Late winter is the perfect time for tree work, whilst they still stand dormant, their sap not yet rising nor the nesting season underway. We have been creating a barrier of living hazel trees behind the tennis court – to foil dogs trying to escape or locals thinking of venturing in. This is the ancient art of hedge laying – cutting small trees almost all the way until they start to split and then laying them down at a slight upward angle.
Sunlight moves through plants and they grow. Water flows down from the hills and replenishes the sea. The humble earthworms drag down leaves and feed the soil.
The leaves have had quite a journey since the spring. As soon as their protective buds opened and revealed the glorious sunshine, they became mini sugar-production factories, supplying energy for the trees as they woke from winter slumber, and munch for innumerable critters.
Looking to the future, we aspire towards more off-grid low-impact living, e.g. with compost toilets and woodburners. So we will need to plant more trees to sustainably harvest firewood from the land. And plans are afoot for a constructed wetland system, which would be a big attraction for local wildlife.
With the heady days of summer almost a distant memory and Rosh Hashanah fast approaching, it is time to reflect on the past season at Sadeh.