Hymenoscyphus fraxineus is a fungus that infects ash trees, often seen in young trees and saplings that begin to lose leaves and die back at the tips. Older trees are also affected although a small amount may survive. Here’s a pic of a sapling with the distinctive diamond shaped lesion on the bark. For more details see https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/pest-and-disease-resources/ash-dieback-hymenoscyphus-fraxineus/

The bay tree where we are working is in flower, covered in theses buttery yellow fluffy flowers

Lovely to see blossom blooming on so many trees, here’s a pic of the Chinese crab apple we pruned a couple of months ago now laden with pink blossom

We pruned an elderflower yesterday , one of those fascinating trees that produces lovely sprays of flowers and intriguing multiple fruits that fascinated as a kid. It yields cordial, champagne, wine and cold and flu remedies yet is also poisonous, a curious little tree

Saw this lovely sculptural tree stump that has been left standing for many years and now become an important habitat for insects, mosses and fungi and helping to promote biodiversity .

New shock absorbers fitted to the Land Rover to keep it going for another season

This boundary hedge was planted with cut willow poles and woven willow and hazel rods. Where cut ends of willow are planted into the ground they take root and continue growing and by bending and weaving each season the living hedge grows.

After clearing the large multi stemmed silver birch we managed to push the root plate back over into its hole. The stump was carved into a seat in a spot to sit and enjoy this woods.

We love a nicely stacked log pile! Here we are extracting the wood from the multi stemmed silver birch that came down in the last storms. We create dead hedges and brash(small branches) piles to be used as habitat, dead wood piles for insects and stacked logs that can be easily extracted later for splitting into firewood.

Back in the woods today starting clearing the windblown trees, dead hedging the smaller branches, logging up the timber into log piles and made a bench soon to be surrounded by the bluebells.