August felt like a good time not to send newsletters to pile up like issues of the local free newspaper on the doormat for when you get back from holiday; that, and I need to get through a few weeks of intense writing for the next book. It’s very nice to be back. I hope the summer was good for you.
Mark, good-luck with the sausage tree. We've enjoyed many years of beautiful clematis like flowers but as for fruit, not a sausage (literally). Very susceptible to frost so you may have more luck than us Surrey folk.
Thank you Mark. Sat down on a rainy Friday afternoon with a cup of tea and slice of lemon drizzle to watch and enjoy seeing how the garden has developed. What a treat!
Absolutely loved this Mark, thank you for sharing! Also love how happy and joyful your commentary is :) I have Patrick Whitfield's forest garden book but it doesn't mention half of these plants! Where did you learn of all these? And would you recommend a visit to Martin's garden? And did you draw up a design before you planted these out? Sorry for all the questions 😅 And welcome back!
Hey Leyla, thank you! Lovely to be back and thank you for your words. I've spent a very inquisitive 20+ years growing plants beyond what the shops offer, reading, trying, visiting people who do similar, buying books, looking online, any avenue I could try to find something promising and hopefully delicious. There are many more ready (at the otterfarm.co.uk nursery) to go in this winter and next year. I love everything about it. Martin is an incredible man, a real inspiration and very knowledgable - and extremely nice with it. There is nowhere like his forest garden in this country. Even visiting it when it was fairly young it completely changed my view of what growing food should be and how I wanted to do it myself. Go! I scribbled a rough design, but as ever, laying things out tells you much - especially if the ground isn't flat, so there was much tweaking!
Thank you Mark! I think you need to write a growing / forest gardening book with this knowledge, I haven't come across a book with the varieties of plants you speak of. I'd be the first to buy this book! 📚 Going to add a visit to Martin's garden on the list, thank you for the inspo. Also been considering one of his courses
Ah, well I would but Martin's is THE tome on forest gardening! Martin and I have run a few courses from his forest garden and hope to again soon, but if you can find a way to visit then do. Sheila came to Otter Farm maybe 12 years ago to record a Food Programme and Martin came up and we talked about everything to do with forest gardening, perennial crops and cooked a few things - a brilliant day and a great memory
Very special to see these ideas working on this scale. I hope you will show us all the perennial shoots and leaves again at spring harvest time.
I will! Some delicious things I'll be able to pick for the first time here
Mark, good-luck with the sausage tree. We've enjoyed many years of beautiful clematis like flowers but as for fruit, not a sausage (literally). Very susceptible to frost so you may have more luck than us Surrey folk.
I am ever hopeful having seen it fruiting merrily in a few places more northerly than this
Thank you Mark. Sat down on a rainy Friday afternoon with a cup of tea and slice of lemon drizzle to watch and enjoy seeing how the garden has developed. What a treat!
Thanks Lauri! That makes me very happy
Absolutely loved this Mark, thank you for sharing! Also love how happy and joyful your commentary is :) I have Patrick Whitfield's forest garden book but it doesn't mention half of these plants! Where did you learn of all these? And would you recommend a visit to Martin's garden? And did you draw up a design before you planted these out? Sorry for all the questions 😅 And welcome back!
Hey Leyla, thank you! Lovely to be back and thank you for your words. I've spent a very inquisitive 20+ years growing plants beyond what the shops offer, reading, trying, visiting people who do similar, buying books, looking online, any avenue I could try to find something promising and hopefully delicious. There are many more ready (at the otterfarm.co.uk nursery) to go in this winter and next year. I love everything about it. Martin is an incredible man, a real inspiration and very knowledgable - and extremely nice with it. There is nowhere like his forest garden in this country. Even visiting it when it was fairly young it completely changed my view of what growing food should be and how I wanted to do it myself. Go! I scribbled a rough design, but as ever, laying things out tells you much - especially if the ground isn't flat, so there was much tweaking!
Thank you Mark! I think you need to write a growing / forest gardening book with this knowledge, I haven't come across a book with the varieties of plants you speak of. I'd be the first to buy this book! 📚 Going to add a visit to Martin's garden on the list, thank you for the inspo. Also been considering one of his courses
Ah, well I would but Martin's is THE tome on forest gardening! Martin and I have run a few courses from his forest garden and hope to again soon, but if you can find a way to visit then do. Sheila came to Otter Farm maybe 12 years ago to record a Food Programme and Martin came up and we talked about everything to do with forest gardening, perennial crops and cooked a few things - a brilliant day and a great memory
FABULOUS. Totally inspiring. And Sweet Cicely.... looks as good as it tastes. I remember you putting it into an omelette too in one book?