In 2017 I started my journey growing food. It started as a small project, but has turned into a life long passion.
Today, my UK Food Forest consists of 40+ fruit trees, 30+ berry bushes and lots of organic vegetables. Once an empty field, transformed into a thriving ecosystem, attracting wildlife and growing an abundance of organic food.
I have always understood the importance of reconnecting with nature and growing food is the ultimate extension of this. Nature provides all the answers to growing food in simplest and most natural form.
Now, I'm on a mission to inspire others to start their own journey and help others transform their own back garden into a thriving organic Food Forest.
Hi Nancy, there always a balance in nature but I know birds can sometimes get greedy! Yes I will look at the other forums on food forest gardens, but my main point of content is my youtube channel.
Hi Jenny, to be honest we end up eating all of them fresh. Jostaberries are very nice when they are fully ripe - deep purple/black and soft. If they are picked a little unripe I really don't like them. I can't imagine why you could not freeze them, because it works with almost all other berries.
Hi Nancy, I am based in North West England but these all gold raspberries have been producing for a while now.
The blackcurrants have to be fully ripe before I pick for the sweet flavour to come out.
Strawberries are my favourite - I cover the whole patch with a thin layer of woodchips at the end of the year and this helps to thin out naturally.
Yes, they are Jostaberries (good spot!) not many people know what they are but they are certainly delicious.
I have attracted so many birds, but I never netted my plants. The two ways I deal with birds are as follows:
1. Grow more - when I have so many berries growing they can have their share and it does not impact the overall abundance.
2. Pick as soon as ripe - I regularly check to see when they are ripe because the birds will be onto them as soon as they are ripe (they are not stupid!). If I left for a couple of weeks until after they are ripe, the birds may not be so generous.
Yes, the supermarkets only sell a select few berries. There is so much potential when you grow your own. I have 3 varieties of gooseberries and they are all delicious!
Hi Anne, I cover my 5 methods in the video I linked in more detail, but I really like to infuse spring water with lemon balm and spearmint. This tastes so good and is a great way to use the herbs I am growing more regularly.
Hi Anne, yes, I have found wood chips to be the best covering in my food forest. Especially for growing potatoes as they eradicate the need for mounding up as the potatoes grow, along with a whole host of other benefits.
I made a video sharing 5 ways to get more out of your herb garden.
These 5 methods have helped me avoid letting my herbs run to flower and seed, before I have got good use out of them.
But... I am always interested to hear new ideas from the community. Herbs are not used nearly enough and medicine growing in the garden like this should not go to waste.
Growing potatoes is incredibly easy when you have the correct foundations of healthy soil and a covering. I actually made a video on my YouTube channel (Luke Kelsall) about this exact topic. I never water, fertilise, mound up any of my potatoes and have great success. I will be giving an update on them soon on my channel, but I can tell you they are super healthy and are already developing huge potatoes.
