2013/14 spring and summer has seen the most prolific growth. We are now having to prune and cut back huge branches otherwise we will have a jungle!  The gathering leaves are being spread around the compost bins and areas around the several gardens for rich mulch.  Bags of pine needles have been given to place on the garden pathways. The young apple trees were heavy with fruit so much so that one branch broke with the weight of its 85 apples. Many apples were stewed, then frozen and buckets of apples were given away. The pear trees produced the most delicious big pears and the crabapple trees caused the making of crabapple jelly…a first here. The fruit of one tree was gifted to the birds to devour.             At the end of March we were given six silky bantams. Within a few weeks one had died and four were clucky so now we have eleven delightful bantam chickens wandering around the paddocks. They refuse to use any sheds and persist in sleeping at night in the trees. They make great little tractors as they scratch around under the trees and pathways in the garden. Woe betide them if they start eating any garden produce though! Our organic eggs are sold which is a great help in contributing to the upkeep of wheat and the necessary maintenance of the hen house. The laying older hens are in the yard and hen house in the sanctuary (back
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