2015-06-15 17:27:54
It all began with a Slack Ma Girdle. What a fabulous name! While looking for a property in Somerset we came upon a charming thatched cottage with a small orchard, which notably included said Slack Ma Girdle. We were instantly hooked. The house was lovely but not for us, but boy that orchard… And so into our criteria crept “Must have orchard, or orchard potential”.
Some months later, and not far from that original house, we found our perfect home, complete with ‘orchard potential’. With two large empty paddocks it needed some life putting back into it, and that is what we have set out to do. Our mission is to make the former farm productive again; for us, for wildlife, and for anyone who cares to come along on our journey.
Our overall plan is to plant an orchard, a wildflower meadow, a large wildlife pond and a small woodland – and to keep a smaller paddock for a pair of rescue donkeys and our ever increasing flock of hens. Oh, and to develop the garden from a flat piece of grass to a fully-fledged garden with height, water, interesting paths and vistas. It’s a tall order and will take years to develop, but step 1 – building a (hopefully) fox-proof large hen run is complete and our (currently) 14 hens are probably the most spoilt in the county. Sadly unable to roam as freely as I'd like due to Mr Fox, they do have lots of space, lots of things to climb in and on, and lots of attention from us.
Pic: Our oldest hen, Ginger. Too old to lay anymore, but still Queen of the Hen Run! Pic by Anne Clark Photography.
