Phytopthera ramosa spreads to West Wales

The dreaded Phytopthera ramosa has struck Pembrokeshire's population of larch trees with vengeance,

so much so that it has arrived just 10 miles away from my forest garden. Now the larch is not a forest 

garden tree, though its timber is a valuable soft wood commonly used for construction, indeed my

compost loo frame is made from it. 

 

I inherited 3 Larch tees which are over 30 years old when I moved into the property 12 years ago and they have become a quite a prominent part of the garden architecture with their graceful swaying branches providing protection form the wind and shelter form the sun.

 

About 2 months ago I received an email from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Parks warning of the rapid spread of PR and that they have already had to clear fell a plantation of larch in the Gwuan valley as some of the trees had become infected. I wrote back asking advice on my 3 trees especially as these were located near to my sweet chestnut trees and I knew that PR can affect these also.

 

My answer came a few days later saying that it would be wise to fell them as it is inevitable that they would become infected and that this would mean that I would loose the Chestnuts as well. So in just one day my three 30 year old larches were felled and lo there was light and a lot of wood to process.

 

So I've lost the Larches but gained firewood and kindling and an awful lot of hard work. For the record Phytopthera ramosa was first found in imported larch saplings in 2010 it also affects bilberry, possibly all the vaccinium family and the rhododendron family.

 

It affects Larch more veraciously due to the massive colonisation of the needles from the PR spores some 50,000 can be found on a single needle. The spores can spread in the air or in water and already infected trees have been found in almost every part of mainland UK. Sadly there seems to be no let up in the spread and destruction of Larch and worse still the mild start to winter will insure an increased survival rate of the spores and an increase in infections next spring.

 

So far there is no news of possible methods to restrict the spread or discovery of any resistant clones.

 

Before felling with my Mulberry tree almost underneath.

Wain from Aberteifi Tree services expertly dismantles the first one

Some of the bounty from the felling, which includes 3 new chopping blocks. The stumps have been left 4 foot tall so that I can have them sculpted into appropriate images. Now I have to split the  rounds, saw up the side branches and collect and stack the kindling before I can reclaim the lawn.

Championing Sweet Chestnuts

Chestnuts waiting to fall.

Anyone with a sweet chestnut tree near to their home will know what a great year it has been for this superb nut. I am lucky enough to have not 1 but 2 of these majestic trees just a 30 meters from my door, well I did plant them on purpose of course because I just love to eat chestnuts and a forest garden should include them if its large enough. My trees were planted just 11 years ago and this year I have managed to collect about 12Kg of nice quality nuts.

I well remember as a child my Dad taking me into Richmond park to collect chestnuts from some truly magnificent trees may of which still stand today, in those days the public were still allowed to collect them but nowadays they have to be left to the deer and squirrels. I did manage to use my shoes to peel the prickly burr to reveal the nuts but it was quite tricky and was quite a knack. I also remember well trying to peel the inner skin (pedicule)off the raw nut so I could get a taste of the nut in its raw state but beware if this wasn't taken off entirely the nut was virtually inedible. When we got them home and roasted them all the undesirable bits came away easily and the delightful irresistible taste of roasted chestnut hooked me for life.

As a vegan chestnuts have become an important part of my dietary regime but I have to say getting them ready to eat is not without its challenges.

A|s the trees are accessed every day the nuts are best dealt with immediately as the pedicule is more easily removed whilst it is still in its damp fresh state. If allowed to dry then the process becomes more difficult. This year the sheer weight of the crop meant that I could not keep up, so into the fridge they went ( nb I must invest in a bigger fridge for next season).  After many different methods of processing I came up with what I consider the ultimate solution, unless anyone has a better method(suggestions welcome)


taken out of the husks using protective gloves.

Keep a saucepan half full of water on a rolling simmer. Take 6 nuts cut a cross in the  pointed end,pop into the water for about 2 minutes. Take out and replace the nuts with 6 others. The skin and pedicle will come away easily taking about 2 mins so you can keep a constant stream of production until your complete batch is finished.

Now with the partially cooked nuts you can put them in the fridge for a few days or freeze them for cooking later. Of course if you just want them for roasting keep them in their skins and when roasted both the skin an pedicle will come away fairly easily.

What to do with the semi cooked nuts then.

How about a chestnut roast, here is my first one ready to be wrapped in greaseproof paper and stored in the freezer.I have me 3 so far ready for the festive season.

Perhaps a chestnut and mushroom wellington, I am now working up some recipes and as soon as perfected will be happy to publish to my readers.

Chestnut flower is also another option as well as chestnut puree which can be converted into delicious sweet dishes. I will have ago at both after Christmas and report my findings.







I should also tell of the reason why this posting is rather late. Well its Phytopthera Ramosa the dreaded pathogen which has been devastating the larch population in West Wales .I had 3 healthy trees but was warned that they would eventually succumb and as this pathogen also attacks sweet chestnuts I was advised to act sooner rather than later. So my 3 -35 year old trees had to be felled. There was and still is a lot of work left for me to do as the tree surgeon only took a day to complete the work, I  wanted to use every part of the wood branches and needles so after cutting the trunks into rounds I have all the rest to do. I do have the benefit of more light , 3 nice chopping blocks and a years supply of firewood. I have lost the graceful pendulous swinging arms of those beautiful trees which graced the garden for such a long time. We can only hope that some way will be found to re introduce this important tree some time in the future.

A Cracking Harvest and Some Georgous Sunsets

Forget the fact that it was a bad year for the Prunus Family this year the apples have out performed all expectations, my George Cave eventually produced 62kg and other varieties are easily beating last years totals.




One plum that did well for me was this Mannacan which has a delightful apricot flavour

Apple Lady Sudely best for juice or eat within  a week as they go wooly after this time.

 

As at today I am still picking the following apples, lanes Prince Albert a great keeping cooker some 25kg off a small tree,Golden pippin and Pitmaston pineapple both small but prolific and good keepers. Still to come are the lates of Adams pearmain and Cornish gillipepper (so named after carnations).

Sweet chestnuts have just started falling and look likely to produce a heavy crop.
Waiting on the tree to be picked I have 3 hawthorns and 2 Medlars and Devon sorb apple (Cornus devoniosis).

One of the things that Forest Gardens planted with so many different cateories of food is the sheer variety available and with this comes a array of nutrition that does not appear in the modern diet. Eventually a well planned Forest Garden could have over 200 different fruits, berries, herbs, nuts,leaves ,flowers and various medicinal and chemical uses, besides providing fuelwood, stakes, bean and pea sticks, cordage and weaving material.

Could this type of organic farming be a model for the future efficient production of food, that will enable a growing population to survive? Already my diet has changed dramatically with over 50 different foods in quantity this year alone, with more being added all the time.

Medlar Big Russian ripening, they will be picked as late as possible and then left to ripen in a light cool area. To me they taste rather like dates and are highly nutritious

ripening every day like magic my Black Mulbery Illinoi to me these fruits taste like melon, the tree produces thoousands of them enough for the birds and me.



I am so lucky to be living here in West Wales when the conditions are right we get some fantastic sunsets especially in September so I thought I would share this with you.

Next time I have to share a really sad story with you as the March of Phytopthora gains a serious foothold in Pembrokeshire. Till then.

An Abundance of fruit and a Wryneck to boot

When planting up unusual shrubs one always thinks of the time when you will be privileged to actually try the fruit. This summer was the year that I was able to pick my first crop of Salal berries. The shrub is known as Gaultheria shallon and is a great addition to a forest garden as it is a productive shade lover. Although it will produce about 500g of fruit this year it spreads readily by suckers and if allowed will cover around  1 meter square each year. The berries are slightly smaller than blue berries and have a sweet wine flavour the seeds are tiny so easy to eat without pips everywhere. Evidently they taste even better when dried as the flavour intensifies. What's more you can make a herbal tea from the dried powdered leaves.

Gautheria shallon showing leaf and a profusion of berries

This plant has an intriguing history,evidentally it was a favourite berry of several North American native tribes. They would typically visit the Salal fields when the berries were ready and press them into cakes or loaves and dry them in the sun for consuming in the hard winter months. They also used the leaves as medicine for stomach disorders and they would chew the green leaves and spit out the residue onto an open wound to help the healing process. The berries are loaded with vitamins and antioxidant's so can be made an important part of the diet as they prevent degeneration. They deserve to be grown more widely, they certainly grow really well here in West Wales and I will be using many more as ground cover as part of my shrub layer.

Other berries that are looking good are Blueberries however the bushes need to covered with nets to stop the birds taking them. My best bush so far has given me 1.2kg of tasty berries.2 more shrubs are about to crop Cornus mas (cornelian cherry) and Aronia (purple and black chokeberries) More about them next time.

Apples look really good this year and foremost among my trees is the early  George Cave, this is such an underrated tree but believe me for a healthy tasty crop that usually starts in early July this apple has no match. My tree is just 11 years old and this year I will have picked over 50Kg of fruit that's a wow in my book. So I'm juicing for the freezer eating as many as seems appropriate, giving some to grateful neighbour's and selling the surplus at my gate.

just a small section of this fantastic George cave apple tree

Pinus pinaster or the Maritime pine has been growing as part of a windbreak for 8 years now. Last year I spotted the first cones and this year they have progressed.

This shows a 2 year old cone with a new one formed this year underneath, next year should see my first pine nuts!

 

Here is a strange shrub Staphlea pinnata (bladdernut) its exiting for me because in its 2nd year it has produced a single bladder and there should be a seed/nut case inside. It will be ripe by the end of Sept so I look forward to opening it and checking out the seed.

Staphlea pinnata with bladder.

Lastly but most exiting is the appearance in the Forest garden of a very rare bird, certainly you would not expect to see one so far West. Its the Wryneck which I found foraging for ants right in front of my house. Evidently a number have been spotted on the east coast as they come over from Scandinavia and Russia during the summer months, such a pretty bird a little smaller than a greater spotted woodpecker, with a black streak on each side of its head. My sighting was Tuesday 3rd September. Still looking to see if its stayed over but no sign yet!

the Wryneck

Till next time then.

Food for the Pollinators

For all gardeners not just food forest gardeners it is really important to insure that our pollinator friends have a succession of nectar to feed on. High summer can be a difficult time for these creatures best known of course are the honey and bumble bees and butterflies, but there are many other species from the insect world that also do a good job for us, no more so than the much maligned wasp.

 

This time of year wasps get a bad reputation for spoiling picnics and any outdoor activities that involve anything sweet, however I have observed an interesting behaviour that quite surprised me. Last week I was picking blackcurrants and was soon inundated with wasps getting at the fruit. I simply put the cover back over them and left the picking till later. I went back 2 days later and to my surprise not a wasp in site. On my way back from my picking session I happened to go past a patch of Berberis wilsonea which has just come into flower. They bear tiny insignificant flowers but the whole bush was alive with all the usual suspects but most interestingly literally hundreds of wasps.

 

So lesson learnt, plant a few more of these near to plums and other fruits ripening at this time of year and pick in peace. Isn't it great when you see how nature can work with us?

Just where I would prefer them to be. This Autumn I will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labour

The next fantastic plant for our pollinators this time of the year is the buddleia, however it does not attract the wasps but all bees and many butterflies just love this plant as do we as the scent is just glorius.

Our first visit ever from a Comma

While we are on the subject of flowers I recently planted my first Day Lilly bulbs and they have just started to produce flowers. These flowers are a nice edible addition to the salad bowl but look almost too good to eat.

pretty aren't they.

Till next time.

In Praise of the Juneberry

The Amelanchia, common name, Juneberry has never been grown commercially in the UK though it grows really well in our climate and is easier to grow than the similar looking Blueberry which of course needs an acid soil to do well.
There are several cultivars which can be confusing to someone looking for a suitable fruiting selection for the first time. Even growers seem to get them mixed up and some just label them all Juneberries or Amelanchia.
They do have the following attributes in common. They are glorious in flower, they all produce tasty berries (some really rather small) and they have good autumn colour and are self fertile and tend to sucker. Its not surprising then that they are more likely to sold as ornamental's from our garden centres.
Some are small and shrubby and others grow into small trees. As far as nutrition is concerned they are more nutritious than Blueberries having at least twice the amount of vitamins and minerals, they are especially rich in iron and copper. Could this be another super fruit?? If you are inspired to try this fruit you can usually get a good selection from www.agroforestry.co.uk

Amelanchia alnifolia (Regent) a shrubby Juneberry growing just 80cm high and suckering freely, this produced 2kg of tasty berries this summer.

I also have A. alnifolia Prince William which has yet to come into fruit as I only planted it last winter. One thing is for sure I will be increasing the number and variety of these productive and nutrient rich plants over the next few years. I do believe that there is a lot of potential for the widespread acceptance of Juneberries as a commercial crop in the UK and I will continue to search for the best size and taste combinations for my land.

Other berry crops that have had a good year with me are:
Strawberries
Gooseberries
Redcurrants
Blackcurrants
Whitecurrants
Worcesterberies
2 out of my 6 cherries varieties Dunn and Small Black survived the ghastly spring weather and gave me very good crops.

On the minus side 4 out of 6 failures with the cherries and zero crop from the early plums was most disappointing. I am looking forward to the nut crop as the long period of warm dry weather will help the walnuts and especially the chestnuts. But for now I am all berried out!!!

Cherry Dunn which produced 8kg of large juicy dark red fruits this summer.

My home made strawberry cage made from my own canes and ties with NZ flax

Cherry  Small Black produced 5kg of intensely flavoured pea sized fruits which make the best juice I have ever tasted.

There really is nothing to compare with a basket of ripe strawberries, we harvested 10kg of these beauties and I must admit to watching the tennis at Wimbledon with a bowl of this gorgeous fruit by my side. 

Compost Loo Finished and In Use

Yes its done and we are now "Happy Crappers"



Surrounded by Willow, Alder, Blackcurrant's and Gooseberries

Jamie Millers splendid creation looks as though it belongs. Now there is a special link between Jamie and me. Jamie was one of the original students at Coppicewood College (I am the Chair of the Trustees and have been since Jamie's time) Jamie went on to become one of our first Instructors on the 6 month Woodland Skills Course following which he specialised in timber framing eventually starting his own business. He is now working out of Longwood Woods in Lampeter which has become one of the largest community woodland schemes in Wales.

What's more working with Jamie is Ray Miller who also completed our WS Course 2 years ago. This
is just one of many success stories following the Coppicewood  students for whom many have confirmed was a "Life Changing Event". There are just 2 places left on this years course and you can find out more here: www.coppicewoodcollege.co.uk.



Jamie (Right) and apprentice Blue with the finished job



Kathy  (right) and Gill buddying up though only on can go at a time 

If you are interested in Jamie's work you can contact him at jbmwoodcraft@yahoo.co.uk

Just time for one other bit of FG news.

Strawberries are outrageous this year


The weather worked out just right for these fantastic fruits, packed with vitamins and minerals.

 

I can't resist quoting from the Players Theatre anthem as follows:

"Cherries so red, strawberries ripe,
At home of course they'll be storming.
Never mind the abuse, you have the excuse
You went to Covent garden in the morning"

Perhaps its just a swell we got the Compost Loo going as I can confirm its been a busy place recently.

Next time the fantastic Juneberry.

Till then enjoy this cracking summer.








                      The Compost Loo Construction Begins

Well yes I could have ordered one of those ready made affairs, some look just like a council loo and some like a cutesy shed, but mine is for a Forest Garden and I am chair of Coppicewood College so it had to fit a different genre.

So Jamie Miller was invited to design mine. Jamie is a Coppicewood "Old Boy"
and has gone on to be one of the most innovative round wood timber framers in this part of the world, his brief was to look at the environment around the chosen site and design something that would enhance the garden yet of course be practical and produce compost for use round the trees.

So the work commenced in early June when the weather was fabulous.

Jamie and his team, Ray(ex Coppicewood Student) and Blue (Jamie's Apprentice) had pre prepared the Larch poles by peeling the bark and making the mortise and tenants joints.

Next the but ends of the verticals were charred in the fire pit.

Ray made the pegs on his trusty shave horse and these were used to secure the uprights to the ridge poles and all the other joints. Then the frame was raised.

Next on went the roof and the interior framing

Now the cladding and floor boards, all made of Douglas Fir

Almost complete but I will have to wait until next Month for the final touches.
 

All the wood used on this construction has come from the local area.

Jamie and his team are off to Glastonbury to lead Timber Framing Workshops so I will have to wait until they get back for the completion. All in all it will take 4 days to finish and then I my family and my guests will be able to enjoy a peaceful poo in the Forest Garden. Oh joy!!

Meanwhile a couple of highlights in the Garden itself.

My first flower on the Cornus Canadensis (creeping dogwood) planted last winter.

Gooseberries shaping up nicely

Using the brash from winters coppicing over cardboard with green hay on top for mulching an apple tree

The finished job which from previous experience will last for 2 years



This beautiful foxglove just turned up in an dormant area of the FG, isn't nature fantastic.

 My next post will have pics of the completed loo and some comments about what plants have thrived and those that have not over the past 2 seasons. Till then!!

Spring has Sprung at Last

Yes but what a long wait.

But I was able to get on with in-between.........

Got our log burning range delivered and up and running...... fantastic, but it will be a challenge keeping up with the demand for logs next winter so I spent a bit of time sawing and splitting too.



 Had some little visitors, made a box cart out of recycled bits courtesy of the "Small World Theatre"
in Cardigan and had just the place to try it out. What a great building and a super crew:
www.smallworld.org.uk






Had some big visitors;

Coppicewood Woodland Skills students came for their day in the FG as part of the course had a morning scything and a guided tour in the afternoon. These guys take sustainability seriously, they have just finished 6 months 2 days a week coppicing a 1 acre plot, out in all weathers, so a nice day with me was just reward.For more info go to: www.coppicewoodcollege.co.uk

Ran a Scything course for 2 keen prospective scythers. We covered all aspects including setting up a brand new scythe to hand peening using a hammer and anvil.
Anyone interested in learning to scythe with particular emphasis on land management or who would simply like a day in the FG learning a new skill do contact me at bslark@aol.com







Then the sun shone and it warmed up and look what happened.

 
 

 
 









Amelanchia
lamarki
in full flower


































Crab
Golden Hornet
ready for the bees.

 Feeding time in the FG, my treasured wood ash   being applied prior to mulching. Besides this I  also apply leaf mould and watered down urine.

This is a great time to check the health of all trees and shrubs, as any problems can easily be spotted by looking at the emerging leaves, checking for colour and vigour. So far all mine are very happy except those plants that have been damaged by the cold damp conditions  we have suffered lately. These include Prunus tomentosa (Nanking cherry) and Arbutus unedo (Strawberry tree)

It rained at last!!!! the grass grew and  I got
scything to collect green hay for topping up cardboard mulch.

It is vital that the ground has a thorough soaking before any mulch is laid. We have just had plenty of rain so its back out to put down that mulch and check on my newly planted trees.

Till next time