Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Spheres of Influence
I used to think that I would be luckier if I was more like Homer Simpson. Not worrying about how to make things better, just getting on with life and not thinking too deeply. Not worrying, being happy,
I was deeply aware of issues like global warming and terrorism and sort of waiting for the world to explode. The news would go on first thing in the morning, and last thing at night, I knew too much, and at the same time, far too little. Its not that helpful to feel like that. Ingesting information that makes you feel both sad and helpless. It made me feel like everyone else was ruining things and that I couldn't do a damn thing, that any efforts I made would be meaningless.
It's this sort of thinking that pervades our society - the tendency to concentrate on matters so large (climate change, war, famine) that it all seems hopeless, and that leads to a type of paralysis, the tendency to think I can't do anything so I'll do nothing. In fact I think this is often what leads to apathy and hopelessness especially in younger people. Who can blame them for feeling apathetic when there is little chance of good work or owning their own place, let alone spiritual fulfilment and world peace?
The problem is, in my opinion, that we look at spheres outside of our influence. In fact I would go so far as to say that we are encouraged to worry about issues that are out of our control by media and government - fear is a great way to keep people from questioning the status quo. It tricks them into believing that the government is protecting us from the boogie men, from hostile countries and encouraging us to believe that solutions are only able to be carried out at governmental levels. It encourages us to believe that we need big government and things would be worse with less of it. In fact it is far more nuanced in the reality of politics and power games, and lets not forget that pretty much all of the big, bad stuff - like environmental degradation, war etc... has been carried out by government or their corporate partners.
If we begin to view things differently and look at the spheres within our influence, the world becomes less frightening and you feel more empowered to do something about it. When I first thought about this blog, I wrote a list of all the things I'd like to achieve by the end of the year. They were personal goals, they weren't reliant on anything outside of my power, and they were realistic. As it happens, I have not done many all of them, partly because of a lack of money and time, but mainly because of the unrealistic length of the list. That's ok, we just need to keep going in the right direction and try to enjoy it, and I feel better just by thinking of all the cool things I'm going to do.
The list, when I look at it, is all about empowerment and resilience. A longer term list carries the same theme. Building a shack, rocket stoves, growing and hunting food and building community go hand in hand with resilience, empowerment and reducing my exposure to government, mass media and large corporations.
As I tread this path, there becomes a self fulfilling prophecy that occurs. I started to watch less TV because other things interested me more and now I am not so exposed to it trying to sell me stuff, tell me stuff, make me feel inadequate or scare me. The news will focus on the most horrendous of crimes no matter how rare they are, adverts will try to sell stuff you don't want and 'aspirational' programmes will generally peddle the myth that we all have loads of money and perfect lives.
I got fed up with the energy companies so I invested in a wood burner, cut my own wood and turned the central heating off (although shell does turn it back on sometimes).
I learned about how seed companies like Monsanto were behaving, so I saved my own seed, to be shared with whoever is interested
I chose to shop locally and get a deeper understanding of provenance, because the big supermarkets and their business models leave a lot to be desired.
I started to drink the local Ale - in the words of Scotty Garrett, 'swap the Guinness for the Dark Star'.
Using small companies, friends and neighbours wherever possible takes you into new relationships, gives you a familiar face to see in the street, puts money into the pockets of those in your town. It empowers people, and improves your life.
And by the way - you will still see me in a supermarket when I get caught short, just as I'll use the central heating when I have to and I'll watch TV, I'm just saying that we want to stem the reliance on these big institutions and understand them for what they are. The choices I make to ensure that happens will probably not change the world, but they will make my life better. In the words of Muhatma Gandhi - You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
The Edge
Use the Edge and Value the Marginal
That's my first or second favourite permaculture principle, depending on my mood. It means that we should understand, identify and value where different forms of life bump up against each other.
A well versed example would be the barreness and one dimensional problems that occur with traditional monocultures. Fields of wheat or corn are pretty damaging with regards to environmental impacts because of the way they are managed and habitat loss, it also isn't the best thing for our health and wellbeing. And it definitely ain't natural.
Polycultures; shorelines, forest edges, and estuaries, on the other hand, are good examples of where life springs from diversity. Multiple habitats are formed and the links between them nurture life and create complex and endless synergies and partnerships.
I love St Leonards and Hastings- there I've said it! it reminds me of the melting pot of London, but I get the sea and countryside thrown in as well. Add the expanding band of intrepid brothers and sisters that have made the journey from elsewhere and its a bit pioneery (I know that's not a word) - full of interesting people who want to spend less time paying a mortgage and more time doing other stuff. I digress, the key to this being a good place for me is the clash of cultures, both new and old to the place which make for a vibrant and on the whole, caring place. Its a town where the connections between people and the size of the place facilitate a close, cooperative community.
I fell from a ladder the other day, cut my head and went to A and E. It was quite a scary experience, and can make a self employed person think hard about how you support your family when there's a problem. I had a visitor that night. Warily opening the front door (we don't get many unexpected knocks on the door), it was a local dad who was there - someone who had been having serious back trouble for over two years. He offered to lend me money if I needed to take time from work. This is someone who probably needed this dough as much as I would have (as it happens I'm double hard and worked the following day), but he offered help anyway and the guy was valuing community and togetherness, letting me know that he was there in an emergency, and that's pretty cool in my book.
We bump up against each other all the time - on the school run, the commute, at work and in the pub, but generally we choose our clans and stick to them. To know your neighbours and community whether they are 40 years older or younger, or the crazy cat lady down the road, is one more way to give you the contentment and security of togetherness, a way of fighting loneliness and isolation, both yours and others..Value your edge and reap the benefits!
My most obvious physical edge is the front garden. When we had to fix the roof in Spring, we took advantage of the scaffolding and decided to paint the house (Bright pink , I might add - its a 3 girls in the house kinda thing!) but as we were doing it, people were stopping, looking, talking. Betty was offered cross stitch lessons by the next door but one neighbour, and people were together. I went and looked at the roof conversion over the road, the kids begin to recognise and know the people in the street, and that is invaluable.
I pulled out the Hypericum in the front garden, a good doer for a splash of yellow throughout the Summer, but in my opinion, of limited value and a bit boring. I left a great big hole, I got into trouble for that. I also ripped out the railings which I thought were ugly anyway. The reasons behind this were to open it up a bit more. Its probably the last thing you'd do for security - but bare with me. I'm opening up my edge. The next step is to grow food in the front garden, some small trees and berries. Its a sun trap, but its windy, - I'll build the soil, and maybe import a bit, but it'll be productive, and hopefully a talking point, and more secure with the knowledge that I'll have more friends in the street from that activity, as well as a bit of food.
I will plant an Apple tree I think, I've not decided on varieties, but I will blog exact details when the orders are made, it will definitely be on a dwarf root stock as this is a small front garden. I'll build a guild (A designed plant community). I'll include berries, herbs that enjoy a sunny aspect and biodynamic accumulators like Comfrey, (Biodynamic accumulators are like miners - the roots go deep and bring up minerals and nutrients that many other plants could do with but cant reach. Once chopped back - the leaves release these minerals in an area that can be utilised by other plants within the guild) - it is one way of minimising reliance on fertiliser which can be derived from environmentally damaging activity, and costs money.
Anything that can cope with some shade such as currants will be placed in trickier areas in the back, I will not be doing anything that is too close to the ground such as strawberries - there are a lot of cats around.
The idea is to create a guild which fills different spaces, both under and over ground. Just like branches and shoots, root systems are often very different. They can be flat and fibrous, long and tap rooted and anything in between. This is known as stacking - making use of all the space. Stacking also occurs over time with different times of flowering and fruiting - benefitting insect populations as well as ensuring a steady flow of beauty and food.
Anything that doesn't enjoy itself there will be taken out back to live a more sheltered lifestyle, but at this stage its a bit of educated experimentation. In a healthy polyculture, the connections between the plants should help each other to grow. Some will succeed others and as with all planting it will evolve. Its worth checking out the Ron Finley ted talk in my 'Heroes' post if you haven't already - you may be able to see some of my inspiration there! The power of growing food in clear sight of others will, I hope give people ideas. I hope that it will de mystify and connect things for people, and if people pinch the food - I just hope they enjoy it.
Value the edge - its where we meet, its where we learn new stuff and connect - I look at the gated communities in the richer parts of the world and I actually feel a bit sorry for them. Its closed and scared. We're lucky to not be paranoid that someones gonna take your stuff, because theres not much to take, really.
We are more and more isolated in todays society - screens take over, people compete rather than cooperate, government encourages debates such as shirker vs worker, and in general these distractions discourage community, create suspicions and keep us busy. Too busy to talk, too busy to check on one another, too busy to care. Lets break that. Lets make sure that our kids don't feel disempowered by all the shit that society floods them with, lets make our streets back into communities so that they can play out, and lets play out with them. I fully expect my kids to be putting stuff in the ground when the bare rooted trees arrive. I want them to understand how their food grows, and if my neighbours stop and talk whilst this is all happening on the edge then that would be great.
That's my first or second favourite permaculture principle, depending on my mood. It means that we should understand, identify and value where different forms of life bump up against each other.
A well versed example would be the barreness and one dimensional problems that occur with traditional monocultures. Fields of wheat or corn are pretty damaging with regards to environmental impacts because of the way they are managed and habitat loss, it also isn't the best thing for our health and wellbeing. And it definitely ain't natural.
Polycultures; shorelines, forest edges, and estuaries, on the other hand, are good examples of where life springs from diversity. Multiple habitats are formed and the links between them nurture life and create complex and endless synergies and partnerships.
I love St Leonards and Hastings- there I've said it! it reminds me of the melting pot of London, but I get the sea and countryside thrown in as well. Add the expanding band of intrepid brothers and sisters that have made the journey from elsewhere and its a bit pioneery (I know that's not a word) - full of interesting people who want to spend less time paying a mortgage and more time doing other stuff. I digress, the key to this being a good place for me is the clash of cultures, both new and old to the place which make for a vibrant and on the whole, caring place. Its a town where the connections between people and the size of the place facilitate a close, cooperative community.
I fell from a ladder the other day, cut my head and went to A and E. It was quite a scary experience, and can make a self employed person think hard about how you support your family when there's a problem. I had a visitor that night. Warily opening the front door (we don't get many unexpected knocks on the door), it was a local dad who was there - someone who had been having serious back trouble for over two years. He offered to lend me money if I needed to take time from work. This is someone who probably needed this dough as much as I would have (as it happens I'm double hard and worked the following day), but he offered help anyway and the guy was valuing community and togetherness, letting me know that he was there in an emergency, and that's pretty cool in my book.
We bump up against each other all the time - on the school run, the commute, at work and in the pub, but generally we choose our clans and stick to them. To know your neighbours and community whether they are 40 years older or younger, or the crazy cat lady down the road, is one more way to give you the contentment and security of togetherness, a way of fighting loneliness and isolation, both yours and others..Value your edge and reap the benefits!
My most obvious physical edge is the front garden. When we had to fix the roof in Spring, we took advantage of the scaffolding and decided to paint the house (Bright pink , I might add - its a 3 girls in the house kinda thing!) but as we were doing it, people were stopping, looking, talking. Betty was offered cross stitch lessons by the next door but one neighbour, and people were together. I went and looked at the roof conversion over the road, the kids begin to recognise and know the people in the street, and that is invaluable.
I pulled out the Hypericum in the front garden, a good doer for a splash of yellow throughout the Summer, but in my opinion, of limited value and a bit boring. I left a great big hole, I got into trouble for that. I also ripped out the railings which I thought were ugly anyway. The reasons behind this were to open it up a bit more. Its probably the last thing you'd do for security - but bare with me. I'm opening up my edge. The next step is to grow food in the front garden, some small trees and berries. Its a sun trap, but its windy, - I'll build the soil, and maybe import a bit, but it'll be productive, and hopefully a talking point, and more secure with the knowledge that I'll have more friends in the street from that activity, as well as a bit of food.
I will plant an Apple tree I think, I've not decided on varieties, but I will blog exact details when the orders are made, it will definitely be on a dwarf root stock as this is a small front garden. I'll build a guild (A designed plant community). I'll include berries, herbs that enjoy a sunny aspect and biodynamic accumulators like Comfrey, (Biodynamic accumulators are like miners - the roots go deep and bring up minerals and nutrients that many other plants could do with but cant reach. Once chopped back - the leaves release these minerals in an area that can be utilised by other plants within the guild) - it is one way of minimising reliance on fertiliser which can be derived from environmentally damaging activity, and costs money.
Anything that can cope with some shade such as currants will be placed in trickier areas in the back, I will not be doing anything that is too close to the ground such as strawberries - there are a lot of cats around.
The idea is to create a guild which fills different spaces, both under and over ground. Just like branches and shoots, root systems are often very different. They can be flat and fibrous, long and tap rooted and anything in between. This is known as stacking - making use of all the space. Stacking also occurs over time with different times of flowering and fruiting - benefitting insect populations as well as ensuring a steady flow of beauty and food.
Anything that doesn't enjoy itself there will be taken out back to live a more sheltered lifestyle, but at this stage its a bit of educated experimentation. In a healthy polyculture, the connections between the plants should help each other to grow. Some will succeed others and as with all planting it will evolve. Its worth checking out the Ron Finley ted talk in my 'Heroes' post if you haven't already - you may be able to see some of my inspiration there! The power of growing food in clear sight of others will, I hope give people ideas. I hope that it will de mystify and connect things for people, and if people pinch the food - I just hope they enjoy it.
Value the edge - its where we meet, its where we learn new stuff and connect - I look at the gated communities in the richer parts of the world and I actually feel a bit sorry for them. Its closed and scared. We're lucky to not be paranoid that someones gonna take your stuff, because theres not much to take, really.
We are more and more isolated in todays society - screens take over, people compete rather than cooperate, government encourages debates such as shirker vs worker, and in general these distractions discourage community, create suspicions and keep us busy. Too busy to talk, too busy to check on one another, too busy to care. Lets break that. Lets make sure that our kids don't feel disempowered by all the shit that society floods them with, lets make our streets back into communities so that they can play out, and lets play out with them. I fully expect my kids to be putting stuff in the ground when the bare rooted trees arrive. I want them to understand how their food grows, and if my neighbours stop and talk whilst this is all happening on the edge then that would be great.
Friday, 22 November 2013
The Forage (1)
The Forage
When you think about how shitty a lot of the food system chains are, it's almost nice to know its only horse that goes into the lasagne.
A few years back I was completely trusting of the systems that govern us, our food, our energy, banking etc..I believed that if things were THAT bad then surely someone would do something about it.....
After expenses scandals, energy companies taking the piss, the bailing out of banks who appear to continue a champagne lifestyle while the poorest continue to shiver, police corruption and press scandals - I ran out of trust - it took about 12 months or so for it to happen. I no longer believe that 'they' really give a shit - and although its a pretty cynical place to end up in, its kind of freeing.
I realise we are all inextricably linked to it, I know that - but I see the systems for what they are, and I will do my best to limit my reliance on them.
This post is about foraging - I promise, and whilst there are many reasons to forage (its free, fun, gets you out etc,,,) I believe its more than that - its a fuck you to the supermarkets, to the companies that flog crap to you to feed to your kids, and its a small, first step towards REGAINING CONTROL of the most important thing of all - the food we eat.
Foraging just got political, Yeah that's right - get angry - get foraging!
Foraging is Sweeeeet:
We had a day with Michael White out in Kent, looking at foraged foods. I was expecting to Find stuff that I would eat if I was showing off or if I was in a bit of a pickle, but my god I was surprised. The food tasted lovely. it being autumn the focus was on mushrooms, berries and roots. We met Michael by his fields, sat in his shack while he explained the rules (don't over pick, don't eat anything you are unsure of etc...(basically don't be an idiot)) and then we went on a four mile circular walk. Lunch was a lovely venison stew and then we prepared, cooked and tasted the forage. The small group was cool - everyone was chilled out and it was really nice for Michelle and me to have a day in the countryside together without the kids and doing something new, trying and eating new things.
Its really important that people don't go out and start eating things which they are not really sure about - you can kill yourself, but if you can be hand held by someone that knows what they are talking about, that fear can be turned into freedom, and that's the best.
A selection of the foods we tried:
Nettles - the young leaves, steamed with a bit of oil - tasted like spinach, but apparently, more nutritious.
Nettles are one of the most powerful iron sources in the vegetable kingdom.
Great for anaemia, for during menstruation (to top up departing iron stocks) and as a general blood tonic. Whenever you feel run down, or tired, think nettles!
Rose hips - scooped out with a spoon ( the insides are fibrous and will cause a problem) and the hollowed out hips are then boiled up with a bit of sugar and strained through a muslin
Rose hips are particularly high in Vitamin C, one of the richest plant sources available.
A study of a rose hip preparation for treating rheumatoid arthritis concluded that there was a benefit, apparently due to both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.
Rose hips are used to help prevent colds and flu.
Dandelion root coffee - this was dandelion root scrubbed clean, roasted to a burnt black, mashed up and put through a coffee percolator. And do you know what? It tasted like coffee. Good for liver - has a laxative effect and is currently in trials for its effects in cancer treatment. There is loads of info out there, you can even buy it online but its worth doing - maybe you'll start seeing those weeds differently
The day was great - we saw and tried loads more but I didn't want to bore you, also this is the most easily identifiable stuff. Maybe I'll put the rest in a new post, one concentrating on the mushrooms.
After the horse meat scandal - food became the latest scale to fall from my eyes. It always seems to boil down to money, and if there's a short cut to be made, it will, in all probability happen. This is obviously increasingly likely in a long, convoluted system that spans countries and continents. Add on to this the fact that we don't know how a lot of the food is produced, what chemicals are used, how animals are farmed, how workers are treated and how much fuel it takes to get it to you and you begin to question our systems. Foraging is never going to replace your supermarket shop - but it might help you think differently about things. Its pretty clear that a lot of this stuff is actually healthier than a lot of farmed super foods. Highly recommended - go forage!
When you think about how shitty a lot of the food system chains are, it's almost nice to know its only horse that goes into the lasagne.
A few years back I was completely trusting of the systems that govern us, our food, our energy, banking etc..I believed that if things were THAT bad then surely someone would do something about it.....
After expenses scandals, energy companies taking the piss, the bailing out of banks who appear to continue a champagne lifestyle while the poorest continue to shiver, police corruption and press scandals - I ran out of trust - it took about 12 months or so for it to happen. I no longer believe that 'they' really give a shit - and although its a pretty cynical place to end up in, its kind of freeing.
I realise we are all inextricably linked to it, I know that - but I see the systems for what they are, and I will do my best to limit my reliance on them.
This post is about foraging - I promise, and whilst there are many reasons to forage (its free, fun, gets you out etc,,,) I believe its more than that - its a fuck you to the supermarkets, to the companies that flog crap to you to feed to your kids, and its a small, first step towards REGAINING CONTROL of the most important thing of all - the food we eat.
Foraging just got political, Yeah that's right - get angry - get foraging!
Foraging is Sweeeeet:
- Because its free
- Because it helps us regain connection with our food AND our surroundings
- It gives us a sense of control, freedom and peace
- The food is really good for us
- There's no shit in there and no one has tampered with it
- it's a big 'No thanks' to the companies making us fat
- It means we are eating seasonally
- There are no chains, no food miles
We had a day with Michael White out in Kent, looking at foraged foods. I was expecting to Find stuff that I would eat if I was showing off or if I was in a bit of a pickle, but my god I was surprised. The food tasted lovely. it being autumn the focus was on mushrooms, berries and roots. We met Michael by his fields, sat in his shack while he explained the rules (don't over pick, don't eat anything you are unsure of etc...(basically don't be an idiot)) and then we went on a four mile circular walk. Lunch was a lovely venison stew and then we prepared, cooked and tasted the forage. The small group was cool - everyone was chilled out and it was really nice for Michelle and me to have a day in the countryside together without the kids and doing something new, trying and eating new things.
Its really important that people don't go out and start eating things which they are not really sure about - you can kill yourself, but if you can be hand held by someone that knows what they are talking about, that fear can be turned into freedom, and that's the best.
A selection of the foods we tried:
Nettles - the young leaves, steamed with a bit of oil - tasted like spinach, but apparently, more nutritious.
Nettles are one of the most powerful iron sources in the vegetable kingdom.
Great for anaemia, for during menstruation (to top up departing iron stocks) and as a general blood tonic. Whenever you feel run down, or tired, think nettles!
Eating nettles or drinking the tea makes your skin clearer and healthier, good for eczema and other skin conditions. Nettle tea can also be used as a tonic for garden plants
Chickweed - A bit more texture than the nettles - more of a pea flavour too.
Chickweed is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, sodium, selenium, and silicon. That sounds pretty good to me - and chickweed, like nettles grows EVERYWHERE - you don't need to be in the Kent countryside for this folks!
Rose hips - scooped out with a spoon ( the insides are fibrous and will cause a problem) and the hollowed out hips are then boiled up with a bit of sugar and strained through a muslin
Rose hips are particularly high in Vitamin C, one of the richest plant sources available.
A study of a rose hip preparation for treating rheumatoid arthritis concluded that there was a benefit, apparently due to both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.
Rose hips are used to help prevent colds and flu.
Dandelion root coffee - this was dandelion root scrubbed clean, roasted to a burnt black, mashed up and put through a coffee percolator. And do you know what? It tasted like coffee. Good for liver - has a laxative effect and is currently in trials for its effects in cancer treatment. There is loads of info out there, you can even buy it online but its worth doing - maybe you'll start seeing those weeds differently
The day was great - we saw and tried loads more but I didn't want to bore you, also this is the most easily identifiable stuff. Maybe I'll put the rest in a new post, one concentrating on the mushrooms.
After the horse meat scandal - food became the latest scale to fall from my eyes. It always seems to boil down to money, and if there's a short cut to be made, it will, in all probability happen. This is obviously increasingly likely in a long, convoluted system that spans countries and continents. Add on to this the fact that we don't know how a lot of the food is produced, what chemicals are used, how animals are farmed, how workers are treated and how much fuel it takes to get it to you and you begin to question our systems. Foraging is never going to replace your supermarket shop - but it might help you think differently about things. Its pretty clear that a lot of this stuff is actually healthier than a lot of farmed super foods. Highly recommended - go forage!
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Heroes
This guy is so cool - so worth a watch....
Ron Finley - South Central hero
And this shows what could be done....
The daddy of permaculture.... stick with it - its only 5 minutes!
Ron Finley - South Central hero
And this shows what could be done....
The daddy of permaculture.... stick with it - its only 5 minutes!
What am I going to grow?
OK, I look at this enormous life change, and its easiest to break things down in to doable chunks, I am also fundamentally lazy, so pontificating is what I do best. The worst thing I can do here is rush in and then regret actions at my leisure. This would also impact on another bugbear of mine, wasting money.
Of course this is a very involved process. The 'Survey' is an important part of the plan.
I start with looking at what we, as a family eat, no point in growing stuff to chuck it out:
Apples
Pears
Bananas
Grapes
Satsumas
Blueberries
Raspberries
Carrots
Potatoes
Parsnips
Garlic
Tomatoes
Peppers
Chillies
Aubergines
Sweetcorn
Squash
Courgettes
Salads
Beans - French/Broad/Runner
Herbs - Tarragon/Basil/Parsley etc...
I then look at what can be grown in my climate - this takes out bananas, satsumas but most other things are doable
Apples
Pears
Grapes
Blueberries
Raspberries
Carrots
Potatoes
Parsnips
Garlic
Tomatoes
Peppers
Chillies
Aubergines
Sweetcorn
Squash
Courgettes
Salads
Beans - French/Broad/Runner
Herbs - Tarragon/Basil/Parsley etc..
I have an array of microclimates throughout the year, and throughout the garden. The solar aspect means that I can grow stuff outside the kitchen door during the summer as the sun will hit that spot during the afternoon. During the winter however the sun never reaches that far around. The end of the garden receives sun all year round - it just suffers from being at the end of the garden! I need to marry my crops with their microclimates. This is very important - right plant right place
Some things will give me a better yield with the limited space I have. Some things will also be better suited to the solutions I have in order to be able to plant eg. I can grow salads in guttering attached to a wall. I can grow tomatoes against a sunny south facing wall,
The main limitation I have in this space is its size. The fact that I want it to perform so many functions other than just grow food means that Michelle has not allowed me to dig the whole thing up and create an allotment or rather, food forest. I have to be cleverer than that.
So I look at my list and decide what might be on my first ( but by no means final) shit list. I will revisit this later in order to see if there are any other solutions available here.
Stuff that needs too much room and time is eradicated
Apples
Pears
Grapes
Blueberries
Raspberries
Tomatoes
Peppers
Chillies
Aubergines
Squash
Courgettes
Salads
Beans - French/Broad/Runner
Herbs - Tarragon/Basil/Parsley etc..
I know the remainder will either continue to crop over years if maintained correctly, or will give me a decent yield from relatively small spaces or few plants
Right - so I've decided what is probably going to do ok in my space, whats going to give me the best potential yields, and I now want to think of placements and communities (or guilds) - the idea being that we mix it all up a bit - certain crops are gonna flower and crop at certain times - we try and engineer a community so that we attract pollinators in, predators to take out pests, plants which create habitat for other plants and plants which accumulate nutrients which in turn feed others...
Another way of maximising the space is through my systems. I include here a south facing shack wall, sun trap on the South western facing corner, wall guttering throughout, espaliered trees, pergolas, smaller structures for climbers and potentially hugel mounds (I'll explain this lot later).
So we've looked at space - now time and effort - I am WELL LAZY! I don't want to garden as hard as I do every day on the weekend - I want to concentrate on other stuff - so one of the real points here is to emulate natural systems so that the stuff looks after itself - just like in nature. this is better for the environment and me. Guilds are an essential part of this - as are perennial no dig systems. It ends up basically covering the fruit - but if I were to include globe artichokes, asparagus, Rhubarb, some of the walking onions, traditional forage and weedy stuff and change my mindset a bit then we've got loads of stuff.
With regards to the annuals like tomatoes, salads, courgettes and beans - its not actually as bad as you'd think if we give em what they need. by building soil through good practice, and building watering systems that require minimal interaction from me - i'm hoping to build something that after an initial burst of effort, requires very little. Watch this space!
Monday, 11 November 2013
Hello
My name is Mark.
I am writing this blog to record my adventures towards taking control of my treadmill lifestyle, and making it more sustainable, ethical and interesting.
I am writing this blog to record my adventures towards taking control of my treadmill lifestyle, and making it more sustainable, ethical and interesting.
So this is an attempt at an escape from bad food and high energy costs, and a journey towards a better understanding of how to stand on my own two feet.
I am aiming for abundance through an edible landscape in my garden, brewing my own beer and learning to preserve and cook what I have more effectively.
Part of the plan includes building a growing shack from as much recycled material as possible. This will:
• Enable me to create a workshop for building projects.
• Allow me to create microclimates, both for my plants, my beer, and myself.
• Be a structure that supports water harvest and distribution
• Be an ace place to shoot the breeze and get slowly sozzled in the sun!
Using permaculture principles throughout, I hope to showcase how I can grow food in a really normal garden, without investing too much time and money and creating a yield (making it worthwhile both in terms of money and in terms of effort)
I am aware that there is loads of information on this sort of stuff out there. This is a very normal back yard. I am a very normal person, with little time, even less money and all the normal pressures of life. This means I will probably make loads of mistakes. But that's probably going to be the most interesting parts, so that's ok then!
I look after large gardens in the area. They are generally very beautiful, but I spend an awful lot of time cutting lawns, weeding and molly coddling plants. The garden I am aiming to create does have to be beautiful, but it will not be so high maintenance. I will be designing and maintaining by emulating natural systems, using plant communities that look after each other (guilds), using systems that utilise resources to their fullest, identifying and using microclimates and understanding the landscape I am in.
The garden at the moment is a mess. This is mainly because I have had little time to sort it out. I have, however been thinking, and actual implementation of any garden projects should, I hope, be reasonably swift.
stay tuned
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