We spent the afternoon digging 7 deep holes for the trees – the six trees that arrived on Friday and the spartan apple ( a delicious red variety) that was delivered a week ago.  We are keeping the trees out of the frosty night and morning air tucked away In one of the barns and in a large pot covered with compost and straw.

We hope to plant the trees on Thursday and bought 7 wooden stakes this morning at the farm shop as well as three bags of peat free compost and seven sheets of mesh to surround the trees and protect them from the wind.

After the digging I went to visit my neighbour and offered to help her feed her cows and bring in the ponies.  In fact my only help was chatting to her as she cut up apples and moved bales of hay and straw – she kindly said that the chatter was pleasant. In fact I probably slowed her down!