Planting continues

On our 2017 woodland management planning list one job was to plant an informal shrubby hedge
along our roadside boundary.  So, many thanks to Sussex Lund  who very kindly provided the funding for this project.  We'd expected to have some Plumpton Agricultural College Countryside students to help us with this work, as they'd  helped in the wood last year.  Unfortunately, just a few days before the planned date, we heard that this wouldn't be going ahead because of the planting position adjacent to the road. The ever present issue of  'Health and Safety'  had raised its head  and  Plumpton  had decided, rather late in the day, that it was too risky for their students to be on a roadside verge.  This was rather disappointing both for us and  the students, as they were looking forward to getting out of the classroom and putting theory into practice.

Getting a few more planted before the sun goes down.

 It also meant a quick re-think, as we needed to drum up a few volunteers at very short notice.
 Three deer stalkers came up trumps,  so it was all hands to the pump, or rather the planting spade, as we worked as fast as we could to get the plants into the ground. This was fairly hard labour, as there is a lot of sandstone in the ground at the roadside edge. 500  specimens -  Hazel, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Alder buckthorn, Guelder rose, Crab apple, Dogwood, Field maple, Spindle, Wild cherry and  Yew , ( all except the Hazel and wild cherry sourced from the excellent Special Branch tree nursery at Stanmer  on the outskirts of Brighton)  were sorted and bagged into mixed bundles and  wheel - barrowed  to where the planting holes,  marked by bamboo sticks, were being dug.  After snugly tucking them into their places, the final task was to protect them with spiral rabbit guards,  which require a certain knack to get them round the plants effectively.  When it was getting too dark to see, the remaining plants were 'heeled' into a  trench,  and covered with damp soil to protect their roots.  We've planted  about half, and practice has speeded up the process, so the second half shouldn't take quite so long to do.  At the end of a long day we were glad to limp off home exhausted to much needed hot baths, nursing sore backs and assorted aches and pains, but also with a  feeling of satisfaction at a job well done.  We aim to get them all planted during our next few visits to the wood, and will certainly finish the job by Christmas.

Looking at Old Copse from the other side of Hawkins Pond. A perfect  late  Autumn  reflection.