
Just as we were finishing winter tidying and prun- ing tasks, lockdown restrictions were imposed.
As a consequence, all our volunteers, bar Chris and myself, now have to stay away from the nursery. Luckily we had almost finished tidying and pruning the nursery. The last week we all gathered saw all the fruit trees judiciously pruned and the willow area tidied up. Currently chris comes in on fridays and myself(+my partner Anne) turn up on monday.
Principally, we check the stratification boxes and water/weed, plus various other jobs. This arrangement seems to just about work at present, as times are quieter now. Saying that, on monday Anne and i were rather surprised to find 15 bags of seeds germinating. As a result of processing these bags the tables(above) are groaning with germinating seeds and seedlings growing robustly. Only 18 bags now remain in two boxes.

Hopefully the lockdown situation will have changed a little by then as the transplanting season represents a far busier time at the nursery. Chris and i may have to rethink the' two days a week with one person on each day' strategy. It is rather a cruel twist that all our volunteers have plenty of time to lend a hand, but an incapacity to actually turn up!
I do hope you are all keeping safe and well. I will endeavour to provide more regular blog updates about the nursery. Feel free to comment on the blog. This can be also used as an open site to keep in touch with other volunteers and find out how each other are doing. Just use the comments option to let me know what you are up to and comment on each others comments!
Stay safe and well