Cherry Tree Ghost

I was back at the allotment yesterday continuing the digging over. It took me over five hours to clear the area that I marked out with the wood. The couch grass roots were imbedded deep in the cloggy clay soil. All the rain made the clay stick tenaciously to the grass and dock leaf roots. I can see progress though in the dark brown colour of the freshly dug over soil.

Before I took over the plot they must have cut down a Cherry Tree. There were loads of branches buried amongst all the weeds and grass that covered the plot when I got it. I collected the Cherry Tree branches and formed a little log pile besides the water Butt. The rain has fallen and the logs have sprouted the strangest funguses. Semi Circular plates growing in splits within the wooden branch. I think they looked very magical. Like Fairy houses from the ghostly remains of a long dead Tree.

If wood is left then these kind of things grow. Even in death the Cherry Tree has provided an ideal environment for these strange looking growths! The sun was drying them out, so they will have a short existence on the plot.

This Blackbird was hopping around the dug earth and posing for a picture. He got within four feet of me. He was singing away the whole time that he was on the soil. I loved the closeness of the birds at the allotment. They are always singing in the trees and flying between the plots.
Talking of Wildlife I got an email from the Wild Fowl and Wetland Trust (WWT), an organisation that promotes conservation of natural wetland here in the UK and abroad. wwt.org.uk
They are promoting Wildlife Gardening during the month of March, and also how water conservation can help a garden. They have a variety of events going on at their nine visitor Centres like nature walks, how to attract Wildlife to your garden, or how to build a Butterfly garden. This runs from March 1st-31st.
Information is here: www.wwt.org.uk/gardening
If you live near any of the Visitor centres try to go to them. I am a big fan of Wildlife Gardening and trying to make the garden as accessible to Wildlife as possible.
I'm back to working nights from today so the plot will have to wait for any more digging.