East Suffolk Permaculture Group Newsletter

Millennial Forest

At the last meeting we brainstormed our ideas of what a community wood meant for us. Wilderness was a key feature, but this needed some form of access management, eg restricting dogs, limited opening times.

Another part of the wood might be managed, eg coppice. Examples given were Great Bradfield and Reydon woods.

In order to progress this further several people have volunteered to help Bryn form a steering group for the project. They will be holding an initial "Ent Moot" soon (if it has not already happened.) contact Bryn  for further details.

Bryn & Simon also have a video they would like to share with us "the man who planted trees", which is available to borrow if you ask them nicely. But hopefully we can get a date and venue where we can watch it as a group.

 Balancing Act

On hearing that the next Permaculture Meeting is to be about ‘Art in Landscape’ I thought I’d contribute some thoughts on the pleasure that I have recently been getting by working in the manner of Andrew Goldsworthy, a brilliant artist working with natural materials in the landscape – check out his two books entitled ‘Stone’ and ‘Wood’ – you can have a look at them at the meeting

Selection

Construction

Building a balance requires patience and concentration. I find it almost impossible to achieve if there is any kind of audience. The activity is essentially private and meditative. The first task is to select the anchor stone and place it on the chosen site, bedding it in as firmly as the surface will allow. Next comes the first of possibly several placings. It is important not to attempt to predetermine the precise number and shape in advance, but rather to make such decisions as the work progresses.

Placing a stone on one that is already balanced, requires responsiveness to the inner 'feel' of the stone. The initial placing should be achieved calmly but with a degree of decisiveness. The balance will invariably not be quite right and a period of minor adjustments will need to be made by holding the stone gently with both hands and feeling towards the centre of gravity of the stone beneath. I can only say that you will 'know' when it feels right to release your hand pressure sufficiently for the stones to rest independently. As with the first such balance, so with all subsequent ones, the task becoming more crucial with the 0placing of each new stone. Occasionally it may be necessary to deconstruct the cairn since the act of placing each new stone threatens the core balancing thread that runs up through the preceding ones. Even a slight shift may make it impossible to sustain the balance as a whole.

Completion

Afterword

I don’t count any structure as an achieved balance unless it genuinely holds its shape for several minutes at the very least. In fact, having completed a balance I invariably leave it for the elements to destroy in their own good time. It also means that they will remain to surprise the next person who happens upon them - the gift of a random act of beauty.

Why not have a go when you’re next down at the beach, or construct something similar as a feature in your own permaculture plot!

Simon

 In the Garden

After having such an early season last year, it seems this year we are set to have just the opposite.

Last February my almond and peach trees were in full blossom. Now, in early March they are still tightly closed, showing only the faintest glimmer of bright pink Spring blossoms. This may
mean that we have more cold weather to come? Thankfully, we know that however late the growing season starts, nature always finds a way to catch
up and so we should still get our fresh food on time.

So far I’ve only sown early Nantes carrots directly into the soil outside. I can only do this because of raised beds and Environmesh. I don’t think I’ll be able to plant out into my water-logged clay until at least May, but the raised beds are warm and friable now. To help the carrots, I sprinkled 1"sterile potting compost on the top of the bed before sowing. This should help germination without competition from too many
weeds. Then I immediately covered with Environmesh with does three things (at least!):

It’s much better than fleece because it doesn’t break down after a year or two. Of course it is rather heavy on seedlings so I raise it up on hoops of plastic piping.

I’ve covered my rhubarb with a old half-barrel to force long stems. And I’ve prepared several raised beds for seedlings to go out when ready.
Indoors, I’ve got lemons fattening up (strange to have a seasonless plant in our season-dominated country) and parsley bursting forth. In the polytunnel, I’ve only got early strawberries. I completely missed the boat with autumn planting in the tunnel and consequently have no overwintering salads in there. Now, though, I can put in early potatoes as soon as they’re suitably chitted.

Well, if you’ve managed to catch the rain that’s fallen this winter, there should be no shortage in summer even if we get a three month drought! All my huge waterbutts are overflowing (I keep thinking of all that water
storage at the Elliotts’ what a weight!).

I am only growing early potatoes this year because the Universe has sent me Ann and Martin Wolfe. Any one who has ever planted and harvested main crop potatoes on heavy clay will appreciate the happiness that the Wolfe's provision of organic potatoes has brought upon me. My gratitude is masked only by the relief my back is feeling!

Anyway, the sowing and digging season is upon us so "Take care with those backs!"
Cindy

Could I take this opportunity to thank Nigel for taking on the newsletter for me. After five years, I really do need a break - but I have not abandoned my commitment to the group and may well return to editing at a later date. Please support the newsletter, as always, by contributing.
Cindy