Wild Wood
After almost four years of being left alone, Tom's Wood is now made up of over a hundred small trees and bushes, the majority of them self-seeded and unknown. April 2022.
Tom's Wood
Tom’s Wood was a personal initiative that started in 2018 and lasted until I moved away from Herefordshire in 2022.
First prompted by the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming published on 8 October 2018, and inspired in part by the film Field of Dreams, Tom’s Wood began as a personal attempt to make a practical response to climate change. It was also, if I’m honest, fuelled by middle age and a growing frustration with political dithering in the face of overwhelming evidence.
By converting the three-and-a-half acres of pastureland that made up our smallholding – previously used for grazing and hay – into woodland and wild meadow, we set out to encourage carbon sequestration, improve rainwater absorption, and create space for nature to reassert itself.
The project began in October 2018. The plan was simple: to build on the existing trees and gradually populate the entire plot with a wide variety of suitable species. The land was relatively exposed, with little natural shade, and sat on a gentle north-westerly slope. The soil was well-drained, clay-rich, and challenging in places.
By April 2022, when our time as smallholders came to an end, Tom’s Wood and Barbara’s Meadow were home to fifty-two hand-planted trees, around a further hundred saplings, and a growing diversity of wildflowers and grasses that had seeded themselves. As far as we could tell, the land also supported owls, rabbits, badgers, pheasants, muntjac deer, and a generous population of small mammals and insects.
The family who bought the house and plot from us appeared to share our values and intentions. To the best of our knowledge, they have no plans to return it to profit-driven or small-scale agriculture. From a distance, we continue to watch as Tom’s Wood grows and changes, year by year.
Planted Trees
Never Say Die
A plum tree, felled by Storm Eunice in February 2022, remains alive and is in bloom once more. April 2022.
Buttercup & Foxtail
Barbara's Meadow under sun and clouds in June 2021.
Maintenance
The perimeter path, May 2021.
'Gabriel Oak'
Oak Sapling, planted on Tuesday, 13th April 2021.
Ten New Saplings
Planted on Tuesday, 13th April 2021.
Tom's Wood
Sunrise over the wood and meadow in early August 2019.
Barbara's Meadow
The beginnings of a wild meadow left for nature to shape since June 2019.
'Rather Good'
Paul's Scarlet planted on Saturday, 2nd March 2019.
'Jolly Good'
Silver Birch planted on Saturday, 2nd March 2019.
'Barbara Good'
Common Oak planted on Saturday, 2nd March 2019.
'The Dude'
Sessile Oak donated by Alex Janaway, planted on Saturday, 9th February 2019.
'Canna'
Anonymously donated Sweetgum, planted on Saturday, 26th January 2019.
'Erraid'
Anonymously donated Sweetgum, planted on Saturday, 26th January 2019.
'Rona'
Anonymously donated Sweetgum, planted on Saturday, 26th January 2019.
'For Vic'
Silver Birch donated by Anne Harris, planted on Wednesday, 16th January 2019.
'Kristina'
Silver Birch, planted on Wednesday, 16th January 2019.
'Aggie'
Silver Birch donated by Caron Fraser Wood, planted on Wednesday, 16th January 2019.
'Jim'
Silver Birch, planted on Wednesday, 16th January 2019.
'Oscar & Fitz'
Silver Birch donated by Josie Bloom, planted on Thursday, 20th December 2018.
'Lemmy'
Silver Birch, planted on Thursday, 20th December 2018.
'Sunrise'
Anonymously donated Silver Birch, planted on Thursday, 20th December 2018.
'Sunset'
Anonymously donated Silver Birch, planted on Thursday, 20th December 2018.
'Boots'
Common Alder planted on Wednesday, 19th December 2018.
'Woody'
Common Alder planted on Wednesday, 19th December 2018.
'Tumtum'
Common Alder planted on Wednesday, 19th December 2018.
'Tree McTreeface'
Common Alder planted on Wednesday, 19th December 2018.
'Wenceslas'
Common Alder planted as a Christmas Card on Wednesday, 19th December 2018.
'Zarathustra'
Red Maple donated by Laura Vitelli, planted on Tuesday, 18th December 2018.
'Tirzah'
Red Maple donated by Max Vitelli, planted on Tuesday, 18th December 2018.
'Sylvia'
Silver Birch donated by Sarah Mohammad-Qureshi, planted on Sunday, 4th November 2018.
'Anna'
Silver Birch, planted on Sunday, 4th November 2018.
'Johan'
Silver Birch, planted on Sunday, 4th November 2018.
'Isabelle Rising'
Silver Birch donated by Raj Sitlani, planted on Sunday, 4th November 2018.
'Jaya Khemlyani'
Chestnut donated by Raj Sitlani, planted on Sunday, 4th November 2018.
'Dennis'
Silver Birch donated by Jen Allanson, planted on Saturday, 27th October 2018.
'Matilda'
Silver Birch donated by Nathan Ryder, planted on Saturday, 27th October 2018.
'Nola'
Silver Birch donated by Julie & Alessandro Vitelli, planted on Saturday, 27th October 2018.
'Charlotte Birch'
Silver Birch planted on Wednesday, 17th October 2018.
Unnamed
Our original orchard of six fruit trees, planted on Thursday 22nd January 2015.