Category Archives: Polycultures

15 August 2020 – a brief snapshot

Posted on August 16, 2020 by Anni Kelsey

I took the pictures below yesterday in response to a Facebook request by someone who wanted examples to show other people.  They show one part of the garden just as it was and these plants are visible (or invisible) within … Continue reading →

Posted in Borderland Garden, ecosystem, forest garden development, Forest Gardening, Fruit, Polycultures, Principles of forest gardening, the garden of equal delights | 1 Comment

re-interpreting the garden

Posted on May 25, 2019 by Anni Kelsey

Q:        When I walk out into my garden this afternoon what is the most helpful ‘thing’ I can take outside with me? A:        A different attitude of heart and mind.  A mind that is prepared to give up control and … Continue reading →

Posted in Borderland Garden, ecosystem, Polycultures, Principles of forest gardening, Relationship with nature, Waiting, Watching | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

harvest only enough

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Anni Kelsey

This is a bumper summer for soft fruit – the first really good year since the garden began.  Despite the soaring temperatures and almost total lack of rain the currants and berries have produced amazingly well.  One of the blackcurrants … Continue reading →

Posted in Borderland Garden, Forest Gardening, Polycultures, Principles of forest gardening | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Messy up

Posted on November 11, 2017 by Anni Kelsey

I was awoken this morning by my partner with a cup of tea.  As I sipped it (appreciatively) and looked out of the window I saw several birds darting about in the undergrowth outside the window.  I think I saw … Continue reading →

Posted in Borderland Garden, Polycultures, Relationship with nature | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Alison and The Backyard Larder

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Anni Kelsey

All over the place wonderful, dedicated and insightful gardeners are working away developing their own particular specialist niche in our human-gardening-ecosystem.  One of these lovely people is Alison Tindale, a lifelong gardener who grows, sells and blogs about some her … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest posts, Perennial Vegetables, Polycultures, Relationship with nature, Suppliers | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Garden journal – 6 October 2017

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Anni Kelsey

I did some ‘work’ in the garden today.  Not counting minor interventions like taking off dock leaves and flowering stems it was the first time I had done anything since pruning the fruit trees and removing the flowering stems from … Continue reading →

Posted in forest garden development, Fruit, Polycultures, roots and tubers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What makes a forest garden?

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Anni Kelsey

In July I posted about ‘Les Bois de St Hilaire’, a French campsite I stayed at which provides a wonderful model of the kind of natural woodland that a forest garden is modelled on.  As a follow up and contrast … Continue reading →

Posted in ecosystem, Forest Gardening, Fruit trees, Hedgerow, Herbs, Polycultures | Tagged | Leave a comment

Leaving well alone

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Anni Kelsey

Another lovely post from Carole, it is a perfect illustration of the need to leave things be, as much as possible! We had a couple of sunny Autumn days lately, and I determined to get out into the garden. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Polycultures, Relationship with nature | Leave a comment

Summer time ….

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Anni Kelsey

….. and despite the largely cool, cloudy and damp weather the garden is singing to me. We have eaten the offerings of the berry and currant bushes. The tree fruits are ripening on their as yet slender boughs.     … Continue reading →

Posted in Borderland Garden, Fruit, Polycultures | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The ‘Garden Room’ border

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Anni Kelsey

In permaculture edges are regarded as valuable spaces, having the properties of the two areas they border.  Most of my growing spaces could be regarded as edges, but in particular those round the house.  All the way round the sides … Continue reading →

Posted in Borderland Garden, forest garden development, Perennial Vegetables, Permaculture, Polycultures | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments