Backyard Project - Soil Building

Mulch

Stabilising the bare soil on a slope with jute coffee sacks that will eventually rot down. This stops the impact of raindrops eroding and compacting the soil.

Laura adds wheat chaff to the rock garden beds to build up the organic matter in the soil.

Wheat chaff, spring fern prunings and paper all go in the mix. We are aiming to support a wide range of microorganisms in the soil. Before any planting, it will never be easier to build up the soil.

Laura and Mat level out a path across Gunilla's Garden and cover it with cardboard and waste paper. 

Several times a year heavy hoses are dragged across the ground to fill the fuel tanks so it is sensible to make a path through the bed.

The path is covered with fresh Douglas-fir wood chips.

In season, the path will be inoculated with mushroom spores to make a mushroom bed. It is a perfect spot for it under the shade of a large Douglas-fir tree.

Daughter Elizabeth came for a weekend visit. She inspects her 'feather-shaped' hugelkultur bed.

When asked what themed ecosystem she would like on her 'feather,' she said, "Plants that support birds." Of course. Now I need to go research and plan the ecsosytstem - something I really enjoy doing.

Mamalilaculla

This is one of the books I read this summer while exploring Canada's Pacific coast: A Curve in Time by M. Wylie Blanchet.
A woman/mother of 5 wrote about her summers exploring the same coast with her children.

One chapter recounts visiting the abandoned First Nation's village Mamalilaculla on Village Island. 

Ron and I visited the island and had a most enjoyable time exploring the remains of the village.

 

A fallen totem pole supports a microcosm of new life.

 

 

Forest Restoration Project Report

Our big project is to restore the wedge of  Douglas-fir forest on our property. The 1st phase involves removing the invasive plant species preventing native plants from growing. While my sister was staying with us, she put in many long days working at removing these invasive plants. The area she focused on was the shady bog area below the pond where the outlet stream meanders.
This is the view looking further down this stream from where we planted the ferns (previous post). All invasives have been removed but there is likely to be regrowth of them.

This is the view further down the stream. Before Donnel came, it was a 10 foot wall of Himalayan blackberry, some holly and a little English ivy - all invasive species in this ecosystem.

Once the blackberry was removed there was very little vegetation left. Now with the light reaching the ground, the nurse logs and snags can do their job supporting new growth.

It looks like a bomb went off and the blast killed all the vegetation.
I will be watching the area closely to find signs of new growth and to remove regrowth of  the invasive plants.
Thanks Donnel for doing battle with blackberry for all those hours and for sharing your wisdom so freely.