A Week on the Estate: Reds Turn Out, Green Growth & Technicolour History

Out on the land, we made a quick pass over the Lynx spring beans with the Einböck weeder one fine spring evening between the showers. Paul Barnes snapped a seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) helping with pest control. With our transition to organic farming well underway, we’re hoping to see more of these handy little workers out and about in our fields and margins.

At the Hall, the Walled Garden’s vegetable plot is looking well thanks to Colin. In the polytunnel, early lettuce, carrots and potatoes are also thriving. On the walls, the cherry blossom has perked up but the plum blossom didn’t appreciate April’s frosts.

Across the estate, plenty of sunshine and plenty of rainfall means plenty of weeds. The  Saturday Club got hands-on with our driveways and paths, while some fit volunteers tamed The Old School Café’s outdoor seating area.

Finally, Heritage Lincolnshire have produced a short video which gives a vivid overview of the estate’s place in history. South Ormsby Estate was established by Sir Drayner Massingberd 383 years ago in 1638. Heritage Lincs have done a fine job of peeling back nearly four centuries of history and you can find the results on their YouTube channel.