Good Morning! Something that we have been spending a lot of time on this summer, is starting our food forest out on our land. Yes indeed, there are some small but exciting changes happening on Mole Hill, and we sure hope it all survives the winter.
I have so many photos to share of this endeavor, because so many of our workday evenings have been consumed hauling out water, mulch, compost, plants, and doing a little more work on the one corner of the food forest.
Step one, we wandered around the whole area, trying to figure out where we want to start various plants and trees. We have settled on one thing - we do not want tidy rows all in one area. We want little spots with food tucked away everywhere, and sort of create a foraging type of experience. However, we are still documenting where we plant things and hope to create a blueprint of sorts, that we can follow as we continue to grow!
I am happiest out on the land. Still close enough to the city for work, hospitals, food, socializing etc. but far enough away that the noise and chaos of the city is non-existent. And yes, I almost always end up wearing plaid shirts. LOL
The number of wildflowers that grow seem endless and I cannot wait to add to the flora and fauna of the prairie, learning about which are the right things to plant and when, to enhance the eco system and help it flourish.
These are now dried and are tucked into a few various spots in my home. That way a piece of the land is always near me.
This will horrify some people, to be sure. Yes, we have a brand new (like, straight from the factory brand new) vehicle and yes we are using it like it's a work truck. It smells of mulch and compost, is filled with dirt and bugs, and needs a good cleaning out before winter. It is honestly so remarkably redneck and delightful; it makes me giggle often, wondering what on earth people must think. We are definitely giving them something to talk about!
To be clear, we have made a dozen trips or more out here, to get everything there that we need. We are hoping to do a few more trips to start a little mulch pile ourselves. And of course, always hauling out water.
The first round of planting, composting and mulching. So far, they are all surviving well, and we have gotten proper rain, which has helped a lot!
Returning another evening with a carload of mulch. We get free mulch and compost from the city's community mulch center on the edge of the city. Honestly, all you have to do is the labor. Show up, load it up, haul it wherever you need it. Talk about a cheap way to landscape!!
You can see in the following photos we have put down a lot of mulch, but next spring we will likely rake it up, lay down some landscaping fabric to help keep the grass down. This year, the mulch was more about a way to keep water around the plants.
The first couple weeks things started to grow so much. We have encountered some sort of bug infestation, and a gopher did dig a hole by the rhubarb. But so far, all the things are surviving.
This particular night you could see the golden tones of August were arriving in full swing, making the land feel like magic, and reminding me of what it looked like in 2020 when I first laid eyes on it.
I am so fortunate to have a small, thriving community around my land, and one of the farmers came and mowed the towering grasses, then made it into bales. It's a good deal for me, as I don't have to pay someone to keep the grass down, and he gets a bunch of free bales for winter feed.
Hey look, I am not in plaid! I am, however, in another one of my favorite jackets - trust me, I wear my clothes from Naka Supplements a lot. In fact, I am wearing a blue, collared shirt from them while I type! She's a supplement girlie, through and through.
Again, if you want to follow me on Tiktok, check out Miss Mouse Middleton, so you can see these stunning grasses swaying in the breeze, with the sun dancing merely behind them. It actually did quite well, or well for me, on Tiktok, so apparently, I am not the only one who loves sunsets.
One last glimpse of the land. We returned not too long ago, and now the signs of fall are in full swing. Thus, it is time for me to take out some mineral salt blocks for my deer friends, and maybe scatter some corn for them by their favorite sleeping spot. Trying to bribe them away from our food forest. Hehe
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