This year, hedge planting instead of laying

While normal people toasted their toes by a roaring fire at home, we decided that the best time to set new hedges was while it was heaving down during a gale.  Having bought 300+ plants, we wanted to get them into the banks as soon as possible, and long before any cold snap.  It turned out fine, because after the first 50 or so we lost all feeling in our hands anyway, so it really didn't matter how cold and wet it was.

The new top hedge, to be left to grow into decent-sized trees.

The new field-side hedge.

All species were native, and a good mix of food for birds, food for us, foliage and flowers, including hazel, field maple, bird cherry, wild cherry, cherry plum, damson, rowan, hawthorn, blackthorn, spindle, guelder rose, wild briar, wayfarer, beech, copper beech, elder and more.

But it has not all been work - we found an afternoon to go for a hack across Exmoor...

My new mate Smartie (we eventually came to an understanding of sorts...)

...and, despite the howling winds, a group of hoodies went to the Cornwall coast for the weekend:

Simon, Cathy and I brave the elements.