good news, the mot on the holding went well...lots of ideas for next season, plants almost all sourced, and some major rejigging, more of which in the next few days



now its autumn, a small, first years harvest...a few handfuls of medlars

known to the victorians (for fairly obvious reasons) as 'dogs arse', medlars have an unusual delicious taste, think stewed apple crossed with dates

royal, a variety producing unusually large fruits will be part of one of the new projects for the winter planting - the damp orchard

buy, steal, scrump, swap, whatever you have to do to try them, theyre amazing

summer feels like its making its mind up about exactly when to leave and everything on the smallholding seems to sense change coming...the sheep are less active, the trees in the orchards looking less upright and lively, the chickens laying less and in more peculiar places



the vigour and chirpiness of spring and summer feels like its becoming loose and tatty...old jeans

its small stuff, but i find im thinking of the wood store, where the flask is, of seed and plant catalogues

the place needs an mot...whether the new orchards have taken and flourished, whether everything is working together across the holding, whats to come for next year and what should i change

over the next two weeks ill have a few people to come and help me piece together a better vision for the place, take the best of whats worked, and take it forward