“A wife, a dog and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they be”.  The law protects women and dogs these days (at least in civilized parts of the world) but the walnut tree is still subject to beating in order to bring down the fruits and to help remove the husks from the nuts.

40 years ago, in Devon, we planted two walnut trees in one of our fields but we left two years after planting and the trees were still immature and we were not privileged to see any walnuts.  We always hoped that whoever took charge of the field would have nurtured the trees and benefitted from future harvests.

Last night our supper guests were walking around The Gables in the evening sunshine.  I took them into the small paddock as I wanted to show them the “onion” barn, nearly full of plaited shallots, onions and garlic.  As we walked back they both took a look at the trees near the fence and pronounced that they were walnut trees.  Walnut trees with huge great walnuts visible in all their green glory (the nut is inside a brown shell which is inside a green outer husk).  I bless the previous guardian of The Gables who, like us in Devon, planted trees that future guardians would enjoy.  That is the secret of caring for the land.  Planting for the future as well as for immediate pleasure. Thank you.