Hazel Grove – Project

[DaRC]

Hey Romelia - the work is looking good; it must be handy to have a trusty whip all my work in the garden seems to be goaded by self flagellation

Get well soon - I hope you're back up to speed asap.

[Dryadia2]

Feel better soon, Romelia!

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[Lizzy]

Awww... sweetie, I hope you will feel better soon

[Romelia]

HI!
Thanks for all the get wells. I am feeling better every day and rising stronger from the ashes. I think sometimes you just got to pick your self up and get on with it. Plus i have Hazel Grove for motivation and to keep me sane ,...oh!...and a demanding voice!

There's a link to a recipe including japanese knotweed here. Not that it would give you a reason to keep the stuff, but short term while you're hacking any new growth back it could be handy.

I read it was good for certain ailments but i cant find where i read it!

BB

Romelia

[Romelia]

Hello!
Well the weather has turned for the worse and so we have had to work our socks off to clear more rubbish from the plot. Since we now have access to all the plot, measurements have been taken so it is 72ft by 48ft. Nice little size!
I still think its going to take another two skips to clear it all and some serious hard work. But its worth it!
Yesterday I went down to see if my rhubarb was ready but I don’t think it is. Cant wait to start cooking with fresh fruit and veg!
While there I took some hawthorn cuttings to see if I could grow a few bushes. I plan to have Hazel and Hawthorn hedges to attract the wildlife. Although Hazel Grove already has a tone of frogs! They are everywhere! So im not so worried about the slugs.

Anyway, hope you are all wizza and jolly

BB

R

[DaRC]

Oooh you got Frogs;
we had one stay the first year (probably from next door's pond) and I'm hoping to get some frogspawn forn the little pond I put in this year.
Then the plan is the froggies eat the sluggies....

[Dryadia2]

Lucky you, Romelia!

Frogs are Mother Nature's barometer of a healthy ecosystem!

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[Aylyn]

Then the plan is the froggies eat the sluggies....

That might be an empty hope... I had a pond in the garden, lots of frogs and frogspawn, but NOBODY liked the slugs

In the end, I resorted to use a large brick...

[Romelia]

Well today you can guess where I have been! The clue is on my muddy boots! We have been collecting more acorns and have managed to plant them along with some hazel! So my greenhouse is rather full. First thing this morning I tottered down and started my fire, and got started on sweeping the greenhouse out followed by cleaning the soil up where the knot weed was. I don’t think it dare show itself yet! Anyway I took my tatty journal and got writing, occasionally distracted by the fire and the birds feeding on the seed I put out. The Robin came down to me to say hi. Either to say hi or steel the fires warmth for a bit! Its become a big part of me now, building a fire. It’s a definite sense of place. I think that almost anywhere could be home if you built one. I’m learning so much more about independence and self sufficiency.

In fact when I was gathering acorns we came across a young man who smelt a bit funky but had been living without main shelter for a while. He knows where all the free fruit and vedge is in the north east and of course wild plants he uses for medicine and food. He makes a bit of money by collecting rubbish for recycling, and attends many meetings with the council about the environment. When we told him about Hazel Grove he gave us some Hazel nuts. He has been after an allotment for a while and so I gave him a few names to be getting on with. I said he was most welcome to come down and share a fire. It reminds me actually….I went to see Ray Mears a while ago, it was an excellent lecture. He is a big inspiration to me. And to this guy we met!

Here are some photos I took today and of Ray!

BB

Romelia

[Dryadia2]

I'm really enjoying your updates, Romelia!
Keep 'em coming!

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[Romelia]

Hey all.
Just thought id pop by and give you some more photos that i took today. Its still a long way to go but its coming along nicely! Any suggestions and ideas for the grove are most welcome!

BB

Romelia

[Dryadia2]

Oh, I absolutely love those thatched-roof birdhouses! Way cool!
As for Grove ideas...have you decided what kinds of trees you are going to plant, and where?
I think (in addition to trees), it would be nice to plant some honeysuckle along the fences. Honeysuckle is an Ogham plant. And hummingbirds, bees, & butterflies like the nectar from the flowers.

Have you mapped out where to plant the vegies? Are you going to have berries, melons, and/or other fruit plants, and fruit trees? (Remember, that some squash, will cross-pollinate with some melons...I learned the hard way, and had weird looking and tasting squash and melons. But my iguana didn't care, she ate them anyway).

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[Lizzy]

I love the little birdhouses too!!!

Can't wait to see the end-result, but i't's really nice to follow the process Romelia, thank you so much for all these updates, I always look forward to them!!!

[Aylyn]

Looks like you still got a long way to go, Romelia, but I know it will be worth it. The birdhouses look fab, and remind me of the ways to make the gardens more insect friendly by putting bundles of straw into the trees as a hiding place for insects. There are many small ways to make the garden a haven for wildlife, and it is really worth it after all the hard work.

When I see you garden, I am reminded of the one I had in Frankfuer: When I took it iver it ws completely overgrown and I extracted 4 tons of rubbish from it before we could start planting. Looked similar to what you have now. When I left it after 10 years, it was a haven for wildlife and plants, and exploded with energy - I am sure yours will be the same. Just don't get discouraged...

[Romelia]

some squash, will cross-pollinate with some melons...I learned the hard way, and had weird looking and tasting squash and melons. But my iguana didn't care, she ate them anyway

Excellent!!!!

Thanks for your support guys. I have some designs for insect houses and a pond. Its going to be a wildlife pond, part bog (well i got the room!) so any ideas for bog planting would be a help! As for trees...so far i have got Oak, Hazel, Rowan and Hawthorn growing away in pots. I plan to have willow and Birch too. As i have said before pm me if you have any seeds, nuts or cuttings!

it was a haven for wildlife and plants, and exploded with energy

I hope that one day Hazel grove will reflect the same.

BB

Romelia

[Ade Sundog]

Hello Romelia

Great to see the progress , its amazing .
Heres a link for ideas for wet/damp area planting native species.

http://www.naturescape.co.uk/acatalog/Pond_marsh.html

Keep up the good work!
All the best

Ade

[Aylyn]

so far i have got Oak, Hazel, Rowan and Hawthorn growing away in pots. I plan to have willow and Birch too.

I would go easy on the Birch, they tend to grow fast and VERY large and might become too much on your garden. Also, you need to find out if there are any rules about tree size on your allotment - in Germany there is a limit to the kind of trees that can be planted, as large trees tend to take away water and light from the meighbours. So before you are asked to remove a beautiful tree, ensure you can have it in the first place - or keep it in a pot and make it a bonsai

[Romelia]

would go easy on the Birch, they tend to grow fast and VERY large and might become too much on your garden. Also, you need to find out if there are any rules about tree size on your allotment

Hi Aylyn
There are restrictions but because im on the end plot the council guy in charge said i could plant some trees as there are big trees at the side and top of me. I am also allowed to plant a few trees outside my plot too! So one half is shaded the other sunny. I guess it will give me a chance to have quite a variation of planting. But yes your right i wouldn’t plant anything that would have to come out again or anything to upset neighbours! I always ask them for advice and test the water about my plans!

Progress is still slow. I find myself getting there and just relaxing with a fire! I am pottering though. I think im going to enjoy it more if i take my time.

Thanks for the bog link. Ill start the pond in the next two months. There is so much to do!

BB

Romelia

[Aylyn]

I might be prejudiced, but if I had a chance of planting a big tree, I would definitely go for Walnut or Sweet Cherry - just because I love all the good stuff that comes off them. The best part of Autumn was always picking up the walnuts that fell of the neighbour's tree into my garden and watching the squirrels do the same.

Anyway, remember it is Winter now - it is the time for pottering, doing some slow building work and in general not doing too much apart from planning for next spring. So take it easy, no pressure, and enjoy the calm before the storm

[Romelia]

Well today has been so sunny we decided to head for Hazel Grove! As usual I started the fire. Lots of crisp leaves around to get it going. I marked out where I want the pond and started to dig…only to discover I was digging down towards a manhole!!!! I think I can work around it! Anyway I have some more pics showing the pond and the beautiful day around and in the grove. Also I have taken a pic of my first ever plan for the plot! Ill draw up some new ones and post them at a later date.

BB

Romelia