We've Started Our Woodland
It’s long been a dream of ours to have a woodland. Though the property has a wood running along it’s edge and several smaller areas of trees within the acreage, there isn’t a significant patch of forest at Brimwood Farm. Until now.
I’ve been talking about planting a woodland at Brimwood Farm for many years, and my YouTuber friends have not only heard me discuss it, but even sent along some trees to help! So, with those, and armed with another 200 or so from The Woodland Trust, planting has begun.
Late autumn and throughout winter are the best times to plant trees because they’re dormant and so you won’t do any root damage. When spring comes and the soil warms, the roots are then in place to start getting to work. It’s a cold, wet job but once it’s done, there is a certain sense of acheivement to be had! At Brimwood Farm I’m also lucky in that field is rather soggy. In time, the trees will draw a lot of this moisture out but it means that planting is a breeze. Come spring, I’ll surround each tree with a little straw mulch too to help lock in moisture and avoid additional watering - something I really don’t want to do not only for labour sakes but also to reduce overall water consumption.
With our ethos also to be encouraging as much wildlife as possible, it’s essential to add some form of protection to these young trees too. Deer, squirrel, rabbit and hare regularly use our fields and discovering damaged, dead trees would be extremely disheartening.
I used spiral tree protectors that expand as the tree’s trunks grow. Though these are not very eco-friendly, with the proper use they should last several years and so I will attempt to give them the longest possible life.
Why a Woodland?
You might question why I want to put a woodland onto my land, especially one that doesn’t ‘benefit’ me. I mention benefit in inverted commas because though I might not be planting for fuel, or woodcrafts, the mental wonders of not only planting a woodland but enjoying it as the trees grow is, I think, invaluable. Mostly, the woodland is a part of our conservation efforts. It offers a habitat that is not available to wildlife elsewhere on our land. To produce a thriving eco-system that allows nature and humankind to work alongside each other, we need a wood to offer shelter and homes for animals that will come and eat bugs and pests. In addition, it will offer peace of mind, beauty and a host of other wellness affects.
One thing that is hugely apparent is … we are going to need A LOT more trees! As afore mentioned, some YouTube subscribers, friends (including Hamilton’s Hens who kindly donated silver birches and oaks) and Patrons (including Julie who has adopted a willow) have helped significantly. I’ll continue to collect trees from you, and I’m looking forward to produced a detailed map of every tree and it’s provenance!
For now, I’m thrilled to have the woodland started after many years of planning. And with our collective and continued enthusiasm, I hope it’ll become a beautiful place for decades to come.