South Garden – Charles’ Wood

Bought, by Charles, from the Forestry Commission, a couple of years after our arrival. Our intention is to add a small amount of beauty and interest to the wood without losing its character. So, no colourful flowers or rhododendrons, apart from Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ and bluebells. The Erythonium is simply a spring joy for us before the bluebells arrive. Charles has planted, we believe, a hundred a year, every year. (This year, our new and wonderful volunteer planted them) The squirrels eat some but mostly they are the one thing we have discovered will survive.

We have stopped even trying to plant and grow trees, which just get destroyed by squirrels and deer and instead we appreciate the mature and semi mature trees which were here before us and which survive being chewed.

And we have a television room. Which was terribly disapproved of in The Gardens of Wales by Helena Attlee

And there is a lizard. But sadly one of his arms has dropped off. One day someone will wonder about a pile of enamels at the foot of a tree. If the tree lives long enough.

Death is an inevitable aspect of gardens, but we were especially sad to see a young elm die. It was at about the age that they usually sucumb, but we had hoped. So Charles made a memorial.

It should make a happy place for beetles.