The dewpond in January 2011

This account concerns efforts to make a leaking dewpond watertight. The pond was constructed using a 1 foot layer of blue clay from Wootton Bassett claypit in 2009. It filled up well in the first winter but drained away in 2010, and remedial work was done, re-shaping one bank in the autumn. It held water throughout 2011, but only at a very low level and it seemed likely that there was still a problem, possibly after frost damage in the previous very severe winter.

After all the rain in the first week of January 2012, when almost 40mm was recorded here, a considerable rise was expected in the water level of the dewpond. This duly occurred and it seemed reasonable to assume that the level would continue to rise, so long as more rain fell before the arrival of spring and increasing rates of evaporation. What actually happened was that the level quite quickly dropped back by an inch or so but has since stabilised. This was all the evidence we needed to know that there is a leak at this level (marked by a brick) but the problem is knowing where along the waterline of the pond, which is some 40m around.

Rather than getting into the messy business of digging into the underlying clay, we decided to use a solution often resorted to in the heyday of canal construction. We aim to plug the leak or leaks with a naturally occurring clay called sodium bentonite, which has the physical property of very significant expansion when saturated. It also happens to be environmentally friendly and not unduly expensive. You buy it either as a powder, to be sprinkled into the water or in granule form for use on the bank to seal any, as yet unidentified leaks between the present water level and the desired final  level. The bentonite will be distributed by hand on a calm day in the near future and, fingers crossed, when rain arrives the level will rise and go on rising with each spell of rain  until it is full.

At that point we will be able to start planting marginlal plants and small shrubs, the aim being to create a natural, native pond margin, with the added intention to attract butterflies, dragonflies and small bird species as well as frogs, newts, toads and other aquatic creatures. Willows, Alders and Beech, Oak and Pine were planted around the pond in 2010/2011.

So much for the ongoing saga of the leaking dewpond!

In the secomd week in January, when walking back through the young trees of a 3 acre wood, planted in 1996. I stopped in my tracks, at the sight of a small bird, feeding on the low branches of a field maple. At first I could not be sure whether it was a wren or a goldcrest, but it soon came closer to me and there was no doubt when I saw the familiar gold crest on the top of the head of our smallest native bird. It showed no fear and continued browsing and then flitting to the next tree or shrub, with me following silently, close on its heels. At times it was no more than 3 or 4 feet from me. I dare say I watched it for the best part of 10 minutes, before remembering that I had  plenty else to do that day, including sowing sweet pea seeds and so left it to continue its browsing unaccompanied.

How so small a bird survives in our climate is a minor miracle and its lack of fear was astonishing. It made me realise that should the Bentonite fail to do the trick, there is every chance that future remedial trips to the pond may well be rewarded with further encounters with this remarkable little bird. Had I had a camera with me I could have taken endless photographs, including one for this article!

Cyclamen hederifolium catch the early rays of the sun on a misty morning.

Its now October and we have just had nearly a week of unbroken sun, temperatures around the 27c mark on five consecutive days and the wildflower meadow, mown for hay last week was baled on 1st Ocober. A glance through our records for this year revealed that 1st October was actually the hottest day of a very strange year, and the next hottest, after this remarkable last week was in April, when we hit 26c on 23rd April, Easter Saturday. No wonder plants are showing signs of confusion!

At this moment, primroses are to be found in profusion, summer raspberries are bearing fruit on the new canes and a paeonia Delavayii has burst into flower. Deutzia setchenensis, normally over by August, still had a few corymbs of pure white flowers up to the final days of Septenber. Acer leaf has scorched and shrivalled in the late heat, gretly reducing their customary fiery display and the water level in the dewpond is now as low as it has been all summer.

Having been very dry until the end of May the next 4 months were both wet and cool.In May it seened likely that nearly everything in the garden would be over by July, so advanced were plants at that stage and yet August and September have proved unusually colourful and many roses are still flowering profusely. Long may it last but already a lot of leaf has fallen and soon reality will reassert itself and we shall be treated with what one normally expects at this time of the year- wind, rain, interspersed with misty mornings, a touch of frost on the ground and chilly nights.

2011 will long be remembered as a year of great plenty with almost every tree flowering and fruiting in abundance. One fly in the ointment was a vicious air frost on 4th May which did untold damage to Magnolias, Acers, Wisteria, Davidia and even burned the new growth on the top of beech hedges. Hollies are now displaying the best crop of berries seen for a long while, even better than last year, which itself was a good one. It is wise to make a mental note that blackbirds will also have noticed the abundance of berries. If holly for decorating the house at Christmas is not piked early in December it may be too late as the birds regularly clear all our holly berries by the end of the second week. We hank outside in a shady corner covered in a net to put it out of the reach of all blackbirds and others , such as fieldfares which would strip every stem if the had half a chance.

As for the winter ahead, who knows what it may bring? Perhaps a barbecue Christmas!

Beech is also a great host for vigorous tree rambler roses, which can easily climb 30 or 40 feet through a suitable tree. The image shows the huge trusses of white rambler rose Wickwar, climbing over and through a fernleaf beech, some 50 feet high. When in full flower, the pendulous white trusses of flower give the impression of a huge waterfall. Pruning is minimal and consists in removing dead or damaged branches from time to time.

Late September is the time when the ripe beech mast sheds its seed and 2011 looked like a vintage year. However as the seed was shed from the trees, it was apparent that a lower than norml percentage was viable. The seed husk contains two individual seeds and commonly one is hard when squeezesd between forefinger and thumb; the other soft and not viable. This year an abnormal proportion of the early part of the crop on trees here has been of the latter sort. For those intending to harvest and grow beech from seed, it is a race between man and mice. Any viable seed which falls to the ground is quickly nibbled around the growth point and spoilt, though it is no doubt a delicacy for mice and voles! Either one must be there to collect the seed from the tree as the casing opens, or pick casings from the tree which are on the point of opening, for final ripening on trays in the house out of reach of the competition.

We have 3 fernleaf beeches here and we always try to collect seed off these, and another cultivar called Fagus quercina, as around 10% of the germinating seed is likely to be cut-leafed, similar to but by no means necessarily the same as its parent. The remaining 90% reverts to type as normal native beech, Fagus sylvatica. Over the years we have grown a number of young trees with very interesting new leaf patterns, including some extraordinary specimens with very little lamina and long tassles of bare rib.

Rosa Ghislaine de Feligonde and purple leafed salvias at the foot of box obelisks

Box shapes, in cubes, obelisks, pyramids and a ball are by now asking to be clipped and this will be done in the next few weeks. We avoid clipping in bright sunshine, because of the risk of scorching of the soft new growth but otherwise, anytime when it is dry is suitable – winter, spring or summer, though not in periods fo hard frost!

Weeping standard Rosa Ghislaine de Feligonde will soon finish their main flowering and will receive a considerable pruning shortly, giving them time to get back into fresh growth and flower again in late August/September. This is thanks to the fact that they are repeat-flowering ramblers. The summer prune is vital as, being vigorous ramblers, they would otherwise become top-heavy and risk being broken by strong winds in late summer or autumn.

In a circle at the centre of the potager Lychnis White Robin,  crimson Verbena and Epilobium glabellum provide colour and interest over a long period at the foot of a Malus Hupehensis, whose small crab apples turn dark crimson at the end of the summer.

In each inner quarter of this garden Rosa Gloire Lyonnaise offers a succession of large, sweet-smelling cream flowers on upright-growing bushes with healthy dark green foliage. Origanum Hopleys cascades onto the stone paths and at the far end a big crop of quinces weighs the branches of two Quince Vranja.

Hybrid musk rose Danae on north side of the potager

Harebells in the meadow

The Ox Eye daisies finished some time ago and their place has been taken by Ladies’ Bedstraw, Wild carrot, Hoary plantain, Birds’Foot trefoil, Wild Marjoram, Sainfoin, Scabious, Self- Heal, Toadflax, Centaurea, Harebells, Clustered Bellflower, Viper’s Bugloss and in one sheltered area, the Mediterranean annual, Orlaya grandiflora, which we hope will seed itself into the sward. This year appears to be a vintage year, largely on account of the long dry spring which restrained grasses to the benefit of the flower species. There is of course Yellow Rattle in the meadow which, being semi parasitic of grass, is itself an important controlling factor of grass growth.

By late August the flowers will have set a good proportion of their seed and the meadow will be cut. The crop will either be turned and baled into very poor quality hay ( most of the goodness in the grass having been lost by this stage of the season) or carted away and burned as soon as the seed has been shed. This is important for the future success of the meadow, especially in the case of the Yellow Rattle and Orlaya, which are annuals.

Young Goldfinches have just left their nest in a Cecile Brunner climbing rose on the house, making their first precarious flight to the shelter of an ancient apple tree some 5 metres away and goldcrests have been visiting a stone water trough beside the house.

3 young owls, probably Tawnies, were seen 2 nights ago, perching briefly on a television aerial on the house in the gathering darkness.

Yesterday, the tell-tale signs of badgers unearthing bee or bumble bee nests were seen at the base of an old dry stone field wall. The badger, being an omnivore and at the top of the food chain is becoming an increasing threat to small mammals, insects and ground-nesting birds. The Bovine TB issue is bad enough but the threat to other wild species caused by the ever-increasing badger population is quite another matter.

We used to have a healthy population of hedgehogs but alas, no more and it seems likely that the declining skylark population is due in large measure to the activities of Mr Brock. Skylarks, on leaving the nest, spend 10 days on the ground before taking to the wing. The list of other creatures at risk is a long one but the message is clear. Badgers, for all their innocent appearance are threatening the very existence of too much of our  widlife and their numbers must be reduced if we are to retain the diversity of species in the countryside today.