It has been a quiet month. Ponies have grazed the paddock for me, but have to be canny with them and pick my days to let them through because the big brown boy (the bay thoroughbred) cannot do things by halves and must go in like a bull-in-a-china-shop, kicking his back legs about and cavorting and throwing up hods of grass with his antics!
And after last years disaster with Lakki (the grey arab) eating the cortaderia, I have had to put electric fencing around the plants and keep the small shetland out the paddock, since he has no respect for the electric tape at all. I keep telling them it is a campsite primarily, but because it is green they seem to think it is theirs!
After several months of dormancy at the campsite, we are now a frenzy of activity. Managed to order a second lot of beech root stock and the 'hedglets' have been planted along the churshside of the reservoir garden boundary. Have also transplanted some ornamental grass between the y
ucca and the hydrangae on the same boundary, they don't look much yet, but I am still hopeful they will develop into a dense living hedge (although it is probably a little hopeful to expect that this year, maybe next year).
Elsewhere in the garden, the tete-a-tete narcissi are popping up and look a treat and the primroses are looking pretty. There is a hustle-and-bustle in the village, as prepararation begins for our "Open Village" day at the end of May and I am in a quandry whether to join in, we are still in such an early phase in our regeneration and development of the garden, don't want it to look sad in comparison to the others.
My men folk have been hard at work extracting roots from the top of the old reservoir and digging out the weeds to plant some lawn chamomile, so that campers can enjoy the scent of chamomile whilst gazing at St Michael's Mount. Chamomile lawns may conjure images of tea parties at stately homes for some, but for me it reminds me of the few months I worked on the Isles of Scilly. The football pitch on St Mary's has lots of chamomile growing on one half of it and walking my friend's dog across the pitch with her, became a scented experience. Lovely! So, we will see what we can conjure up at ashfarm.
For the hardy amongst you, we will be open at easter. We have had some lovely spring days, tucked in behind a hedgerow on a cornish lane, or up against a cliff down on the beach, wonderful. I have even seen some shorts and legs on show, but if you are thinking of camping with us to enjoy some cornish scenery at easter, I would still pack the thermals to wear in the sleeping bags overnight!
And if you are looking for a book recommendation to get you in the mood for visiting cornwall this year, then this is my march read, which I am thoroughly enjoying. Happy reading campers. Oh and don't forget to watch Poldark sundays BBC1 9pm!
