The blackthorn blossom is still not open, later here than in the sheltered places, as storm Kathleen’s winds are howling from the South. If you’re seeing white in hedgerows now, it’s blackthorn, white blossoms of spring against the dark wood of winter bare, holding ominous spikes, that can puncture leather. Blood cleanser, digestive aid and rheumatism easer.
A couple of weekends ago I was talking about attracting wildlife to new build gardens at PACT’s tool and seed swap day. Collecting information through a variety of sources, a neighbour mentioned that at Knepp Estate, Isabella Tree said their squadrons of goldfinches came back when they let the blackthorn grow. Birds love thickets for food and shelter. Here in my urban garden the bluetits haven’t come back to nest yet.
It's a kind of humorous poetry to be planting a windbreak in 60mph winds, straight off the fell, tearing down the fields and whipping away the warmth from our fingers. We need shelter to grow and thrive, just as the creatures of our world do too, whether it's in an open landscape or a small garden.
The snow is lying in the hollows of the hills which rest above the fields like a great backbone with their white ribs of snow. The cold tang in the air, and I'm thinking about prevailing wind direction and there isn't one. We're so close to Cross and Great Dun fell, that give us a North East blast, but then on other days there's a southwest current rippling over the valley from the lakes.
I didn't think two and a half acres was that big but now standing in the middle of a field of two and a half acres of grass on a howling winter day, it feels huge. Maybe it's because there are a few trees to create interruptions on the horizon which my eyes scan to fall on Blencathra in the West.
Rabbits, hens, the Cumbrian
climate and time are some of the challenges preventing Eden residents from
growing more of their own fruit and veg.
Itching to try growing your own food? The good news is you don’t have to wait until spring. We share a few top tips from the Royal Horticultural Society about food crops you can plant now.
You might have guessed from the headline of this post that my first attempt to grow cucumbers hasn’t exactly gone swimmingly.
Sealing your home and preventing unwanted draughts helps to save on your
heating bills and get a warmer, more comfortable home. Now local charity Cumbria
Action for Sustainability (CAfS) are offering free draught proofing to homes in
the Eden area.
