The dazzling glory of trees in bloom — 37,500 planted so far
Ian Rands (foreground) with his team of tree-planting stalwarts above Higher Wick Farm in March. They planted 876 hedgerow shrubs: from the stream at the bottom of Wick valley, south to the oak row planted on the ridge in 1993. And a Jubilee Wood has been planted in the field, where a wood is shown in the 1824 Tithe Map.
From left: Richard Montagu, Terry Carmen, Moyra Montagu, Hilde Senior, Alan Fear, Anne Carmen, Stuart Marsh, Debbie Fear, Bob Senior, John Matthews, Johanna van Fessem (kneeling), Ian Tucker and John Brunsdon with Tess. (Photo by Central Somerset Gazette)
Two records we have set this winter. One is to plant more trees than ever before (3,746), and the other is to attract more volunteers than ever before to come out digging: 14 on one of our gatherings.
Not all the same people come out each time we meet, but we get a good turnout from among the following members: John Brunsdon, Terry and Anne Carmen, Alan and Debbie Fear, Janet Morland, Adrian Pearse, Keith Matthews, Richard Raynsford, Andrew Bond, Nathan Pritchard, Horst and Shirley Elsebach, Phil and Su Ackerman, Derek Hankins, Stuart Marsh, Bob and Hilde Senior, Ian and Carol Tucker, John Matthews, Richard and Moyra and Andrew Montagu, Kevin Speakes, Peter from Glastonbury, Yohanna van Fessem from the Netherlands, and your correspondent.
May I offer my sincere thanks to all those who braved the wind, the wet and the cold, and to Anne Carmen, who fed and watered us — having lugged the commissariat arrangements often across country to the site. It is to these members we owe our financial standing, for they labour for free, and for the love of it.
And where did we find ourselves? Parbrook, East Pennard, West Bradley, Cinnamon Lane, Wick hill, Baltonsborough, Bushy Coombe.
May 15: Oh, see the blossom on our trees! There seem to be no patches of branch visible, for the trees are stuffed tight with flowers. Walk to the top of the Tor and look around. The glory is dazzling.
We have pushed our total of trees planted to 37,491. Of them 1,075 are standard fruit trees, most of them traditional Somerset cider-apple trees.