Father’s Day

[philmayfield 6,206]

Our son sent me a Lego Aston Martin car kit which I have just rapidly completed to prove I’m not yet senile! Our daughter has just arrived with strawberries, clotted cream, cup cakes and scones. I guess she wants to stop for tea. She’s also brought her Spitz pup so the cats have assumed the moral high ground of the kitchen table! I was in the middle of slashing the side growths off 20 poplar trees so it was good to come indoors as it’s killing work in this heat. Only 17 more to go.

[Jill Sparrow 10,335]

11 minutes ago, philmayfield said:

 Only 17 more to go.

Trees or beers? 

[philmayfield 6,206]

I've just finished 20 trees. Absolutely knackered. Starting the first beer now! 

[Beekay 5,204]

Where's the cinematic evidence? Or the empties.

[philmayfield 6,206]

Just one empty bottle so far. Milestone Brewery Loxley Ale. Very refreshing. Not much to photograph really. Just a row of poplars that some fool planted many years ago. I often think of taking them down but they’re a local landmark now and can be seen from outer space!

[Beekay 5,204]

Weren't Poplars first planted in rows so they would act as a windbreak for crops or orchards many years ago?

They would protect fields etc. I remember when I lived on Denton street, there were three massive Poplars growing against the North wall of Christchurch graveyard, (the churchyard is still there, opposite Douglas road school, Ilkeston road). None of us kids ever dared climb those trees, they did too much swaying in the breeze for us.

I love Poplars, along with Silver Birch. They're my favourite trees.

[philmayfield 6,206]

We’ve got four silver birch as well. It’s an arboretum here. The problem is that trees have to be managed as can be seen from the size of the impending bonfire I’ve got in the back orchard. That was burned to the ground in the early spring but is now bigger than ever and still growing. It will gradually settle but I won’t light it until next spring as I’m sure some animals overwinter in it. I’ve still got to tackle the poplars with a long pole saw to reach the higher outgrowths. I like to see a clean lower trunk. My first attempt was with an ancient hedging knife that must be considerably older than me. I just love being outdoors and working. 

[Jill Sparrow 10,335]

I had a beautiful pendant (weeping) silver birch but sadly it died. They are lovely trees but my personal favourite is copper beech.

[philmayfield 6,206]

I forgot, we’ve got a weeping birch as well. Four beech trees but not copper (might be hornbeams) and two maples at the end of the drive. I could go on. Willow, sycamore, ash, horse chestnut. I’m not bragging about the arboreal collection, they’ve just been part of my life for many years. We don’t have a wood burner though!

[Jill Sparrow 10,335]

I have a hornbeam and also a Norwegian Maple. The latter is very sappy but has beautiful leaves. 

[philmayfield 6,206]

I just noticed, walking back up the drive after taking the wheelie bin down, a walnut tree, a lilac, an oak and numerous leylandii. Leylandii were originally planted to form a hedge to hide a calor gas tank. They've taken off and have now grown to over 60'. We've been on mains gas for 40 years!

[Beekay 5,204]

That's not an orchard Phil, I reckon what you've got is part of Sherwood forest ! Do you arrest any peasants who try to steal your deer? I figure you're part of the Dukeries. Respect.

[philmayfield 6,206]

I've not even mentioned the trees in the orchard. That's a half acre plot behind the house that used to be a commercial apple orchard. We kept sheep to keep the grass down but they chewed the tree bark and it killed of most of the old old apple trees. We've just got an assortment of fruit trees now but the sheep were eaten !

[IAN FINN 817]

Should be a good Bonfire night phil have you got the fireworks? 

[philmayfield 6,206]

No fire in November. Don’t want to bake the hedgehogs.

[Jill Sparrow 10,335]

Better not. Mrs B and myself would be after you with our pitchforks!

[MRS B 540]

Definitely Jill. Update on ours- nest building in daylight under my day lily 2 weeks ago. Then a couple of days later heard it grunting and squeaking under there. Not seen or heard it since then although clearly they are naturally nocturnal. Our vet reckons it was nest building in daylight because it was near producing hoglets so that would all tie in. Still hoping it is ok but will let you know.

[LizzieM 9,519]

Can I adopt a couple please?  Preferably a male and a female ……. We haven’t seen a hedgehog in our garden (or anywhere else locally) for years.  Do foxes attack them, because we do get the odd fox prowling around.  

[philmayfield 6,206]

Maybe. I’ve seen more foxes in Mapperley Park than I see in the countryside. We do have them because I see tracks and droppings but I seldom see one. Perhaps your urban foxes are encouraged by being fed.

[letsavagoo 964]

I used to work nights in the city occasionally and regularly would  see a fox walking across the market square. I’ve lived in this rural village 23 years and seen a fox only once. I used to see far more wildlife at my previous house 2 miles from the city centre. Badgers were a frequent visitor to the garden and absolute nuisance together with foxes, squirrels and hedgehogs. We do get Hares out here that I’d never seen before and plagues of mice. Recently on the roads nearby, I’ve seen Muntjac deer run in front of me with their odd jumping run. 

[philmayfield 6,206]

I bought a night vision camera from Maplins some years ago. It was placed near a bird feeder. I got a shot of a badger, a fox and a hedgehog all happily feeding together off the fallen seeds.

[letsavagoo 964]

My previous house although quite close to the city and in a completely built up area had quite a large garden. Beyond the back fence the ground fell sharply and there was a section of steep bank and retaining wall to the area beyond. We were fortunate as it afforded us a pleasant view from the back with Wollaton Hall in the distance. The badger set was on the bank. One morning I saw in the garden a number of fox cubs playing happily with a cat, chasing and play fighting all watched over by the vixen sat quietly in the corner. 

[MargieH 7,614]

Perhaps the vixen was allowing her cubs  to play with their  dinner, which she would sort out later?

Or I’d love me to think it was just very sweet….