Forest Garden Design - 07

Transcription

1 Forest Garden Design - 07 INTRODUCTION Start date - November Finish - April 2017 Above left - View of garden area 2 years before design process begun - March Right - in the garden May Brief: Trees for firewood, fruit and nuts, Soft fruit for us, Shelter and berries for wildlife, Dye plants and natural saponifers, Composting space to build fertility, Small space for sitting I chose SADIM(ET) for this design. SURVEY Starting with Holmgren s Principle Observe and Interact, I surveyed the site, using PASTE as a design tool 1

2 J Martin Base map for forest garden March

3 Plants 3 rowan, 4 hawthorn, and 1 hazel trees (given free by Forestry Commission stall at the local Agricultural Show in the early 1990s), 3 self-seeded sycamores, 1 elder. In 2014 I started to plan it as part of Kinloch Permaculture, as a demonstration site for a small forest garden. 1 privet, Ivy on walls, former Christmas tree in corner - the only coniferous plant, though our neighbour has a couple of leylandii (fortunately cut back few years ago as they shaded our garden. Snowdrops, bluebells and daffodils naturalised in the grass. Raspberries, Blackcurrants, Bramble Animals Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Herring gull, Rook, Jackdaw, Great tit, Blue tit, Pied Wagtail, Feral pigeon, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Song thrush, Dunnock, Hooded Crow, occasional visits by migrants and raptors. Small tortoiseshell, Peacock, Red Admiral butterflies, Elephant Hawk Moth and others, Hawthorn shield bug and other insects, earthworms. No New Zealand flatworm - yet - though they are in our area and we certainly don t have as many worms as we used to! Neighbouring cats, occasional dog and grandchildren Structures Tool shed Small collapsed outhouse - belongs to the bit of ground-floor property owned by the other empty shop below us - itself owned by somebody in another town. The outhouse was used originally as a toilet but no longer functional - now an eyesore. 3

4 Overhead telephone wires from a pole situated next to our boundary wall, leading to neighbours houses Invisible structures - access for neighbours through gates in our garden. Tools Poles for the washing line - and the washing lines. Gates - one gate connecting the concreted yard area behind our house with the garden, another connecting the garden with our neighbours garden, as they have access through the communal close below our flat. The empty ground-floor property also has access, but nobody has used that place for about 18 years. Pallets tied together with twine as dividers for compost bins. Soil test - ph higher than I expected. Silty and sandy Events Washing is hung out to dry. People, and the visiting dog, occasionally use the garden for sunbathing or sitting in - never more than 8 at a time. There s a play park, football field and open countryside nearby. A resident colony of sparrows roost and nest in our and our neighbours gardens. Sectors/ Microclimate Considering factors of slope, light and shade, wind direction and shelter - we live in a very windy part of the country, and the high buildings nearby cause strong eddies - a common situation in urban areas. 4

5 Above - Map showing effect of prevailing wind and of easterlies, funnelled by adjacent buildings. The garden (19 m by 5 m) is flat and is surrounded by walls on 3 sides. It receives a fair amount of sun. The surrounding buildings and the walls on 3 sides also mean there is no sunlight at all reaching the garden at the winter solstice. The shade overlays below show the equinoctial and summer solstice shade areas. 5

6 J Martin, May 2017 (from sketch March 2016) 6

7 J Martin, May 2017 (from sketch June 2016) 7

8 Climate A summary of the W. Scotland can be found here: Table of monthly rainfall S.W. Scotland (millimetres) (from Met. Office) Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Annual

9 Minimum and Maximum mean daily temperatures, with days of air frost (in Bold) (Met office data for Ballypatrick Forest, Northern Ireland - 25 miles away) Jan Feb Mar April May June July

10 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec To summarise, we have a fairly reliable rainfall 165 cms annually. Our winter rainfall has increased by about 50% over the past 40 years, with a fall in summer rainfall. Overall there has been an increase of about 20% over this period. Being only 5m above sea level, we are usually frost-free from May to October. As can be seen above, there are quite large variations between years, and this trend is likely to increase in future as climate change causes more frequent severe weather events. More information on recent changes in our climate can be found at The above is also mentioned in design 05 Allotment. 10

11 Zones J Martin, May 2017 Zone map overlay It might seem more sensible to have our main zone 1 closer to home rather than at the allotment, but when we moved here our garden suffered badly from vandalism and invading dogs and cats. We grew vegetables for the first few years but them gave it up until I was allocated an allotment in This is only 150 metres away and is (relatively) secure. I can see my allotment from the upstairs windows in our 3-storey building. 11

12 ANALYSE In line with the Mollison principle Each important function is supported by many elements, the systems that would be put in place to fulfil the demands of the brief are supplied by the following elements and functions: Functions Systems Elements Firewood Tree prunings Sycamores, hazels, hawthorns Food and shelter for wildlife Build fertility Trees and shrubs Compost Plant life Sycamores, privet, ivy, bird boxes, wild corner See compost design Trees as above, shrubs, fungi Provide dyestuffs Dye plants Woad, weld, nettle, madder, nettle, foxglove, rhubarb, flag iris, privet Space to sit outside Grassed area Folding chairs and rugs - stored indoors and used in workshop area. Food for our kitchen fruit and nut-bearing plants, herbs Nut trees, fruit and herbs Forest gardens, mine included, are designed to include as many perennial plants as possible, to minimise work, build soils and increase biodiversity. This is also putting Holmgren s principles Use and Value renewable resources and services and Catch and Store Energy. 12

13 Ethics: Earth care In temperate regions forest gardens are ideal, since most land in these parts would be naturally forested in the absence of humans, especially in areas of high rainfall like the west of Scotland, where I am. Soil erosion is minimised and new soil is built. Trees provide shelter and food for animals - domestic and wild, which in turn increases the fertility and biodiversity of the land, as in the Mollison & Slay principle - Cycling of Energy, Nutrients and resources People care There s a lot of controversy about how much forest gardening can contribute to meeting our food needs in the UK, but this system needs far fewer inputs than conventional farming as it s practised by agribusiness. The outputs of fresh food, fibre, building materials, and fuel mean that this is a diverse system capable of supporting a number of different occupations - for example Ben Law s Prickly Nut Wood. IN the face of the largely unknown effects of severe climate change, forest gardening is likely to prove more resilient than conventional arable. Forest environments have proven to be conducive to feelings of relaxation and calm, in these stressful times. Fair Shares As well as the economic potential for employment in the practice of Forest Gardening, the principle can be applied to large-scale land in any region of the world. Small-scale systems can be integrated with grazing on a mixed farm, or larger areas can be planted up and used as a foraging resource. Public parks planted with fruit and nut trees will encourage local residents to to reconnect will encourage the mindset that appreciates the land as a resource with which it s possible to maintain a balance to meet the needs of humanity without compromising the health of the ecosystem. Overall, demonstrating a Forest Garden and increasing awareness of the concept, is what I d like to be doing in my ScotLAND centre. 13

14 DESIGN J Martin, Design for forest garden April

15 The design part of the SADIM framework involved making decisions as to what species should be retained and what should be added. This involved applying the Holmgren principle Design from Patterns to Details. Below is the list of plants for the forest garden - those in red were there before 2014: Plant Why chosen Blackcurrant Ribes nigrum Cherry Prunus cerasus Raspberry Rubus idaeus Rhubarb Rheum cultorum Rowan Sorbus aucuparia Strawberry Fragaria ananassa Jam, puddings Chives Allium schoenoprasum Lovage Levisticum officinale Oregano Origanum vulgare Mint Mentha spicata Nettle Urtica dioica Rosemary Rosemarinus officinalis Sage Salvia officinalis Thyme Thymus vulgaris Herbs for food and medicinal use Mint in pots to prevent spread Nettle also a dye plant Blackthorn Prunus spinosa Elder Sambucus nigra Hawthorn Craetagus monogyna Hazel Corylus avellanus Hedging, fruit and nuts - Corylus varieties - 1 each of Corabel, Pearson s Prolific, Segorbe, Kent cob, Feriale, Cosford, Lewis. Privet also a dye plant 15

16 Cherry Prunus cerasus Privet Ligustrum vulgare Nettle Urtica dioica Woad Isatis tinctoria Weld Reseda luteola Madder Rubia Tinctora Flag iris Iris pseudacorus Dye plants - woad, weld and madder to be kept in pots to more easily meet cultivation needs Pea Pisum sativum Siberian pea tree Caragena arborescens Climbing edible plants Comfrey Symphytum officinale - Bocking 14 Mineral accumulator, compost tea Garlic Allium sativum Kale Brassica oleracea Food plants needing little care Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus Pollarded for Firewood Ivy Hedera helix Covers walls - shelter for wildlife Soapwort Saponaria officinalis For laundry and fleece preparation - in container 16

17 SMART goals: I will plant the remaining elements mentioned in the design, and will make the pond. (Specific) I will measure the yields and record growth with photographs. I will also have a notebook and scales on the table in the workshop space to record what is harvested. This will be particularly useful for the demonstration centre (Measurable). My daughter A and grandson G are coming to help. (Agreed upon) This will be done by mid-june 2017 (Realistic, Timebound) IMPLEMENT One-year-old cobnut (left) with 2-year old woad plants being kept for seed (right) 17

18 Above, from left: View of garden March hazel tree newly coppiced, cobnuts all planted; chives with label; lovage sprouting again in March Below, from left: morello cherry on north-facing wall; zone 5 corner (a blackbird pair nests here every year, usually rearing 2 broods - they didn t like me taking the photo!) showing corner of shed at left; strawberry. All taken 1 st May

19 MAINTAIN Between 2014 and 2016 the garden was maintained, producing firewood, fruit and herbs (blackcurrants and raspberries) herbs and dye plants. There was also plenty of compost. More weeding is needed than I had expected, but that will improve as the formerly grassed areas become colonised by the other plants spreading. EVALUATE What worked well: I was happy with the plants in the forest garden. Unlike my allotment there are no problems with drainage - the ground gets very wet in winter but dries quickly when the weather warms. I am sure the extra trees helped to take up excess water. I and my family enjoy spending time there. As most of the food plants, apart from the blackcurrants and raspberries, are fairly new, I don t know how much they will produce. I need to keep records of output. Small prunings are added to the compost; larger ones become kindling. Ed and Tracey came in March 2016 and helped to tidy up. Ed coppiced the old hazel for me. I can see I should have done this long ago - the tree is about 23 years old and shaded much of the centre of the garden in summer. It was too old to produce many nuts, though it had done some years ago. I spent for the pots, planters, and cobnut trees (see supplementary material for breakdown) and some compost to fill them. Most plants I grew from seed or cuttings - the majority given by friends and fellow allotment-holders (we swap seeds and plants habitually). What has been a challenge: The design has not yet been completed - soapwort, Siberian pea tree, blackthorn, and flag iris aren t there yet.. It s too easy to concentrate on allotment work where timing is more critical, and neglect pruning in the forest garden. I must try to do this little and often. Not very productive yet (apart from raspberries, blackcurrants, rowan, herbs and woad) Needs a routine to be established - pruning and tidying at least once a week. Grass needs clearing from areas that are dedicated to other plants or they will be choked. This too is best dealt with by regular maintenance. 19

20 Above left; weld and madder seedlings; above right: woad seedlings, all ready to plant in pots TWEAK In 2017 madder, woad and weld will be planted in deep pots instead of the garden. There are several reasons for this change: o ease of harvesting - no root entanglement with other plants o enabling rotation to prevent club root affecting woad o targeted nitrogen additions (dilute urine) which increases colour strength in dyestuff o increased flexibility for siting the plants as permanent plants expand (Mollison & Slay principle Accelerating succession and evolution) o can be taken indoors and/or covered for protection in winter Finish planting all the plants in the design: blackthorn, flag iris, Siberian pea, soapwort For the future: A pond would be good for wildlife. 20

21 REFLECTION Forest gardening seems such an important part of the permaculture way of doing things that I feel I have to have this working properly, particularly as it will soon (subject to approval) be part of the ScotLAND demonstration site network. Because small-scale forest gardens are relatively new there s a great need for experimentation, so the design process and the regular evaluation and tweaking that is involved should be carefully recorded and shared with others. I will have to be more serious about recording than I have been - to the extent that I should be measuring the amount of compost used, the changes in ph, the yield of food, fibre, dyestuff, wood fuel etc. I mean to evaluate more frequently, and will mark my planting diary to remind me when to do this. Better time-management would have helped the progress of this design, since I often lost track of the design process as well as the implementation. Not only was the implementation seriously behind schedule, but I neglected to do the writing-up as I went along, and this led to confusion. I have also learnt more about presenting the design. I have included tables on temperature and rainfall but this material would be better communicated using line graphs or bar charts. I will make these, but I need to brush up on my computer skills first! When they re done they will be put into the design when it goes online on my website. I will also think a bit more about how to convey information about the garden through more photos and charts. These will be far more accessible and adaptable for displays in my ScotLAND demonstration centre. They will also enable people to see the development of the space over time - how succession has proceeded, and how the garden has been managed and developed. 21