What changes can we make to our lives to deal with the economic and energy crises ahead? Have you already started making preparations? Got tips to share?
hardworkinghippy wrote:Quinces are lovely! They make a great jelly dipped in chocolate - wonderful !
Catweazle we feed the goats everywhere on the land at different seasons.
This is our land, the dark bits are wood and the square bits are cereal. The mess at the top right is the house. There's a stream running through the middle.
PIC REMOVED to save space
None of the animals eat Holly except when it's very soft at the ends in Spring. We're careful about what we let them eat. If we want to protect a little woodland with new growth, flowers in seed or whatever, we shut it off. In a soggy winter they don't go down to the stream. Of course, everyone's banned from the woods in the Cep and Chanterelle season.
We get a good selection of game too.
That looks heavenly good - well done I can't grow that variety but I look forward to many nuts and berries to supplement the wood.
Eatyourveg and Janco2 - great stuff - variety is key I think
fifthcolumn wrote:Wow is that a genuine hair shirt?
If it's wool, it is. It's sheep hair!!
We've got seven on the list and some walnut trees to go in once we finish a deer proof enclosure. They trashed our first attempt at a forest garden and we've had about twenty shot since so that should ease the grazing pressure a bit. Hopefully we will have strawberries, carrots, low fruiting apples and brassicas this year as well.
Catweazle wrote:
I'll soon be planting:My list in red (Keela)
Walnuts (Juglans regia) Yes - planting 2 this year as soon as they arrive
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) several in our 10 yr old wood
Crab Apples (Malus sylvestris) one ancient crabapple here planted by my Gran
Yew (Taxus bacata)Will NEVER plant this -it is HIGHLY TOXIC to horses
Hazel (Corylus avellana) several native planted last year and one domestic cobnut
Hawthorn (Crateagus monogyna) masses in our hedges!
Field Maple (Acer campestre) in our planted woodland
Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus) beating them back!
Wild Strawberries (Fragaria vesca) these might be nice.....
Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) I think I have one of these... off to check ID
Dog Rose (Rosa canina) some of these in hedgerows locally - must check hedge again this year where I think there is one/two on our land
Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)I planted 20 of 2 varieties 5 years ago - they do propagate well! Very delicious and prolific!
Elder I transplanted four of these from my parent's place last year
It's amazing what a diverse list of plants can be achieved....
Papino Melon (Solanum muricatum) P9 key
Also known as the Melo Pear this superb patio subject will produce blue flowers followed by edible juicy fruits that have a similar taste to Honeydew melons. Keep frost free. Ideal to cultivate in the conservatory.
They look very interesting. Keela, what do you think "killed" the plants and are they generally fragile?
I think lack of attention.... just as I was about to plant them out there was a scare here that blight infected plants had been propagated and sold in UK and there were worries that these would act as starting points for earlier blight outbreaks in potatoes etc. Understandably I was concerned - so I shifted them in their pots to a corner "until I decided what to do". They didn't get much attention and were generally forgotten about until late last year. So I'll dust them off and take a look..... but maybe blight has already done them in.... after all a few of my spuds got it late last year. This year I've ordered spuds that are more blight resistant.
Blight and disease in general's a real pain so it's a good idea to have as much diversity and plant your stuff well spaced out. (The plants I mean!)
Andy, that fruit bush looks tasty. I don't have a conservatory - don't even have a bloomin' greenhouse this year. The storms here have been really bad over the past few years and plastic and glass just won't stand up to the wind.
I must admit I don't have a conservatory either, just a 'green frame' (halfway between a greenhouse and a cold frame!!) which might do for overwintering these things, they can live out on the patio in the summer.
They just looked tasty . . . and might complement the berries in the garden nicely!! I haven't had much luck with actual real melons, although I'm trying a new mini-strain this year, one last shot before I give up!!
Apart from that, I am going in the opposite direction of exotic really - getting back to the staple stuff like roots crops, leeks etc I think, I haven't really mastered the basics yet to be honest so there's not much point in going for the more fancy stuff!!
Andy Hunt wrote:Apart from that, I am going in the opposite direction of exotic really - getting back to the staple stuff like roots crops, leeks etc I think, I haven't really mastered the basics yet to be honest so there's not much point in going for the more fancy stuff!!
I'm much the same. Master a year-round harvest, then start experimenting with more unusual stuff.
The one exception I'm making is quinoa, which I think should do well if I can get the timing right.
I tried oca for the first time last year (from Real Seeds). It can be used in place of potatoes as I usually get some blight on mine and often don't quite grow enough to last the complete year.
They taste OK, were a bit on the small side and are a bit fiddly to prepare but it was such a lousy summer last year so I'm growing them again this year and hoping for a better crop.
You keep some back to grow the next year.
There's a stream running through the middle.
I can't grow that variety but I look forward to many nuts and berries to supplement the wood. 
I think I managed to kill a couple of goji berries last year. I left the carcasses in place in case I was wrong...... but I'm not optimistic! 
