Sanctuary

When I need to escape from the building site, we have a space at the other end of the village where there are apple trees and rich soil for growing a few veg.  It's a birdy place, where there is constant song and movement.  This was my first day working there this year, and the robins were still a little nervous of my presence, but eventually this one came closer to investigate the soil I had just cleared around the rhubarb and he/she was rewarded with a  large worm.

Until last year the orchard had been untended for perhaps thirty years or more.  Ed and I relaid the boundary hedge about eight years ago, but otherwise nothing has been done.  The legacy of years of leaf drop and rotting apples has created a rich loamy soil which last year grew good vegetables.  But also it has favoured dense nettles, thistles, couch grass, bindweed and almost every other garden weed there is.  Hence the task of restoring the place to a rich and productive fruit and vegetable growing space is ongoing. 

It's still a sanctuary though where I see and hear birds that are less frequent or absent from our house and garden at the moment.  A peaceful place where I can feel closer to nature.