LandScape - Life at nature’s pace
www.landscapemagazine.co.uk
days of sunshine
Delphiniums | Wildlife garden | Create a herb wheel | Thyme | Make a scarecrow | Boat builder | Traditional wheat harvest | Jack Russells | Wildlife on Lundy
Summer’s secret harvest
Lundy’s abundant wildlife
Issue 16 | July / Aug 2014 | £3.99
Jul / Aug 2014
Capturing the sea in glass
Jul / Aug 2014 £3.99
Life at nature’s pace
With colours ranging from rich deep indigo blue to white, delphiniums make a shortlived but bold statement.
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Spires
of blue
Slender towers of cobalt blue delphiniums create a dramatic presence at the height of summer 11
A whiter shade The dainty white flowers, long green stems and leaves of peas are laid across a dish.
kitchen garden
flowers
The vegetable patch not only produces delicious crops, but also ethereal flowers and foliage for delicate summer displays
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a herbal bouquet Yarrow, wild oregano and peppermint flowers creates an informal, delicate display.
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Creamy garlic and thyme mushrooms Serves: 4 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 250g mushrooms 1 clove garlic 1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil 25g butter 4 slices sour dough bread 100ml crème fraîche salt and pepper to season Slice the mushrooms and chop the garlic. Heat the oil and butter in a small frying pan and sauté the mushrooms for a few minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook until all the mushrooms are tender. Meanwhile toast the bread. Add the crème fraîche to the pan and heat through gently. Season to taste and serve on top of the toasted sour dough.
Roast tomatoes with thyme and honey Serves 4 10–15 small sprigs of thyme 750g ripe tomatoes 2 cloves garlic 1 red chilli 1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil salt and pepper to season 3 tbsp clear honey 2 tsp cider vinegar Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Thinly slice the garlic and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Seed the chilli and chop the flesh. Scatter over the tomatoes with the thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper Whisk the oil, honey and vinegar together and drizzle over the tomatoes. Roast in a preheated oven 200°C/gas mark 6 for 30 mins. Serve hot or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
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Lemon and thyme chicken salad Serves 4 8–10 sprigs fresh thyme plus extra to garnish 500g free range chicken breast fillets, skinned and boned 1 small red onion finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp whole grain mustard salt and pepper to season 3 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil 100g baby spinach leaves 50g watercress
Photography: Food & Foto. Recipes: Jacqueline Bellefontaine
1 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Place in a bowl with the lemon zest and mustard then season with salt and pepper. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise, into thick strips. Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs and add to the bowl. Toss together well. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a heavy based frying pan then add the chicken. Fry for 8-10 mins, until browned on all sides and cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, mix the spinach and watercress together. Toss in the red onion slices. Place in a large serving dish. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the heat. Transfer the chicken to the dish with a draining spoon. Add the remaining oil and lemon juice and stir well. Drizzle over the chicken and the salad leaves. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top of the salad, garnish with thyme and serve immediately.
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guardian of the vegetable plot Jude and Millie are helping to protect the crops in the vegetable garden from the birds 72
Materials • 1 6ft (1.8m) length 1in (2.5cm) cane or hazel pole • 1 5ft (1.5m) cane or hazel pole • 2 old hessian sacks – see page 79 for cutting diagrams • one ball of jute/string • two buttons and one old shoe lace • cotton • straw • extra large darning needle or bodkin • pruning saw or heavy duty loppers. • one small scarf • one old teatowel
1. A cross is formed using two hazel poles or strong canes which create the structure of the scarecrow. The two are tied together approximately one third from the top of the longer upright. They are bound tightly together using string. 2. The inside seams of the trousers are sewn together with string and needle in large blanket stitches.
3.A running stitch is sewn round the top of the trousers. String is threaded onto the trousers to act as braces which are looped onto the cross pole.
4. The trousers are stuffed with straw and the running stitch is pulled tight at the back to create a waist. Pieces of string are tied around ends of the trousers to create the foot shape. › 11 73
The Jack Russell’s chest is shallow and narrow. The front legs are set not too widely apart, giving an athletic, rather than heavily chested, appearance.
bright and loyal The Jack Russell is an intelligent dog with a mind of its own and a love of adventure
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uick and eager to learn, Jack Russells are bright little terriers. A popular dog, it is full of character. Intelligent and independent, it is always eager for action. Anyone who owns one has to recognise this exuberance is an essential part of its personality. The Russell is happiest when constantly on the go. Given the chance, it will get up to mischief. Behind its keen, knowing brown eyes, a sharp and perceptive brain is at work. Unless kept occupied, it will quickly become bored. This is the point at which this smart dog will find its own amusement. Even the active dog, unless well trained, will often
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ignore its owner’s commands in favour of activities that are, from the dog’s point of view, much more interesting. However, once their respect and trust is won, they make excellent companions. With kind, fair and consistent handling, training and direction, they will become faithful family friends for life. This alert and bold dog was originally bred in the 19th century as a terrier that would hunt foxes, but not kill them. “They were not bred to hurt foxes, but rather look at and bark at them,” explains the chairman of the British Jack Russell Terrier Club, Eddie Chapman. “Their job was to get into earths and other tight spaces that foxes run to, then
chase them out. They were bred to be predominantly white so they could easily be distinguished from the quarry they were hunting. Before this, most small hunting terriers were dark-coloured. This made it hard to see which was fox and which was dog when in undergrowth or bolting from a den.” Russells have never lost this innate drive to pursue prey. If the opportunity arises they will hunt the neighbours’ chickens, pet rabbits and guinea pigs. This is another reason why they need to be kept busy. A fully mature dog needs long walks every day, for both its mental and physical wellbeing. Even a seemingly quiet dog will need a minimum of an ›
Jack Russells are renowned for their jumping and a typical dog can reach a height of 5ft. They will chase and catch a ball in the air for as long as the owner has the stamina to throw it.
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A footrope knot helped stop sailors from slipping as they worked up to 200ft (60m) above sea level. They stood on the footropes hung beneath the yards to set or stow the sails.
all tied up Des Pawson is keeping alive the little-known but intricate craft of tying maritime knots at his home in Suffolk
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n a small wooden shed at the bottom of his garden, Des Pawson sits on a sturdy wooden bench, a length of thick blond rope in his hands. An old wooden barrel on the floor at his right hand side contains an array of well worn tools, their handles smoothed by years of repeated use. Coils of rope of many thicknesses and hues line the walls and hang from hooks on the ceiling. His hands deftly work the rope, whipping one end over another, making loops and easing the ends this way and that until a perfect knot is formed. His fingers are dexterous as they work, pulling the rope into complex formations. Smaller knots require concentration and precision. Larger ones also demand strength as the rope must be pulled tight to ‘fix’ the knot and make it immovable. Des has been tying nautical knots for 60 years. His fascination began when he was given a Scouts’ activity book when he was seven years old. “It showed a couple of diagrams of knots and how to tie them. One of them was called a nautical knot called a Turks Head and I taught myself how to do it,” he recalls. “It all started there.” That first knot inspired him to learn more. Visits to the seaside as a boy further developed his enthusiasm for nautical knots in particular. “I don’t come from a sea faring family, but I
always had a natural empathy with maritime knots. I used to talk to the fishermen in their boats and I was fascinated by the different knots they used. A finished knot is intricate, yet solid and tactile. It combines beauty and function perfectly.” Des is entirely self-taught from books. “I learnt the language of knot drawings. I find it easier to learn from two-dimensional images rather than having someone show me,” he explains. Over the years he has built up a great body of useful information. Since 1977, he has kept what he calls a ‘Recipe Book’ of approximately 340 knots and items he has made with them. “I add the special tricks and hints that helped the item to fall right and to be finished neatly. I always sketch the special knot that was needed or note the book in which I found this specific information.” The more he has learnt about knots and the rope they tied, the more he appreciates the art and skill that has been involved over the years. It is this that continues to drive his enthusiasm for his craft. The history of nautical knots “Rope and the knots that go with it are the building blocks of the modern world. Without ships you cannot trade, and without knots, there are no sailing ships,” says Des. His knowledge ›
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Taking the harvest home the traditional way. Shires Billy and Sampson are following in the hoofprints of millions of horses who helped work the land for centuries.
harvest home Devonshire farmer Jonathan Waterer has spurned modern machinery to harvest his wheat in the traditional way
H Farmer Jonathan Waterer with Sampson
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eavy horses, three abreast, pull a clattering binder across a sunshine-lit field in mid-August. They are cutting and tying the summer’s wheat crop. This was a once common sight on British farms, but no longer. Natural horse power has been replaced by the horsepower of the internal combustion engine on most farms. But there are still supporters of horses. One is Jonathan Waterer. On his 100 acre (40.5 hectare) Higher Biddacott farm near Barnstaple in Devon, he uses his Shire horses for every aspect of growing his wheat. They plough the ground, pull the seed drill and harvest the crop. They also transport it back to the farm. “I’m up to date with all the new machinery and I understand it, but I prefer to work my farm
with horses. They are every bit as powerful and efficient as I need them to be. When I cut wheat with the horses in the sunshine, everything’s in complete harmony,” he says. It is this passion for working with heavy horses that has kept Jonathan farming in the traditional manner. His zest for this way of life started when he taught himself to drive Shires on his parents’ farm and has continued ever since. Harvesting with horses To harvest the wheat crop, three horses pull a binder with a 5ft 6in (1.6m) cutting blade weighing over one ton (one tonne). This cuts the crop four inches from the ground. The machine then lays the wheat on its side. Binder twine is wrapped around each bunch of wheat and tied
Cutting the wheat with Sampson, Barney and Billy
Photography: Bernard Chambers; Rob Scott
Shires Billy and Barney stand patiently waiting while the sheaves of wheat are pitched onto the rick ready to be combed later in the year.
off, creating the traditional wheatsheaf. The machine throws out the sheaf into the field on the opposite side to the cutting blade. It will then be stood, or stooked up to dry. Jonathan leaves the sheaves in the sun for two weeks before returning to collect them. He pitches them onto a horse-drawn wagon to take to the rick or stack. The combing process separates the grain from the straw so it can be sold to millers to make flour. The horses give way to tractor power for this process. The straw is used for thatching. “Although binding with a horse is slower than using a tractor it is easier. The horse can turn back and work into the corner of the crop in one manoeuvre. A tractor is unable to turn so sharply so has to take a loop to turn back into work. “With the horses, I just shunt back, do a turn and away I go – no need to lift the blade because I’m ready to go straight back into the crop. And cutting with horses only takes one person to do the cut. A tractor and binder needs two people – one to drive the tractor and one to sit on the binder. “The horses reduce soil compaction which stunts plant growth in future years. Where my horses have ploughed, the soil is better. You can see that after a couple of years working in a field – there is much less damage than with a heavy tractor,” says Jonathan. “On a good day I can cut six acres (2.5 hectares) of wheat in seven hours and stand the sheaves up to dry afterwards.”
A working relationship Jonathan understands the characteristics of every horse he works with. “I know them absolutely inside out and they know me too. I have to get right inside their brain to make them understand me,” he says. “If I want a horse I go for the best looking one – strong looking with a nice temperament – not one that’s placid or lazy. They all have their own personalities and we give them names – I’ve got horses called Bobby, Sampson and Bella for example.” It takes one month for him to break a horse. The process starts with getting them used to wearing a harness and bridle. Then they are long reined. To long rein, the handler works on the ground, behind the horse. The long reins run down the side of the horse to the handler. “When they are used to this, I can show them the road and traffic. I teach them to start and stop. I need them to be sensible and listening to what I tell them. “Once they stand when a car goes by, I put them on a forecart, a pair of wheels and a seat. A young horse goes next to an old horse for this. They are driven round the yard and farm. When they are relaxed and at ease I’ll take them on the road,” he says. With each of his horses weighing between 15cwt and one ton (750kg-one tonne), instructions have to be clear. Mutual trust is essential. “I don’t want anything to go wrong especially if I’ve got the mower on behind them. I have to trust the horses and allow
them to trust me. Once that’s understood, it’s fairly straightforward but it only comes with experience. I’ve done it all my life. “The job is physically demanding. With a walking plough one would walk 11 miles to plough an acre. My American Sulky plough has a wider furrow – I can sit on that and do around two acres a day. There is one particularly stony field which, when I plough, is a bit of a bumpy ride!” says Jonathan. The farm’s Shires He has seven Shires. The oldest is 24 years old and has now been retired but still lives on the farm. The remaining six are aged between eight and 18. They range between 17 and 18 hands high (a hand is 4in/10cm). They are used every day for farm work or for driving alongside horses that are being trained. Feed consists of between six and eight pounds of oats and three-quarters of a conventional bale of hay for each horse every day. A horse is fed according to the amount of work it does in a day. “There are very few people who still farm with horses. It’s been my life-long passion and I don’t intend to change.”
• Words: Ben Pike
CONTACT For heavy horse training courses visit www.heavy-horses.net/
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HEATHLAND’S HIDDEN GEMS The bilberry is a deciduous shrub with creeping rhizomes.
Hidden amongst the foliage in forests and moorland, the tiny bilberry has been used for its health benefits for centuries
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he bilberry is a rich, dark and distinctively sweet berry, native to the British Isles. This wild and wonderful fruit is most commonly found growing in the heaths, moors and pinewoods of upland areas of northern and western Britain. Often mistaken for a blueberry, the bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, is known by a variety of names. These include whortleberry, hurts, cowberry, and wimberry. The gaelic name for bilberries is fraughan, meaning ‘growing among the heather’. In Ireland, bilberries are traditionally gathered on the last Sunday
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in July, known as Fraughan Sunday. This distinctive low-growing deciduous shrub grows mainly west of a line drawn from Scarborough to Exeter. It can also be occasionally found scattered on the heaths of south and southeast England. Picking bilberries The bilberry shrub grows 8-20in (20-50cm) high. It is identified by its hairless twigs and oval, slightly toothed, bright green leaves. In summer the singular, greenish-pink, bell-like, waxy flowers of spring give rise to the edible juicy dark blue-black fruit. The berries are
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⅜in (5mm) in diameter, smaller than that of the blueberry. They have a fuller, sweeter taste than the blueberry. Bilberries begin a pale greenish shade then grow reddish-purple. They finally turn a dark black-purple when ripe in July and August. They are covered in a protective coating of powdery epicuticular wax, commonly known as the ‘bloom’. The easiest way to distinguish a bilberry from a blueberry is to examine the pulp. While the blueberry’s fruit pulp is light green, the bilberry’s is red or purple. This will heavily stain the fingers and lips of anyone eating the raw fruit. Bilberries are one of the most difficult black berries to harvest. There is often only one berry, at most a pair, on each low-lying stem of the bush. Harvesting them is hard work, best done on hands and knees. A reasonable reward for an hour’s hand picking would be 8oz (250g). Uses throughout history Harvesting wild bilberries was once a thriving cottage industry both in England and Ireland. In the early 20th century they were a commercially important crop. ›
The dainty pink flowers of the bilberry hang down under the leaves.
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eabirds wheel overhead, mewling and screeching as they show off their mastery of the skies and seas surrounding the tiny island of Lundy. On the ground, heather-covered moors and towering cliffs provide sanctuary for thousands more birds and a variety of animals. This tiny granite outcrop, standing proudly in the Bristol Channel, is a haven for wildlife. It is everywhere – on the shore, the cliffs, the heath and grasslands, above and below the seas that surround it. Lundy’s plateau, grassland and heathland are home for myriad resident and migrant landbirds. The extensive coastline, with its long grassy stretches, towering cliffs and rocky shoreline, support the largest single island seabird colony in southern England. The waters are full of life from fish, seals, dolphins and whales to forests of seaweed, sea anemones and coral. Sited 12 miles off the coast of north Devon, Lundy looks out across the Atlantic with no land between it and America. This long and narrow, island measures three and half miles from north to south, and a maximum of three quarters of a mile wide. In total, it is an area of 1100 acres (445 hectares) of solid rock covered with soil and peat, rising to 466ft (142m) above sea level. Lundy is best known for its colonies of seabirds including the puffin and Manx shearwater. It is also home to a rich terrestrial fauna and flora. In summer its indigenous wildlife populations are boosted by a wide range of birds and insects that come to the island to breed. The majority of the island is designated as a Site of Scientific Interest. This recognises its importance as a wildlife habitat. Each year more than 20,000 people visit Lundy, which is now owned by the National Trust. Over the sea to Lundy A boat, the MV Oldenburg, runs to and from the north Devon ports of Bideford and Ilfracombe to the island. The journey takes up to two-and-a-half hours, depending on the tides and the sea. Wildlife watching begins long before the island is reached. Seabirds include gannets, Britain’s largest, with a wingspan of over 6½ft (2m). There are sightings of fulmars, a member of the petrel family, and two species of auk – guillemot and razorbill. More common species include herring, lesser black-backed and great black-backed gulls. All, apart from the gannet, breed on Lundy itself. The highlight of the boat journey for the keen birdwatcher is the small flocks of Manx shearwaters floating on the water. As the boat approaches, they take off, flapping frantically. They then live up to their name by shearing low over the waves on long, narrow, stiff wings. Their plumage is contrasting black above and white below. Another highlight of the sea crossing is the sight of cetaceans, including common dolphin and harbour porpoise. Common dolphins are regularly sighted off these shores. Also known as the short-beaked dolphin, they are smaller than their bottle-nosed cousin, weighing 11½-13½st (75-85kg) and measuring 6½-8ft (2.1-2.4 metres) in length. The smaller harbour porpoises weighs 6-11½st (40-75kg) and 5-6½ft (1.5-2 metres) in length. ›
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Lundy is Old Norse for Puffin Island and, the puffin, with its multicoloured bill, and white cheeks, is one of the main attractions. The Common dolphin, with its cream coloured markings, can often be seen in the seas surrounding Lundy.
The landing quay on Lundy island with the half mile long path up to the top of the cliff. The South Light is one of two working lighthouses on the island.
The Manx shearwater returns to Lundy in March to breed, after over wintering off the shores of South America.
The strikingly marked gannet feeds by plunging into the sea at speeds of up to 60mph (100km/hr).
The guillemot only comes to land to breed, spending the rest of its life at sea.
Razorbills mate for life, nesting on Lundy’s cliffs.
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