Ac Baker

Erik Lee wrote:Anyone know of some good evergreen species that respond well to coppice management?

A quick look around online suggests that evergreen broadleaf trees can be carefully coppiced. But evergreen conifers basically cannot.

So Holly can be carefully coppiced, for example.

I am so grateful that I have no need to fly.  The last time I remember, was for my old job, so that would have been .. 2000?

Nancy Reading wrote:(OT - I'm thinking now about hollow compost heaps...)

(Such as a capped "tube" of wire mesh into the middle, to allow in air?)

This sounds like a great scheme.  We're lucky that our local allotments committee usually manage to arrange a few drops per year, next one due this month.

How often do you need to renew your ChipDrop request for it to stay 'live'?

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:
It's not that bad. That's why I call it 'a cold' and not 'the flu'.
I was able to get out of bed this morning. But I don't feel like doing all things I planned to do today.

I hope you're feeling better, and have been able to rest safely at home meanwhile.

One of the frustrating things about "cold-like symptoms" is that there's no way of knowing without testing, which virus is causing them, and thus the potential for complications .. both in ourselves, and others.

I've learned the hard way, I have to really rest for at least one more day than I think I need, to reliably avoid post-viral fatigue etc.

Not always straightforward to do, especially in Spring, though ..

Hoping everyone is getting some good rest.

Eep. What a relief!

I hear you, about all that gives you abundance in your life: good relationships with a good family & community who have a good range of life-skills, interests, shared resources and infrastructure, including secure tenure on good land ..  

Cash-flow is just not the most important measure of quality of life, once you have so much of what means life is worthwhile, established.

Very happy for you.

We had one of those glorious late winter days here today, which feel like early Spring. Everyone's Spring crocuses are at their peak, alongside late snowdrops and early daffodils.  Fat bumblebees are out browsing the flowers.

Also, the goosegrass (cleavers) is starting to grow quickly. So, as this is a reasonable indication that the soil is warming up, I sowed saved parsnip seeds.  I'd had cloches in place for a week or two to help warm the soil ready.

I also did the sad task of rubbing the blossom buds off the small pear trees with the pear midge problem.  Over the past three days, I've used salvaged heavy black plastic sheeting to mulch under those pear tree canopy areas too.  So we have a chance of containing this outbreak, as long as the new generation of midges can't fly far enough to infest another tree.

My early potato tubers are chitting faster than I expected.  I had been planning to plant them quite late (late April) as they seem to like slightly warmer conditions.  But they may be too far ahead to wait that long.

Here are some of those purple crocuses, although the camera doesn't catch the "bee purple" glow the eye sees.

Riona Abhainn wrote:Took a look at the website, looks like a cool idea.  Nothing in my area yet, but things take time to spread, so I understand.  I think this has a lot of potential to grow and become popular though!

I agree.  We are currently doing very limited sharing food surpluses, between keen gardeners and our neighbours, and through the local Black-led Mutual Aid. But we know there is much more scope to get gardeners, people with gardens, and food-insecure and local produce appreciating neighbours involved.

Impressive work!  We are just finishing off coppicing our hazel.

Those alder hemispheres are beautiful, and interesting.