Sunday January 11 saw us planting 150 young trees at two new houses just outside Ballasalla. Again we somehow escaped any rain, though the 12 of us planters were battered by the winter’s seemingly unending super strong winds!
But easy planting in soft ground helped us do the job in good time. We planted 150 trees with a very good mix of fifteen different sorts: alder, wild cherry, crab apple, dogwood, guelder rose, hawthorn, hazel, holly, field maple, wild plum, rowan, Scots pine, spindle, whitebeam and various willows. In doing so we passed a milestone – more than 1000 trees planted so far in the season, 1140 to be exact. We should easily pass our annual target of 2000 trees by the time we sign off in April.
Afterwards, we took refuge in the hosts’ garage so we could enjoy Vivienne’s excellent restorative tomato soup, tea, coffee and delicious cakes and flapjacks. Our hosts had produced still warm fresh made bread, so post-Christmas joviality flowed. Vivienne presented Clive, our grandmaster of the spade, with a medal to recognise his fervour and skill!
Next time we are at Laxey with another 150 trees to go in. See you there!
Best wishes,
Simon
