the appearance of a skinny chocolate-brown snake, is actually a legless lizard. Although initially wriggly, it soon calms down to have its picture taken, after which we find it a new home under the plastic sheeting around a mature tree that we have decided to leave alone.