Planted about five years ago, our hornbeam hedge that runs parallel with the farm track was looking decidedly straggly last week. Luckily growth on the northern side is far less dense making an inspection for birds nests very easy. After ascertaining that none were in residence we erected our trusty tripod ladder and took off over a foot of growth on the top and sides and finished off with secateurs and a spring tined rake to remove the clippings.
A visit to the greenhouses was next, watering, feeding, and tying in the tomatoes and cucumbers. In the vegetable garden our carrots have been a disaster so for the third time we sowed again but this time employing an ingenious system where the seeds are set within a strip of fine paper (pictured). It's simply a matter of creating a shallow drill, placing the seeded tape within the drill and covering with a thin layer of soil. Watered in and labeled we’ll monitor the progress of this novel method of sowing.
With strawberries at their peak we finished off the day with tea, meringue, fresh strawberries, and thick double cream. A perfect end to a very busy and particularly hot day.