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Planting Goes to Plan
Posted: 22nd February 2011
Penlan Farm and the Burns Estate continues to ‘go green’ and, as winter eases its’ grip, we have been busy finishing the planting projects scheduled for this season.
The second half of the fruit orchard has been planted making a total of around 115 new trees in the gardens around the office complex. The whole area will provide a mix of habitats: tall, mature hedges on three sides of the field overlook the new orchard which has a mosaic of differing grass heights maintained. This will provide shelter for as many insect and invertebrate species as possible. Small mammals such as voles, shrews and mice already thrive there and the trees have mesh guards to protect them from the local rabbit colony.
On the farm over two thousand willow cuttings (triandra hybrids) have been put into a protected bed to provide willow wands. A new hazel coppice is also about to be planted and 200 bare root saplings will extend the size of the current small hazel woodland.
As if this wasn’t enough, 2800 hedgerow ‘whips’ for new hedges are also due to arrive this week bringing the total number of new tree and shrubs planted this winter to just over 5000!
Roger
Burns Conservationist
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