Goal 4: Permaculture. Good strides forward on this one. Every day I do a bit more on my forest garden plan, which is now up to Year 3 in a 5 year plan.
I know what varieties of standard trees I'll be planting in the next couple of weeks and am just finishing some research on what the best companion plants and fungi will be to give them a nutrient boost and get their life in the garden off to the best possible start.
As a present for my birthday last Tuesday (38!!), Martin bought me 50 1ft willow stems of three different varieties from here to be planted as a windbreak against some of our neighbour's low fences as well as affording us some privacy. In future years it will give us willow for living structures, fencing, and one variety will be produce large stems for us to burn on our fire in winter. This bundle of fifty will form the first of three willow areas that will be coppiced in a three year rotation.
Also my best mate Charlotte has bought me a Hazelnut tree, so she has claimed the honour of providing the first of the new forest garden trees to be planted!
As long as squirrels don't move in, they may give us some nuts by the end of this year if we're lucky and certainly by next year. And if squirrels do move in, someone pointed out to me that I will have a source of free food (oooooo squirrel kebabs - yuk)
Finally before the end of this weekend I will be ordering a half pallet (around 30 bags) each of organic blended manure and compost ready to overhaul the rest of the beds nearest the house for fruit and veg production. All I need to find is tons of cardboard and newspaper and I'm good to go.
In February I want to have the pioneer trees ordered and planted, the willow planted and have the shed up. Time and weather permitting, I'd also like to get one more annual vegetable bed done.
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