Nancy Reading

Wind is definitely one of the factors in my area. Due to our coastal location we have fairly high average wind speeds of about 15mph and usual winter storms can be up to 80 or 90mph. I don't usually worry too much unless the forecast is above 70mph. Because we get this all the time, the houses and trees are accustomed, and we don't see the damage that occur with these windspeeds further south in the UK.
When I designed the tree field I designed in thick windbreaks as I wanted to protect my coppice trees when they regrow. I made them multispecies and parallel to the prevailing wind direction. There are lots of factors to consider in the windbreaks, and my ideas have changed over the years. When you get really strong winter winds (as we do) but mainly want to protect crop growing (or tree regrowing in my case too) then evergreen trees are not neccessarily the best choice. They will be more vulnerable to damage in winter. My soil gets saturated and the trees can pull out of the ground with high winds due to root die off. Deciduous trees, as they lose there leaves in winter, are less likely to have this problem.
Shelter from winds is more important here than sun exposure for crop growing, and you can see how the local sheep appreciate a bit of shelter when we get a bit of a storm. Our summer daylength is pretty long, so I guess this helps. I also need to be aware of what I have left lying around - tools and plant pots don't stay put! Buildings and fences need to be built with windloading in mind and Scotland has special building regulations for wind and rain, particularly in roofing.
Apart from possible use in electricity generation, other benefits are keeping the dreaded Scottish midges away, drying things (if it comes without rain!) and superb conditions for flying kites

Apart from filing stuff (so as to be consistent with other people) and maybe reading music does it matter what order letters come in? Who decided the alphabet starts with A? Why not F or S? There doesn't appear to be any logic in it...

I'm used to NOPQR as the letter order (UK) , but maybe they changed it.... (or was it just a joke Paul?)

Around here I would look for a large diameter oak whisky barrel and cut it down. They sell them online for planters for not a huge amount, or we have someone that sells them locally - I used one to make two planters for my shop.
This one I found on ebay for £40 is only 2ft diameter at the base, but I think there is a larger size which is less commonly available. Since the Scotch whisky often reuses bourbon barrels they ought to be available stateside too I expect.

model of house construction

source

From the Gairloch museum website

Based closely on the archaeological evidence from Achtercairn, we will build the roundhouse using traditional techniques and local materials. It will serve as a new space for education, heritage, and community use

Together with people skilled in heritage crafts local people and volunteers will construct the building based on the remains of a similar structure found nearby. Stone walls, Round wood, turf and thatch are amongst the natural materials that will be used to make the new building.

Edmundo Ramos,
I have merged your topic into this topic. I hope that helps.

I merged your stuff with the following thread. I hope that is okay by you.

Ac Baker wrote:Oh, that's very disappointing.

I'd thought they meant perpetual spinach, which the RHS calls Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. cicla
https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/perpetual-spinach/classid.2000014666/

They may also have been confused with causasian spinach - Hablitzia tamnoides perhaps.  I'm tending not to trust sites that seem to have been written less than three years ago now.

That's a really interesting twist on a hugel bed Chance! It seems that it kickstarts the benefits almost from day one. Any downsides? I suppose the construction with the quick smothering could be tricky to get right. I like the idea of incorporating a biochar type material for longevity into the bed.

Re. blackberries; I've always been disappointed by cultivated varieties and would always sooner have a wild bramble I think despite the prickles and the smaller size. The taste just doesn't compare.

Thanks for sharing that! Lovely to see them growing wild. I did have some Podophylum growing last year, but I didn't see it this year so I think it hasn't survived

Mac Johnson wrote:Sauteed over pork chops and chicken!

Oooh! Thick gammon steak grilled with pineapple; so yummy!