Today is a deep dive into how I am integrating perennials within our permaculture site, which up until now, has been heavily focused on annuals and landscaping, considering how new it is. However, perennials are a permanent feature and bring so many benefits to a landscape that compound over time. With exception to their initial cost, the more seasons that pass by, the greater the impact of that initial investment becomes. This video the very first in a new, more informal, video series to share thoughts, ideas, and discoveries as close to real time as possible – happy watching!
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Magnolia Syrup: https://farmerandchef.co.uk/blog/magnolia-syrup?rq=magnolia
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27 Comments
Lovely hearing about how far you all have gone with the perennials! As you were mentioning previously there is definitely lack of space for people that want to garden and make food forests. My own fruit trees have been in pots for last 3 years, and probably hate me very much for that 😂
Brilliant video that's Huw!
Your farm is amazing! So beautiful and productive! That is the biggest Ash tree I think I've ever seen! The layout, shape and existing natural formations are such an impact-full component of gardening. For example, we are a semi-alpine, low-lying, high water table farm, with a creek dividing our fields. Plus, we have a majestic line of Black Walnut trees along our entire northern boundary. All that to say, using what can be seen as a challenge, to our advantage is so much part of the fun. Thank for the tour!!
Love it. So many goals!! Thanks for the inspiration and wonderful knowledge (hello from Nova Scotia, Canada)
fyi "dom" in Afrikaans means stupid.
I've never seen black currant sage.
Saucer magnolia petals are my favorite, I put them in stir fry in place of ginger. Pickled and syrups are great too but for how I cook I think it's underrated raw
I love your channel! You do amazing work. In the US zone 6b Honeysuckle is very invasive. It is killing (chokeout) mature trees. For the last 7 years I have been trying to kill it in my woods. Side note I did make honeysuckle jelly last year it was tasty!
Speaking of used coffee grounds, there's another "garden task" I think needs promoting. I mentioned it on Roo's Life recently.
In making compost, one collects compost materials over the growing season. A resource one either is constantly having an eye and ear open for or planning a routine task to brainstorm/pick up local resources.
How do you keep the rabbits out as I don't see any fencing?
you should plant some of those perennials and other things in the chicken area, give them shade and interest. poor things are living in a bare patch.
Absolutely stunning. Ambitious and inspiring. I am excited to see this develop. 😄
I like Direct Plants too, always had good quality stuff from them.
I too started growing Basket Willow last year (10 pegs), to be exploited later for more cuttings and all the usual old garden projects.
I did not mulch around them, but planted each one in a small individual hollow dug out of the grass for water to collect every time it rained (my garden slopes, so these hollows will contain rainwater for a while longer after everywhere else has drained).
Over this past 2022/23 planting season I bought as many young apple trees as I could each time I saved a little money.
I did this because I realised that if I procrastinated any longer, the price of fruit trees would just go up and up until next Autumn. I didn't want to be regretting not buying them 'now' while I could still afford the number I could.
And the difference in the look of the garden for at least a dozen new apple trees! (As well as a few cherries, wild pears, Amelanchiers, Aronias, and the list goes on a bit).
It looks so much 'fuller' for having that 'skeleton' of taller, upright trees. I know I won't be able to let the flowers produce fruits on these new trees this year (sadly, as at least one has bundles of blooms forming. But I'll be good).
I think this is the year when my ground finally looks more like a permaculture garden and less like a field with a few little sticks sticking up.
I chose mainly Jonagold apples (7-8 of them) – as these are meant to have really good storage capabilities (up to 6 months!)
I'm fine with the properties of Jonagold regarding taste, crunch, etc – but my absolute favourite apple is Egremont Russet, which has a disappointingly lousy storage time (I was told 2 months at a push, but less is optimal. A pity because they were dearer to buy as well).
Didn't know that about Magnolias – and to think I used to work in a garden which housed the National Collection. Nobody there ever told me they can be turned into syrups.
Well, I have 3 Hazels, 3 flowering currants and a few Coltsfoot roots waiting for me to plant. Happy permaculture gardening to all!
I can't wait to see this garden in 10 years and will be the garden of Eden of West Wales😁.
You probably know this but, blueberries need cross polination.
Also, choose fruit trees cultivar that are resistent to diseases. I have 300 fruit trees and only two apple cultivars and 3 peach trees get sick. This is very Important if you don't want to spend the rest of your life sprayig them
Lov that !! We need to see more of your evironement to better understand how your place works in his integrity. I really hope to see more videos outside of your metalic blankets. Keep it like that, we love your work !
Great to hear more about perennials such as perennial kales/cabbage trees, asparaguses, Chilean guava, Honeyberries, fennels, fruit trees/bushes, mini kiwi vines, rosemaries/thymes/sages/mints/etc. lovely to see
where was the link for using magnolia
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Outstanding video as usual, Huw! However, I would like to point out something for the blueberry enthusiasts out there, pine needles DO NOT make you soil acidic, it is a common misconception caused by old books/outdated information. Video explained by the professionals in that area of expertise can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B8-1sVcfzE Cheers 🙂
I understand it's a diary, but don't shake the camera like that. Please. It doesn't add authenticity, it just makes it harder to watch. You may have been inspired by the realism of 1960s cinema, but back then black and white was also added to handheld filming.
What a gorgeous project! I love the way a garden promotes community and a healthy lifestyle.
What is the annual rainfall in your location? Do you need to provide irrigation for your trees?
Are your magnolias the large tree type? That would be an impressive impact indeed!
Huw, are you familiar with David the Good's Grocery Row Garden concept? (I'm sure it's not unique to him, but his videos are where I learned about it.)
This is very Interesting I have learned a lot from your Videos Huw I like the longer you have touched on a lot of different aspects in this Video an I like it.
Hey Huw, nice project you’ve got going on there, there’s something you might want to look into a bit more, appareantly adding pine needles doesn’t change the ph of the soil, that seems to be a debunked muth. And Nate from Garden like a viking says that plant roots alter the ph around them to their own liking and need no help from us to do that.. Makes sense after hearing Paul Gatchi saying that he has all kinds of acidic, neutral and alkaline loving plants growing happily right next to eachother without doing anything to the soil. Btw can you get free fall leaves and or woodchips from your municipality, that could kickstart your fruittrees imensly if you mulch them royaly so you create more of a fungal dominated soil than a bacterial dominated one. Have great one 🙂