Gardening, the simple metaller's simple pleasure

[Kurt Cocaine]

Nice one Mac.

[Eoin McLove]

Very nice work!

[astfgyl]

Ok so, I'll get this one started a bit. Given the potential for destruction of supply chains and eating being the future preserve of the mega-rich, what are the most practical things that we can do right now in our gardens? Also, what merit is there foraging things at various different times of year? Maybe this one could expand into its' own survivalist thread, but what can be done in our gardens in the short term given the hypothetical situation of complete societal collapse?

[Bigmac]

Ok so, I'll get this one started a bit. Given the potential for destruction of supply chains and eating being the future preserve of the mega-rich, what are the most practical things that we can do right now in our gardens? Also, what merit is there foraging things at various different times of year? Maybe this one could expand into its' own survivalist thread, but what can be done in our gardens in the short term given the hypothetical situation of complete societal collapse?

At the moment as we are heading into winter, the main things I've just sown are overwintering garlic, onions and broad beans.

The best thing to be at right now would be to start a compost heap, and plan out your beds. It really depends on what you want to grow, but my suggestion is one bed for potatoes, one bed for roots and alliums, one bed for brassicas, and one bed for legumes. What would you like to grow? I can see if I can make out a little growing plan if you let me know what you want, and what space you have.

I can get into crop rotation and order a bit later but it's not complicated. Beds can be made very easily by laying down some cardboard to suppress weeds, then adding compost on top of that, and covering with some black plastic or similar. The weeds will die off, the cardboard will disintegrate, and come spring you're left with a nice clean and fertile area to grow in. Don't make beds any wider than about 4 feet, you want to be able to reach into the middle, and you can make them as long as you want.

I'm really into bushcraft, survival skills and foraging too. This time of year things can be a bit sparse, but you could start by incorporating things like nettles into your diet. I make nettle omelettes regularly, along with pine needle tea, natures lemsip.

I would also take a look at alexanders if you're just getting started. The stem is like celery, the root like a parsnip, edible leaves, and the seeds are like black pepper. It's a member of the apiaceae family though, and this has the likes of hemlock and giant hogweed so needs some care. The smell of alexanders and the trifoliate leaves are pretty easy to identify. Three cordered leeks are good too. In fact a nettle and three cornered leek omelette is fairly lovely.

In general with foraging, if you're not 100% sure, don't take the chance.

But yeah I'm into fishing, just got my gun license so hope to start hunting, forage regularly enough, and like survival skills, so happy to drop whatever people are interested in, in this or another survivalist thread. A good survival kit is a decent little investment, Dave Canterbury's 5 C's are a good place to start.

[astfgyl]

Fair play that's exactly the sort of practical solution I want to get on board with. Never tried the nettles but can't see a single good reason not to bar they weren't marketed to me. Dandeloins are meant to be full to the neck of goodness as well or so I've heard and it's that sort of thing that I am thinking of. I'll get back on here tomorrow when it's bright with garden dimensions and possibilities and I'd be only delighted for a bit of guidance around that. Sound Mac

[Trev]

What's the craic with nettles? Does cooking them up kill off the stinging parts?

[Bigmac]

Fair play that's exactly the sort of practical solution I want to get on board with. Never tried the nettles but can't see a single good reason not to bar they weren't marketed to me. Dandeloins are meant to be full to the neck of goodness as well or so I've heard and it's that sort of thing that I am thinking of. I'll get back on here tomorrow when it's bright with garden dimensions and possibilities and I'd be only delighted for a bit of guidance around that. Sound Mac

Yeah dandelions are class too. Dig up some of the roots, roast them in the oven, and grind them into a powder to make dandelion coffee. Obviously it lacks caffeine, but if ever there was a disruption to usual supplies, it would get you by.

On the topic of beverages, look up something called pineapple weed. It tends to grow between cracks in paths, and places where the earth is compacted like around the gates to a field, given then name you can guess it tastes like pineapple. If you then also find some gorse flowers which taste like coconut, you can make a kind of pineapple coconut tea, which is pretty tropical for our rainy little place.

Sound! Some of the assignments I've to do involves converting land to organic production, so I can apply what I'm learning there with yourself as a bit of a trial run!

What's the craic with nettles? Does cooking them up kill off the stinging parts?

Yep I usually just cook them up in a bit of butter. A lot like spinach, the stings are kind of like needles, and if you break them it wont sting you. You can grab the nettle under the leaf, roll it in your hand to destroy the stings, and eat them raw no bother.

[Bigmac]

And since the survival stuff was mentioned as well, nettles also make excellent cordage.

I made a primitive fishing kit a while ago using nettles for the line. The hook is a hawthorn, the float is elder, the sinker a pebble, and the main part just a carved piece of spruce with some eel skin I tanned in an oak and willow bark solution. Yet to have any success but it's a work in progress!

Just to give you an idea of what's possible from some basic plants and trees.

[Bigmac]

Nice few bits pulled up today.

[Grim Reality]

Great stuff Mac!!

While not quite a gardening or survivalist fanatic I do like to be able to use the half acre or so I have for more than just lawn mowing.

I grow spuds, onions, garlic, while the wife does the more delicate stuff like beans, peas, fennel, herbs.

I make homebrew beer and have my own hops.

I have some apple and pear trees as well as young hazelnut trees. The wife looks after the soft fruit (raspberries, blueberries etc) in our wee orchard.

We do a small bit of foraging. Usually just blackberries for autumn crumbles, sloes for gin and crab apples for jelly.

We get pretty cool green eggs from our 3 chickens.

I wouldn't rule out a pig or two in the future but for now it's about improving the veg patch, a wildflower garden I started a couple of years ago and doing a bit more borders and decorative flowers and stuff.

[Bigmac]

That's an impressive collection too!

I'm mad to get out of the city and get a bit more space, you can definitely do a lot with half an acre.

Nice one on the hops!

I'd love a few hazel trees, I try to forage the nuts but the squirrels always beat me. I managed to get a few this year though and the smell of roasting them in the oven is something else.

I know some folks use kune kune pigs pretty much just for veg patch creation and fertilising. They'll turn over and pull up any weeds in a spot where you want to plant veg, then shit all over it to add some nutrients. If you move them to your spud patch after you harvest, they'll ensure you have no volunteer potatoes. Could be worth looking into.

[StoutAndAle]

Lads, talk to me about vegetable patches in an urban area.

Myself and the missus were discussing what to do with the back garden now that I have the inside done (no rest for the wicked and no time like the present). I was saying I'd like to use a bit of the garden (SW facing) for a veg patch. My wife mentioned that she had read that they can draw rats but the article that she read was about folks living somewhere out in the countryside. I live 10 mins walk for the city centre.

I've stared down a pub full of HiAce pilots after refusing to serve them. I'd do it again before dealing with rats and mice.

[Bigmac]

I'm in Dublin, I've been growing stuff for several years now, and I've never seen one rat. That's with 8 beds and a polytunnel, so a decent bit on the go, with lots of variety.

I also have chickens, and I was told they can attract rats, but again I've seen nothing. I'm just careful with storage when it comes to their bags of food and I take the feeder in each night when they've gone to bed.

Mice are known to be pests when it comes to sowing peas and beans, but I've never had any of mine dug up.

The only time I've heard rats or mice mentioned with gardening, is in relation to compost heaps. But you'll be absolutely fine as long as you never put cooked food, or meat or anything like that in it.

[StoutAndAle]

Sound. Thanks for the info, Mac. I just wanted to grow a few basic things. I think I'll try it.

I do have a black thumb when it comes to most garden related things though.

[Bigmac]

Very welcome!

Yeah start small, any of the books I read at the start said to start small, which I pompously ignored. This resulted in a polytunnel full of decaying tomato plants.

When it comes to what you'd like to grow, it's fairly obvious but aim for things you actually eat. I sowed a row of oriental greens last year, as they look great and sound interesting. Only to try them and deem them horrible.

A good perspective to take on is to consider yourself primarily tending soil, and not necessarily plants.