Creative sources of wood/brush

Hi all,

I'm really interested in building a hugelkultur/keyhole raised bed, but I live in a neighborhood that is relatively new, and there aren't any trees around that I can harvest (we're more or less in the middle of what used to be a field). Does anyone have some ideas for where I could get wood and/or brush?

Many thanks!
---Brian

Contact some local tree trimmers, landscapers, and gardeners.
They usually need to pay fees to dump this at the landfill.

If your site is closer than the landfill, not only do they save the fees, but also some gas money & time.

Some folks also use pallets , but you may have to be sure they arent sprayed with chemicals?

Thanks, those are good ideas! I'm actually not too far from a landfill, so probably no real distance savings there. However, if I can ease the hit to their wallets, I'm sure that'll help my cause! One thing I realized I'll need to be careful about is that we have a *lot* of cedar growing in the area, so I'll want to avoid that.

If you have more developed neighborhoods around your regular driving routes you could cruse down side roads instead of the highway/main county roads. There is a reasonable chance you will see bags of leaves/clippings or brush piles somewhere. And since you were driving for a reason other than just looking for hugel supplies, it adds a second use to the fuel you are burning.

Many excavation contractors do brush work prior to cutting building pads and other earthworks. It would be worth picking up the phone book and calling around. Additionally, many contractors are willing to load it for you if you can come while they are moving brush.