The wood is definitely settling into the summer season and everything is bursting forth especially the nettles and brambles so we concentrated on scything back the sides of the pathways – a vigorous, sweaty and rewarding activity. The skill is not to devastate everything in sight but to be sensitive to delicate and necessary plants like wild honeysuckle and native tree saplings. Talking of which – the two transplanted ash trees are very happy but the two horse chestnuts are looking strangely dormant – we are hoping for a resurrection next spring.