Tuesday 3 July 2007

A little Pea'd Off!

These are hand picked peas on the top of Bredon Hill. It amazes me that they will grow in this thin soil but they usually grow a very healthy crop, aired by the south westerly winds coming up the Bristol Channel.

This field was planted on the 30th April by Andrew. Andrew has worked her since April 1961 and has ploughed, worked and cultivated parts of Bredon Hill every year for 46 years! Andrew takes great pride in the peas, scarring off pigeons, rooks and crows with un-resting ferocity, using rockets, bangers and scarecrows. If you have seem them protecting the peas who do think they were modeled on? Answers via the comments please and there is no prize.

2 comments:

Ian said...

Jake, Can you tell us what the purple flowered plants are growing in the field along Crashmore Lane? They looked like Thistles from the road, but looking closer they are not thistles. You don't see a completely purple field everyday so we are intrigued to know more.

From Ian and Clare @ Hillside.

Jake Freestone said...

Ian, Claire and the gang. The crop is a plant called 'Phacelia'. It is grown as a cover crop on what would otherwise be bare ground. Phacelia is great as it provide's lots of pollen and nectar for insecs. If you stop at the gate and look over it will be filled with bees, butterflies and other nectar loving insects. We pay for the seeds ourselves but like it because it's good for the local bee population and environment