Hiding from the Farmer

Planting part of a massive swamp was disrupted today, by the farmer circling, in his tractor; where I was crouched hiding, behind a clump of reeds.

I'm glad I saw him before he saw me & I got all the trees and the spade stashed safely.

I made my way into the conifer clump and sat their quietly.
Eventually he went away.

This is one of my newest woods.  The site is less than 10% planted and it is more than 90% swamp, which in many parts; are so saturated that the whole ground quivers, as it is gingerly crossed.

The whole site is covered in thick reeds, except for a rather sickly looking clump of Spruce, growing close to the side with the road.   Beyond the other side is 15 miles of uninhabited moorland, going all the way to Okehampton and not crossed by any roads.

It is strange planting trees on a site so swampy.  When I dig a hole, it instantly fills with water.  In some parts, all I have to do is cut a slit in the quivering ground and push the tree into the saturated peat, with my foot. 

I cover over any obvious signs of disturbance, with some sort or rotting vegetation and/or grass (collected on site);  I don't want anyone to see the trees yet, or even to notice that they have been planted.  I want them to emerge gradually, from the swamp, over the next decade and to look and be; as natural as possible.

Of course there are only a few species of tree suitable for a site, like this one, but things seem to do well here, protected by all those sharp Spiky reeds.

That wretched farmer is a big problem, though.  I'm going to have to suss his routine.

I want to plant this whole swamp.

You can see in this picture; the odd test tree, which I have put in here years ago.

The odd cow dose wonder in here, but doesn't seem to do too much damage, perhaps; thanks to the  protection of the Reeds.