November has been busy. We had to have a roof replaced, so we had a surplus of old roof tiles. Instead of letting them go to waste, they’ve been used to line the gravel paths (permaculture principle; produce no waste). It’s made the whole system look much neater and will make access easier, as the borders are less likely to ‘spill’ onto the paths. Good access paths are necessary when people with mobility issues are using them. I tried using old sticks and broken bark, but the surface was too uneven and caused trip hazards, so the gravel has been used instead.

As much as possible I want a ‘closed loop’ system in the food forest; where I use everything that’s available within it (food, foliage, water, wood…) and don’t need to source anything from outside. But whilst I’m still developing the structure, some compromises need to be made.

The weather has been unseasonably warm, and we’ve had small figs growing, lots of flowers, and my very first apple! I would like to add more apple trees at some point, now I know they are happy here, so will see if I can source some from someone I can make a swap with, or perhaps try growing from seed. Watch this space!

The spiders have been out and about, doing their work, and are very welcome visitors.

I’ve been scattering seeds and propagating by division all over the place. Hopefully the seeds will stay where they are until the conditions are right for their germination. The divisions (gazanias, yucca, aloe vera, sage, oregano, hypericum, mint) already have small roots, so I expect they will settle into the still warm, damp soil, and then put on a surge of growth in spring. Filling the garden for free is extremely rewarding!

Happy November gardening!