Sorry to have been so long in updating the blog. We shall try harder in the future to keep you
posted on our progress.
Certainly, the events that have unfolded over the last month or so have changed the way in which we are now operating throughout the UK, and indeed, the World.
Being on lock-down here in Nanpean, Cornwall has not been too much of a strain. Paul has now finished recuperating from his major surgery and is ready to get back into the swing of things. The operation was a great success thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses in the NHS, what would we do without them? Paul was back home after 2 days but was confined to the guest bedroom for two weeks to rest up and heal. A further 6 weeks on top of that to let the body repair was given and that has just run out so it’s back to getting the gardens up and running.
The last two weeks Paul did some light work at the back of the sand-ring to cut a path through the bramble growth and make quick access to the orchard which lies behind it. Cutting down the brambles to get access was a slow but light job, although somewhat delicate with the thorns everywhere.
Rearview of the sand-ring with all the undergrowth behind the fence.
We wanted to put a path through the small wood to the orchard on the other side behind the sand-ring. This meant clearing large amounts of overgrown brambles, etc, to gain access in order to build the pathways.
As you can see from the photo above, it is very overgrown with a large mixture of plants and brambles. Below is a photo of the same corner with the undergrowth removed and the stairs built to the pathway.
The wooden stairway to the orchard path.
The pathway is in and usable but still needs some further work in the future, but the main aim to get quick access to the orchard has been achieved. We have kept the look quite rustic so it blends in with the surroundings and gives a sense of peaceful tranquility. The pathway is built of wood, stone, and soil and is quite pleasing to the eye.
Walkway down to the orchard.
his shows the new walkway starting from the top of the rise going down to the orchard. When the surrounding trees grow larger during the next few years it should provide a shady woodland walk which we plan to plant up with Bluebells, Snowdrops, and Cyclamen.
The large stones we found when digging out the excess earth and were moved down to this level to make the stone steps you see here. After placing moss-covered stones around, moving some of the woodland ferns into position the path starts to look quite natural and older than it is.