Comments on: My Forest Garden http://sustainablesmallholding.org Permaculture, and Sustainable practices on a Lincolnshire Smallholding Sun, 05 Feb 2017 15:17:11 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.11 By: Deano Martin http://sustainablesmallholding.org/diploma/test-2/project-6/#comment-280470 Sun, 05 Feb 2017 15:15:19 +0000 http://deanom.wordpress.com/?page_id=1817#comment-280470 Sorry Pat. No visits anymore. Too busy.

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By: Pete http://sustainablesmallholding.org/diploma/test-2/project-6/#comment-267182 Sun, 31 Jul 2016 20:26:52 +0000 http://deanom.wordpress.com/?page_id=1817#comment-267182 I love the design of the swales, every similar to some I helped a friend dig. Absolutely the way to go I think. Good luck with your project and your exams.

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By: pat hayes http://sustainablesmallholding.org/diploma/test-2/project-6/#comment-266042 Sun, 10 Jul 2016 16:53:38 +0000 http://deanom.wordpress.com/?page_id=1817#comment-266042 is it possible to come and visit you parts of your project are something on a par to our own although we havent given it a permaculture name we also have a smallholding in lincolnshire

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By: Brendan http://sustainablesmallholding.org/diploma/test-2/project-6/#comment-254867 Sun, 21 Feb 2016 19:50:51 +0000 http://deanom.wordpress.com/?page_id=1817#comment-254867 Thank you so much for putting all of this info up, much enjoyed and appreciated,
Brendan (Ireland)

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By: Deano Martin http://sustainablesmallholding.org/diploma/test-2/project-6/#comment-22344 Fri, 14 Mar 2014 08:03:05 +0000 http://deanom.wordpress.com/?page_id=1817#comment-22344 Hi Charlie
If these projects are near arable areas, then the period before and after Oilseed rape flowering are the best times to target.
Really early flowering willow is essential. Daphnoides was my earliest flowering, but I have a hybrid that flowers two weeks earlier, that was covered in bees this year. Winter flowering honeysuckle is brilliant for bee forage, and smells great too.
In terms of productive trees/shrubs, Cherry Plum flowers early, and easy to grow from the stones that you get from the fruits. If you find some growing and pick the fruit you get to make wine/jam and have hundreds of seeds. Cornelian Cherry is an early flowering edible, but I never see honey bees on it, normal cherry and plums for slightly later in the year. Sea Buckthorn is good for free draining areas.
Not many ground layer plants for earliness. Creeping comfrey is great for bumblebees, as is normal comfrey. Pulmonaria works.
For later in the year, Musk mallow is awesome, Purple loosestrife in damp areas is always covered in honeybees. Less trees available, and even fewer have edible uses. Siberian Pea, Bladder Senna, Chinese Mint Bush, Chinese bee tree, are all good shrubs/small trees. False Acacia, Sweet Chestnut for a taller layer. Chicory is a great ground layer and bee plant. Autumn raspberries are a great source of nectar, as well as fruit and plenty of woody material to chip for mulch.
If you browse the bee related posts, especially the really old ones, there is a lot of information in there.
All of the best
Deano

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