Small scale short rotation coppicing

Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) is trees or other plants  grown as an energy crop. This wood solid biomass can be used in our woodburners. SRC uses high yield varieties of poplar and willow. Poplar is generally planted for visual variation rather than being a commercial crop. However as Erik who runs the B&B with his wife Nikki grew up in the Dutch ‘Populierenlaan’ or ‘Polar Lane’ in an Amsterdam suburb, poplar is a choice of fire wood with an emotional connection. Species are selected for their acceptance of varying climate and soil conditions.   

SRC can be planted on a wide range of soil types from heavy clay to sand including land reclaimed from gravel extraction and colliery spoil. Saplings are left to grow for a year and then coppiced. The first three years are part of the establishment phase and do not yield much dry matter.

After four years the trees will be ready for harvest. Harvests take place on a two to five year cycle, shorter for willow and longer for poplar, and are carried out in winter after leaf fall when the soil is frozen. The established root system and the nutrients stored in the roots and stumps guarantee vigorous growth for the shoots. The trees can be harvested for up to thirty years before needing to be replanted.

SRC has a low greenhouse gas impact as any carbon dioxide released in power generation will have been sequestered by the plantation over just a few years.

Biomass crops such as SRC willow show higher levels of biodiversity in comparison with intensive arable and grassland crops. SRC has a higher water consumption than agricultural crops. As most of our willows and poplars are planted at the lower end of our garden, where it is very boggy, they help with soil conditioning and drainage as well.

To be fair we do not want to give the impression we have a massive plantation – all we grow is some 15 willow trees and 10 poplar trees. They will not produce sufficient wood to keep both our wood burners supplied – but it is a start! The remainder of our fire wood comes from other areas of our garden and we will buy in a quantity of cordwood from a local tree surgeon as well. This cordwood will be processed by ourselves, using a chainsaw and a splitting maul. And good old-fashioned hard labour.

The willows are taken as cuttings from our beautifull mature willow, and the poplars have been purchased from Bowhayes Trees, Ottery St. Mary, Devon. 

Saving energy costs with a woodburner

We have had some independent energy advise from a local Charity, Vision21. The various suggestions made and questions raised made us look again at a planned investment in new technology (An Air Source Heat pump) - see the previous post.
It actually made a lot of sense to go back to basics and utilise our (free) supply of fire wood from our garden for space heating, replacing a fire place (80% of energy produced  lost through the chimney) with a woodburner (Only 20% of energy produced is lost through the chimney).
With other words: A woodburner is a very efficient space heater and adds atmosphere and a focal point to our living spaces. We choose a 'Westfire Unique 26' for our Family Room - it looks great and throws out a massive amount of heat. Later this year we will replace an open fire in a small sitting room with an inset woodburner.
In a next post we will go into more detail about producing fire wood, the ins and outs of logging at home, short rotation cropping, types of wood that are suitable, and what tools are required.

Solar Photo-Voltaics - finally a decision!

We have finally made a decision on the installation of a Solar Photo-Voltaic system - we've gone for a 3.9Kwp system which will be installed on the 8th. November 2010. The four quotes we received varied widely in price, quality of components and warranties on offer. It makes sense to shop around and compare Brands, Warranties and prices.
We are looking forward to generating some of our electricity - and the 'Feed-in-Tariff' -the money we get paid by The Government to generate our own electricity- is a good incentive.

We changed our mind on the Air Source Heat Pump - from various sources we had reports that a lot of UK installations don't work, and the figures quoted by the various manufacturers don't really add up.  The issue was that currently we use mains Gas for space heating, which is approx. 1/3 of the cost of electricity. The Air Source Heat Pump needs to run on electricity and has an Energy Coefficient of 1:3.5 . In itself 1:3.5 is great - but if our space heating by Gas has to be replaced by electricity we see no real gains. Yet.
Therefore we'll look at this technology again in a year or so.

Gold found in The Cotswolds!

Cotswold Gold is a new business formed at the end of 2009 by Charlie Beldam and Lawrence Millett-Satow after their graduation from the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. The aim is to produce high quality rapeseed oil for culinary use and also utilize the waste product into a renewable energy thus allowing the company to be carbon neutral whilst operation a zero waste policy. The rape is grown and the oil is bottled on their farm in the heart of the Cotswolds. The Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil has many health benefits compared to other oils on the market, these are maintained in the oil because of the traditional cold pressing method- just like high quality virgin olive oils.

The benefits of this rape seed oil are:

• Grown and bottled in the heart of the Cotswolds                
• Less than half the saturated fat of olive oil
• The oil is 100% British                 
• It is GM free
• Low food miles as it is grown and bottled on the farm                 
• Has a unique and delicious flavour
• Low in cholesterol                       
• Is suitable for high repeat temperature cooking
• A vibrant golden colour                           
• Good for you and the environment
• Good source of Omega 3                        
• Source of Vitamin E
• Delicious for Frying, Marinades, Roasting and Dressings

The product has won 1 gold star at the Great Taste Awards 2010 - Cotswold Gold Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil brings a new healthy, versatile and unique flavour to our breakfast, which is cooked with rape seed oil and Cotswold Gold.

A TREE AT YOUR SERVICE!

We had never heard of a ‘Service Tree’  but when we read about it we decided to plant one in our mini-woodland. (See illustration).

Sorbus torminalis (The Wild Service Tree), sometimes known as the Chequers Tree is a species of Sorbus native to Europe from England and Wales east to Denmark and Poland, south to northwest Africa, and southeast to southwest Asia from Asia Minor to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains.

The Service Tree is relatively rare in Britain is now usually confined to pockets of ancient woodland, although it can also be found growing in hedgerows. It can often be found associated with oak and ash woods, preferring clay and lime based soils. In Britain, summer temperatures are often too low for the seeds to ripen, so its principal method of propagation is by suckers.

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The fruit, sometimes called "chequers", are edible and taste similar to dates, although they are now rarely collected for food. They are usually too astringent to eat until they are over-ripe and blotted. They were traditionally known as a herbal remedy for colic; the tree's Latin name, ‘torminalis’ means 'good for colic'. Before the introduction of hops, the fruit were used to flavour beer, which may be related to the ancient symbol of a pub being the chequer-board. There is a great deal of folklore surrounding the fruits but it is somewhat confused. The fruits can be made into an alcoholic drink and were used to flavour alcoholic drinks such as whisky in the same way that sloe gin is made with blackthorn berries.

Picture of a solar voltaic panel on a roof

Solar Voltaic panel - part of a Micro CHP System

Homelands to generate its own electricity?

In between looking after our guests or working in the garden we are currently doing some research into Combined Heat and Power systems, or ‘Micro CHP’.

Basically this means we want to install a system that doesn’t just produce hot water and heat the house, but also generates electricity for our own use.  If we generate more than we need it will be fed back into the National Grid, for which we will get paid a Government guaranteed rate. Guaranteed for 25 years…tax free.  Currently there are generous Government-backed schemes available which offer a very good rate of return on investment.  This is because the UK Government has certain targets to meet and they are struggling to achieve those targets unless a lot more people buy-in to the principle that generating electricity at the point of use is the most efficient.

Some 70% of energy created by power stations is ‘lost’ in transit. The small home Micro systems have a far higher efficiency rate (only some 20% is lost) and therefore they are the logical answer to the required reduction in CO2 output to which the UK Government has committed itself.

Our current thinking is to install a Solar Photo Voltaic system (Solar panels on the roof that generate electricity) combined with a high efficiency boiler which has the Sterling engine fitted into it.

The interesting thing is that at the heart of these boiler systems is the 200 year old design of the Sterling Engine, which uses waste heat to converts into electricity- at a very efficient rate.

We are getting competitive quotations right now, will attend a Business Link workshop in a few weeks time to learn more, and hope to make a decision by the middle of September. More news soon!

Announcing the winner of the Eco-quiz on the 27th. June 2010

We would like to thank all guests who attended our 'Open Day' and  BBQ on Sunday the 27th. June. Some of you will remember the day because England was knocked out of the World Cup. We will remember the day as one of superb weather and a good time with locals, neighbours, family and friends old and new. We also like to thank you all for the lovely presents: Flowers, plants, wines, chocolates, cards.... sadly we lost track which present was from whom - but thank you all so much!

We were rather overwhelmed by the amount of Eco-quizzes completed and returned to us. Checking the answers has been entertaining - and sad as well. Entertaining because of some very funny answers, for example Q19: 'Recharged Batteries'. Hmm (Thank you Helen. Very funny. No, really).  Sad because of the truly heartbreaking level of general knowledge shown with regards to the issues relating to Global Warming. With one or two exceptions of course - therefore well done to the winners and runner ups!

So..let's just quickly run through the questions and answers:

Eco-quiz: ‘Open day’ Sunday the 27^th. June ‘10

Welcome to Homelands!  Please take a walk in the garden and take part in this Eco-quiz. You can win a great prize: A voucher for 1 night B&B in our best       King Size Double en-suite room, ‘Sudeley’, value £90,                                            for yourself or for you to give away to visiting friends and family.

Tips to help you complete this: Visit our website www.cotswoldsaccommodation.net and our Eco-Blog www.homelandsbedandbreakfast.blogspot.com ; walk round the garden and see for yourself; Google it; guess, cheat, or ask our resident Zoologist!

1. The purpose of the 2 wooden crates to the left near the hedge is: Compost wormery.
2. Name 2 of the varieties of tomatoes grown at Homelands: Correct answers are: Italian Plum, Losetto, Beafsteak, Shirley.
3. How many bat boxes have been placed in the trees? 3
4. Write down the registration number of the barn-owl box: 2383
5. Why is it important to leave some piles of old logs to rot? Habitat for insects, small mammals, toads.
6. Estimate the amount of tadpoles swimming in the pond: Using the scientific method of extrapolating we estimate approx. 1,500
7. The ‘conservation grade’ seed mixture used for the meadow is called: Pollen & Nectar mix
8. How many newly planted willows are still alive? 6
9. What is the purpose of the plastic around the base of the new willows?  Protection against deer and rabbits.
10. What type of fruit is grown on the second small fruit tree on the left? Cherries
11. Which hemi-parasitic plant is found in our orchard? Mistletoe
12. The damage caused to the patio is because of an important archaeological dig, exposing a so far unknown Roman Mosaic. True or False? False.
13. Guess the annual energy bill for Homelands! (Your guess is as good as ours!) Every answer was awarded 1 point.
14. Why does growing timber and using it for fire wood not contribute to Global Warming? Energy from burning timber is carbon-neutral.
15. Name the species of deer often seen drinking from our pond: Muntjac
16. Which species of pigeon has a 5-toned song? Woodpigeon.
17. Erik ‘harvests wild food’. Hmm. What are they talking about? Correct answers are any of these: Mushrooms, berries, elderflower, nuts, game, rabbits, woodpigeons, grey squirrels.
18. Why are hedges so important for wildlife? Shelter from predators, habitat, nesting, source of food.
19. How do you call chickens rescued from a commercial farmer towards the end of their intensive production life? Rescue chickens.
20.  What do you call the archaeological feature of equally sized strips of medieval farmland still visible in the garden? Ridge and Furrow.
21. Which type of insect does Nikki plan to keep? Honey bees.

1.  AND THE WINNERS ARE..........

In 3rd. Place: Mr Ed Reilly with 14 points
Runner-up: MT Green with 17 points
But in 1st. Place: Maggie Richards with 19 points!

Many congratulations Maggie - we will post you a voucher you can use for family or friends...or for a romantic night away from home for you and Ian!

Wild Orchids in the Homelands garden!

Thanks to a visiting friend, we were alerted to the presence of wild orchids in our wild flower meadow. Thank you Simon!
It took some time to identify them - we now think we have got it right, and they are 'Common Spotted Orchids'.
Wild orchids are a very good 'indicator species' - my son Richard will write a little more about what that means  soon.
Hereby some pictures, taken on Monday the 28th. June 2010.

Mature willows, wildlife and some new little ones

Trees play a critical role in many aspects of our environment but they are especially important to wildlife attracting many different species to them. At Homelands we have a few mature willows in our garden - they provide food for many different types of insects which then attract birds, mammals and amphibians too who will feed on the insects. Willows are also important for providing shelter and a place for birds and some small mammals to build nests in. If willows have been pollarded they develop their characteristic but unnatural shape we all know – a thick stem, a knot, and lots of small branches sprouting from the knot. Pollarding is the process to cut off the branches at approx 6 feet high every few years.

To attract wildlife to our trees we have to do some pruning. We try to keep hold of any dead wood or twigs as they play a vital role in creating a wildlife habitat for invertebrates and amphibians. Certain lichens, mosses and fungi also rely on wood which is decaying too. Instead of getting rid of any logs, we build several small piles out of it which will attract insects. Even a dead tree stump can be a home to many insects, small mammals and even a woodpecker! The logs can also be used in a shady place to create a habitat which could include ferns, primroses and other shade-loving plants which, in turn, will attract even more wildlife.

As you can see from the picture  one our willows offers plenty of opportunities for birds to nest – in fact it may even attract barn owls, if they prefer an ‘old’ and natural home above our new owl box!

We have recently planted some 14 new little willows in the boggy area of our garden – at least 6 appear to have rooted well and are now showing plenty of new growth. To start  new willow simply cut off a branch and push it deep into the ground!

£300,000 funding for Cleeve Common conservation project

I was delighted to hear the news that £300,000 of funding has been secured for a project on Cleeve Common, which is the largest common in Gloucestershire. The funding is secured by Gloucestershire FWAG (The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group), Gloucestershire Natural England and the Cleeve Common Board of Conservators - to install a water supply to allow long term grazing management with cattle.

A couple of years ago I worked for FWAG – and I know from experience how difficult it is to put these projects together and to raise the funds. Well done Gloucestershire FWAG!

http://www.fwag.org.uk

When you look out of the window of our breakfast room and KS Double en-suite guest room 'Prestbury' you can just see Cleeve Common to the right- approx 1.5 Miles from here and a 1,000 feet climb. A lovely walk (approx. 45 min. to reach the top of Cleeve Hill) to undertake before breakfast!

Wild flower and meadow pictures

Pollen and nectar

We have recently sawn 2 Kg of mixed seeds 'conservation grade' of a so called 'pollen and nectar' mix. Pollen and nectar mixtures provide flowering plants throughout spring and summer to supply food for insects such as butterflies and bumblebees. Some insects, such as bumblebees, are vital pollinators of crops and wild flowers. Bumblebees have declined as suitable plants, such as red clover, have become scarcer in the countryside.
These, and other insects, benefit from sowing flower-rich mixtures. Hoverflies are especially attracted to flowering plants and will lay eggs wherever there is an abundance of aphids for their larvae to feed on, thus helping to reduce numbers of these pests in nearby crops. The general increase in insects attracted to these mixtures also provides food for birds.

Frogs, toads and tadpoles

By the end of March – early April our pond was suddenly full of mating toads, leaving large amounts of toadspawn. Or frogspawn, as somebody mistakenly called it. They appeared after dark and were very active and noisy. The spawn they left –a jelly like substance- had clear little black cores in each egg, slowly growing into very small tadpoles, kept inside the membrane but wiggling their little tails trying to get out. When the eggs hatched the tadpoles appeared to stay together in a tight space, surrounded by the protective barrier of the spawn. No doubt a strategy to avoid predation. Since early May the pond has been full with little tadpoles – thousands of them- when they finally left the protection of the spawn and started swimming around.  They appear to ‘graze’ on algae from the side of the pond. The photograph with this post shows the shade of the author in the water of the pond, while taking the picture.

A toad is an amphibian characterized by dry, leathery skin, brown coloration, and wart-like parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is the characteristic feature of toads to adapt to living on dry land.

Toads cannot transmit warts to people through handling or skin contact. The bumps on a toad's skin help the animal blend into its environment visually by breaking up its outline. They are present on healthy specimens and are not a result of infection.

Common toads secrete an irritant from their skin that prevents most predators from wanting to eat them. Unfortunately for the toads however, a few predators, such as grass snakes and hedgehogs, don't seem to be deterred. If they avoid getting gobbled by a snake or hedgehog, toads can live for up to 40 years.

Common toads appear to be able to sense an impending earthquake and will flee their colony days before the seismic activity strikes.

When they are tadpoles their diet is vegetarian, but once grown up they switch to mainly insects. Therefore toads in the garden are considered very beneficial by gardeners.

Muntjac deer in our garden

Muntjac, also known as Barking Deer, are small deer of the genus Muntiacus. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing 15-35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France and Germany. A small family (one male, two females) shows up in our garden most evenings, to graze on the lawn and drink from the pond at Homelands bed and breakfast.

The present-day species are native to Southeast Asia and can be found from India and Sri Lanka to southern China, Taiwan, Japan (Boso Peninsula and Oshima Island), India and Indonesian islands. They are found in the eastern Himalayas. They are also found in Myanmar. Inhabiting tropical regions, the deer have no seasonal rut and mating can take place at any time of year; this behaviour is retained by populations introduced to temperate countries.

Muntjac has been introduced to England, with wild deer originating from escapes from Woburn Park around 1925. Muntjac have expanded very rapidly and are now present in most English counties south of the M62 and have also expanded their range into Wales. The British Deer Society coordinated a survey of wild deer in the UK between 2005 and 2007 and reported that muntjac deer had noticeably expanded their range since the previous census in 2000. It is anticipated that muntjac may soon become the most numerous species of deer in England and may have also crossed the border into Scotland with a couple of specimens appearing in Northern Ireland in 2009 also they have been spotted in the republic of Ireland in 2010, almost certainly with some human assistance.

Males have short antlers, which can re-grow, but they tend to fight for territory with their "tusks" (downward pointing canine teeth). The presence of these "tusks" is otherwise unknown in native British wild deer and can be discriminatory when trying to differentiate a Muntjac from an immature native deer although Chinese Water Deer also have visible tusks but are much less widespread.

Muntjac meat is the finest type of venison available in the UK. There is no specified closed season for hunting  because of their ability to breed at any time of year. In addition to that they are considered an ‘invasive species’ and ‘pest’ by the conservation organisations, due to the enormous damage they can cause to crops and woodlands. 

Cowslips in our orchard!

A bit of a surprise, now the weather has got warmer, is the appearance of lots of cowslips (Primula Veris) in our orchard. Cowslip is a rather pretty little low growing herbaceous perennial plant. It very often appears where there are little or no ‘inputs’ of fertiliser, moss or weed killer. So that is a good sign!

 The deep yellow flowers are produced in the spring between April and May; they are in clusters of 12-25 together on a single stem 6-18 cm tall, each flower 10-14 mm broad.

It is frequently found on open fields, meadows, and coastal dunes and clifftops. It is often included in wild-flower seed mixes used to landscape motorway banks and similar civil engineering earth-works.

Cowslip is a favourite food of wild rabbits- of which we have plenty in the gardens at Homelands! 

It is used medicinally as a diuretic, an expectorant, and an antispasmodic, as well as for the treatment of headaches, whooping cough, tremors, and other conditions. But not by us. 

Cowslips were once made into wine – a much more attractive idea.

An ancient name for the plant is "paigle". Another name, herb Peter, derives from the tale of St. Peter dropping the keys to theGates of Heaven, with the cowslip springing from the spot.

In the nineteenth century, cowslips were used as a garland on maypoles. 

Cowslip leaves have been traditionally used in Spanish cooking as a salad green. Uses in English cookery includes using the flowers to flavour country wine and vinegars; sugared to be a sweet or eaten as part of a composed salad while the juice of the cowslip is used to prepare tansy for frying. The close cousin of the cowslip, the primrose (P. vulgaris), has often been confused with the cowslip and its uses in cuisine are similar with the addition of its flowers being used as a colouring.

Mistletoe picture

Mistletoe: Parasite or beneficial, medicine or poison?

Our garden has some one dozen fruit trees, after the previous use as an orchard by a commercial farmer.  Most of the orchard is ‘infected’ with mistletoe.

Mistletoe is the name of a hemi-parasitic plant  that grows attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.  The word 'mistletoe' (Old English mistiltan) is of uncertain etymology; it may be related to German Mist, for dung and Tang for branch, since mistletoe can be spread in the faeces of birds moving from tree to tree. However, Old English mistel was also used for basil.

Life cycle

Mistletoe plants grow on a wide range of host trees, and commonly reduce their growth but can kill them with heavy infestation.  Almost all mistletoes are hemi-parasites, bearing evergreen leaves that do some photosynthesis, and using the host mainly for water and mineral nutrients. However, the mistletoe first sprouts from bird faeces on the trunk of the tree and indeed in its early stages of life takes it nutrients from this source.

Most mistletoe seeds are spread by birds, such as the Mistle Thrush in Europe.  They derive sustenance and agility through eating the fruits and nuts (drupes). The seeds are excreted in their droppings and stick to twigs, or more commonly the bird grips the fruit in its bill, squeezes the sticky coated seed out to the side, and then wipes its bill clean on a suitable branch. The seeds are coated with a sticky material called viscin which hardens and attaches the seed firmly to its future host.

Ecological importance

Mistletoe was often considered a pest that kills trees and devalues natural habitats, but was recently recognized as an ecological keystone species, an organism that has a disproportionately pervasive influence over its community. A broad array of animals depends on mistletoe for food, consuming the leaves and young shoots, transferring pollen between plants, and dispersing the sticky seeds.

A study of mistletoe in junipers concluded that more juniper berries sprout in stands where mistletoe is present, as the mistletoe attracts berry-eating birds which also eat juniper berries. Such interactions lead to dramatic influences on diversity, as areas with greater mistletoe densities support higher diversities of animals. Thus, rather than being a pest, mistletoe can have a positive effect on biodiversity, providing high quality food and habitat for a broad range of animals in forests and woodlands worldwide.

Medicinal use

Mistletoe leaves and young twigs are used by herbalists, and it is popular in Europe, especially in Germany, for treating circulatory and respiratory system problems. Use of mistletoe extract in the treatment of cancer originated with Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy. He compared the parasitic nature of the mistletoe plant to that of cancer, and believed that cancer represents a faltering of the body's spiritual defences. Som mistletoe preparations are diluted homoeopathically. Mistletoe extract is sold as Iscador, Helixor, and several other trade names. As mistletoe is a poisonous plant that causes acute gastrointestinal problems including stomach pain, and diarrhoea along with low pulse, we here at Homelands question the wisdom of using those alternative practitioners…  You certainly will not find it on our breakfast table!

Other uses

The sticky juice of mistletoe berries was used as adhesive to trap small animals or birds. In South Africa it is called "Bird lime" in English and ‘voelent’ in Afrikaans. A handful of ripe fruits are chewed until sticky, and the mass is then rubbed between the palms of the hands to form long extremely sticky strands which are then coiled around small thin tree branches where birds perch. When a bird lands on this it gets stuck to the branch and is then easy to catch by hand.

Our owl box some 15 feet off the ground in a mature tree.

Owl Box No. 2383 at Homelands bed and breakfast

Picture of Barn Owl Box

After four pretty hard weeks dealing with all the things that need sorting when you move into a new house, today we finally found the time to go to the Gloucester Barn Owl Centre and collect an owl box. See http://www.barnowl.co.uk for more information. We are now the proud owner of owl box No. 2383.

The staff on site were very helpful and showed us how to put up the owl box, how to clean and maintain it, and what we could expect to move in (grey squirrels, kestrels, little owls, jackdaws, and maybe, just maybe, a barn owl!)

The owl box is much larger than expected and of a very solid construction, and supplied with all the required fittings and a set of printed instructions. By buying an owl box you support the centre, a Charity, so your money is well spent. You van buy the boxes on Ebay; or direct from the centre through their secure online shop: http://www.barnowl.co.uk/product6.asp ; or collect them to save on postage and packing.

The box and its location is recorded, and if and when owls move in we will allow access so the chicks can be ringed and the data used for further research.

We will put it up this Easter weekend – when it stops raining! It has to be some 10’-15’ off the ground, in a quite open location so any ‘passing’ owls can see it and think the opening is a natural hole in a tree. We will try to locate it so that it may just be possible to observe the owls from our letting room ‘Sudeley’, but you will need a pair of binoculars as it some 100 yards out in the garden.

The far end of our garden, behind the conservation woodland, backs onto an area of uncultivated land, and our neighbours’ gardens around the proposed site of the owl box are also quite wild, so that should be ideal habitat for the owls’ natural prey: The short-tailed vole; other rodents include shrews, and wood mice.

And just changing the subject: Our first website is now up and running - and we can accept bookings and payments online. Please review www.cotswoldsaccommodation.net

So, the big day (D-Day) finally arrived: Friday the 5th. March, when we moved from Mellowstone House (Gretton, Glos.) to Homelands (Woodmancote, Cheltenham, Glos.)

After sounding out family and friends it is clear which direction this Blog should take: We'll focus on all matters relating to wildlife and the environment in and around the property.

Our oldest son (and almost Graduate Zoologist) has already put up birdhouses in the mini-woodland at the back of the garden, and he has planted some willows in a wet and swampy area, to help dry out the ground. Willows, of course, like damp and soggy conditions and will thrive in that environment.
They also supply an endless amount of coppiced wood which can be used for fencing, basket making or heating.
One particular large willow needs some urgent TLC (Tender Loving Care) and will be sorted out (coppiced) towards the end of 2010., as it looks as if it hasn’t been done for some 8-9 years. Every 5 years is the norm.
When our budding Zoologist is next at home he will put up some bat-boxes and an owl-box as well.
Within days after moving in we learned the following species have established themselves in our and our neighbours’ gardens: A family of 3 Muntjac deer (More about this in a later Blogpost); a family of 5 female and 1 male pheasants; lots and lots of grey (American) squirrels; badgers, rabbits, and foxes.
Regular visitors are a grey heron (Anything to do with our goldfish in the pond??), woodpigeons, collared doves, magpies, crows, and many other small songbirds such as tits and robins.

The interesting thing is that Muntjac deer and grey squirrels are a bit of a mixed blessing- they are both considered to be ‘invasive’ species and ‘pests’ as they don’t really belong in England. Farmers would also consider woodpigeons, rabbits and foxes as pests as they can cause serious economic damage. Of course there is no question of ‘economic damage to crops or live-stock’ in a residential garden setting so to us they aren’t pests. Unless, of course, the foxes and badgers take a liking to our future rescue chickens and their eggs…
But badgers are protected, despite strong evidence they are responsible for spreading Bovine TB, costing our farmers millions each year in lost stock.
So, even when just considering the wildlife in a garden, things are complicated!

Totally new to Blogging, I decided to set up a Blog to amuse and surprise friends, family and guests with short stories about the creation of a new small home-business, 'Homelands Bed and Breakfast', which my wife and I plan to open in the next 4-5 weeks.

At this point I don't know where this Blog will go - and I invite comments and suggestions.

Once possible route would be to focus on interesting stories about wildlife around the house, the environment, green issues and environmental credentials.

Another possible route would be to focus on issues relating to the Law, rules, regulations, red tape, licenses and interference - or assistance- by inspectors and officials. All in a light-hearted manner of course.

A third option would be to create a Blog about the 'human' element of running a small Hospitality business:

I can assure you that after some 22 years working in hotels and restaurants I have an interesting collection of stories and can recall many incidents with staff or guests, some funny, some sad, some pretty unbelievable. Let's just say that all the incidents acted out in 'Faulty Towers' have happened to me in my businesses over the years: Fires, floods, power cuts, being snowed in for days, robberies, theft, deaths, Health Inspectors creating mayhem in the kitchen, and very bad and embarrassing misunderstandings relating to bookings, reservations, room no's, meetings, dates, room keys, and the pets, sex, age or preferences of my guests.

While contemplating what form or shape this Blog should take I urge you to save the following URL to your favourites and revisit it in the next 3-4 weeks once our initial website is up and running: http://www.cotswoldsaccommodation.net