The pleached hornbeams have really come on this summer. They are spreading out and beginning to provide a lovely screen. It’s a great staging post for all the birds coming to the feeders. The leaves are just starting to turn yellow now and hopefully will remain on the trees through the winter to continue providing some interest and colour in the garden. Eventually, the bamboo and wood supports can be removed when the trees have become really sturdy and resilient to the wind, but in the meantime they look tidy enough and will last as long as is needed. BTW ‘pleaching’ just means creating a hedge on stilts. It gives a nice screen without overwhelming a garden with a giant hedge.

Where has the summer gone? We thought that we had cleverly managed to bypass all the covid delays, but have been caught up in a huge delay for our MVHR unit for barn 2. From end of August to end of September and now looking like end of October. It disrupts the momentum. The schedule for painting has slipped a huge amount too. Richard has been sanding and varnishing the doors prior to painting, but with 15 doors to do it is taking a looooong time. Especially as life gets in the way as you can’t put everything on hold for barns. I guess we have become quite comfortable living in barn 1 and we are trying to support the family as much as possible in this unsettling time. I know…..excuses, excuses. Looking on the bright side, there is a rainbow in every shower. I guess you could say my cup is half full Lol.