On my smallholding - an orchard and forest garden (From Smallholder)

On my smallholding - an orchard and forest garden

10:10am Monday 30th August 2010 in

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I love September with a passion. Really I should hate it as I was not a huge fan of school but despite those gloomy memories, the excitement of harvesting from the garden and from the fields, the warmth of the days compared with the slight crispness of the nights and the dramatic changing of the countryside all combine to make it one of my favourite months together with May. Both these months herald a change and that in itself is exciting. Make your winter plans in September and you can look forward to a warm and comfortable season, make your summer plans in May and you can confidentally expect to have a good harvest. This autumn and winter we are planning to plant a cross between a permaculture forest garden and a traditional orchard on our smallholding. Our large veg patch has gradually been moved (albeit smaller) closer to the house to raised beds and a more controlled situation – with a poly tunnel also awaiting erection. So we have decided to utilise the previous garden area to experiment with ideas such as a fruit hedge, a ‘grow your own” foraging area, nut trees, apple trees and even to introduce funghi. We are going on a course run by the Eastern Apple and Orchard Project on how to start an orchard which I think will be very helpful and are keenly viewing a DVD on Forest Gardens. There's more on Liz and her smallholding if you click on to Editor's Blog