30/09/2026
"I was born lost and take no pleasure in being found." John Steinbeck
This is a really old picture but you can see that my interests haven't changed much over the years.....
Whilst most of my days are busy, I spent a lot of yesterday running between our garden and our two little fields. Opening and shutting gates, wrangling donkeys so that the long grass can be cut and tractors safely move around.
My plan is to allow the wild flowers to spread.
But we've huge areas that remain grass dominant.
I've tried planting wildflower plugs out there - no luck with yellow rattle or any of the others (but the devils bit scabious has taken).
I've tried getting it grazed down by horses - managed to get RSI in my right wrist from all the poo picking.
Tried leaving it - well that was last year when mum was poorly.
Tried giving the donkeys strips.
I've not taken the grass off now for years.
We've got lots of Birdsfoot Trefoil, lots of Corky-fruited water-dropwort, Fleabane, Knapweed, Vetch, Buttercups, Orchids and good old thistles. But there's big areas of grass that's inpenetrable.
So this year the experiment is cutting it first (leaving wide margins at the edge) followed by donkey grazing (they are so gentle compared to horses).
We shall see what next year brings and I'll get my thinking cap on for other ideas. Everything has to be small scale and gentle. Wildflower meadows are so rare these days.
Have a lovely Thursday and here's to more sleeping foxes, less running around.
