Making the most of our glimpse of spring and starting the food forest

We are taking advantage of this temporary burst of Spring to spend as much time outdoors as we can.  It's only supposed to be around for a couple of days, then back to cold and wet again.

(Dewdrop is loving on Twinkle's son Scruffy who went to live with our neighbors)

We've hung the banner I'm painting for An Enchanted Affaire in the garage and I hope to get all the backgrounds down before the cold hits again. Then I'll have to wait for a warmer day to come out and finish.

Its HUGE!  Much larger than the one I made last year for Kim's Tiffany event. If this was a few inches bigger, I wouldn't be able to fit it onto the wall.  As it is, the soffit is in the way, I'll have to paint the rest of the banner, then move it down and finish that spot that is bunched up right now.

We have also begun on the Nathan Family Fairy Food Forest.  By "me", I mean my son and his Gypsy Beloved. 

What's a food forest?  Well, it sounds like a good idea, but I'm a bit hazy on the details.  My kiddos have been researching for months to plan just the right way to do it, what to plant and how to do. Here is a definition from wikipedia:

Forest gardening is a low-maintenance sustainable plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans. Making use of companion planting, these can be intermixed to grow in a succession of layers, to build a woodland habitat.

Forest gardening is a prehistoric method of securing food in tropical areas. In the 1960s, Robert Hart adapted the principles and applied them to temperate climates.

They will also be incorporating hugelkulture.

Which involves piles of dirt.

Well, more than that, but its complicated to me.  There is stuff in the piles and it self waters some how.  

A backhoe has been rented for the week, but a lot of it is hand work.  I've not done much to help at all, beyond watching Dewdrop a few hours.

But since I've got a deadline for the banner, I can't do much to help in the yard right now. 

I'll be posting more about our all organic, sustainable, permaculture, heirloom seed, food forest as it progresses and I figure it out.  All I know is that I'll have all the fresh salads I could want from it, and I've been promised pretty trails through it. Plus climbing vines (with edible fruits of course), lots of flowers that attract beneficial bugs, and a potting shed.

As long as its pretty and provides tasty fresh food, I'm in! 

All my husband and I do is provide the land and the finances to purchase the plants, and rent the backhoe. 

Hippies will work for beets and lettuce, so all the labor is free!

The plan is to eventually turn our acreage into a real farm, where my son produces goods to sell at the farmer's market, and maybe even have a roadside stand in our yard.

Comments

[Linda P.]

Wow, I am impressed! It sounds like a really great project. Looking forward to seeing it in person!! That first picture of Dewdrop and Scruffy is the cutest thing!!!

[Sheila R]

What sweet pictures of Dewdrop and Scruffy! Can't wait to hear and see more about this food forest. Sounds interesting.

[Kim]

Getting beyond excited about the backdrop! Gahhhh!!!

[Laurie]

That is all so exciting about the farm -- I can't wait to see how it turns out! That backdrop is going to be great.

[Sandy]

Wow Karla, what an amazing project your family has undertaken, pretty brilliant actually, blessings on your new venture.

[Linda McMillin]

i wrote a comment then somehow lost it. i like reading about people using methods from the past. earth friendly, people friendly and usually pretty too. good luck to the Hippies on their new enterprise.