SETTLING

Chris and I were chatting the other day about the way the farm feels different to our previous homes and garden because, being 300 years old, it has a bigger story to it. We don't feel like we own the house or land, we're custodians for however long we're lucky to live here. 

Since moving to the farm I've been spending most of my time getting to know the land, understanding how it works, what the previous owners did and how I can maintain it all. The woodland and meadows, which make up the majority of the land, are in some respects the easiest with key maintenance at intervals in the year, otherwise largely looking after themselves.

Garden areas are full of beautiful planting which I'm enjoying watching come into leaf and flower. We're spoilt to have so many plants I'm both familiar and unfamiliar with. Many plants I've not grown before and it's a rare treat to be in a garden with so many surprises to look forward to as flowers reveal themselves. 

The allotment is off to a good start, th…