July 2025

By the middle of the month the field looked as if it was September, dry and bleached and crisp underfoot.  We did not experience the full heatwave on The Lizard, compared to the South East and other areas of Britain.  We had rain, (of course), lots of sporadic outbursts of gentle rain, which meant the land was never completely rock hard and so when the heavier rains arrived there was no run off from the surrounding fields and the water was absorbed by the plants and trees.  I did have to resort to watering the new turf roof which really didn't look very well.  On the whole a turf roof should be able to survive the full gamut of weather types we get in Britain but, after 3 or 4 weeks without rain, it's advisable to step in with the watering can. Grass and wildflowers are prone to drying out and need more attention than the Sedum turf - guess which one we have?

As far as our produce went everything was growing well and plumping up as you would wish. Tomatoes grown outdoors were ripe by mid month and we were getting daily handfuls of the small tasty cherry variety. Apples look to be a bumper crop this year especially the cookers.  The Plums and Damsons started off the month as green fruits but by the end of July were all turning various shades of reds and purples. Fruits from the Autumn Olive were in abundance - what do you do with them? I went to find out.

For starters, I don't need to do anything with them until the Autumn which is a bit of a relief but I did find a lot of conflicting views on the pros and cons of their existance. Originally from Asia they were imported into America in the 1830's, promoted by the US Soil Conservation Service as effective erosion control and for conservation of wildlife.  Fast forward to now and the Autumn Olive has reached National Invasive Status in the USA and some parts of Europe. There are many articles recommending eradicating this tree with a heavy use of herbicides - Roundup by Monsanto being the main killer used.  How did it go from saviour to satan? It's difficult to understand the hysteria surrounding this plant given the all round benefits that it brings but it is considered an invasive species and they can be drivers for loss of biodiversity.  There's no doubt that this plant has the capacity to grow anywhere and therefore it can easily colonise vast areas in all sorts of landscapes.  However, it has been grown in Asia since ancient times and is a key ingredient for all sorts of teas, jams and medicines. But aside from its life in Asia, it also brings enormous benefits to our landscape. It has a particular bacteria in the roots which helps it to take nitrogen from the air and turn it into a nutrient that is essential fror growth and because it produces more than it needs, it gives it to neighbouring plants.  How good is that? The leaves are also nitrogen rich and when they fall in Autumn it adds organic matter to the soil. the deliciously scented flowers attract a wide set of pollinators including bees.  And finally the berry fruits produce a phytonutrient called Lycopene - which is also in tomatoes - which reduces heart disease and other cancers. It contains vitamin A, C and E and the seeds contain Omega 3.  These are definitly staying in our field and I will be munching on them whenever the berry becomes ripe.

Apart from fact checking on the Autumn Olive, I also had to do some serious identification on caterpillars. Towards the end of the month we had an invasion of the biggest green caterpillars I've ever seen, and they were busy eating their way through the new Willow hedge I had planted earlier in the year. Bright green on its body, with seriously chunky legs and a bluish hint on its horn.  It was clearly part of the Hawk Moth family, we went through the Hummingbird variety, the Elephant and finally the Eyed Hawk Moth - the give away was that it loves Willow. I look forward to meeting the moth at a later date.

The wildflowers bloomed inspite of the dry weather; Yarrow, Loosesrife, Vetch, Willowherb, Bedstraw, Sorrel, Birds Trefoil, Creeping Thistle, Knapweed and many more.  The Bees and other flying companions were all very happy and busy. It was a month to celebrate the abundance of life.

(information on the Autumn Olive was supplied by www.backyardforager.com www.agroforestry.co.uk and the www.cookscook.com)