We absolutely adore our English walnut tree.  It’s so cool.  Every year it has a whole bunch of walnuts and they grow and fall to the ground and we pick them up…  store them over the winter so they cure and then early spring, we start to shell them.  We had almost 10 gallons full this year and that was after we shared some with friends!  Pretty darn cool.

We don’t have a lot of fruit and nut trees, but you can bet your bottom dollar, we are adding more as we can.   One nice tree can really be a huge blessing!   Sure, it takes a while for them to grow and really start to produce, but hey, they are really pretty darn easy permaculture for your homestead and so worth the $20 or $30 for a decent nursery tree.  We have an old heirloom pear tree in the back that has some very delicious fruit on it.  And an ancient sour cherry…  as well as a three in one apple tree…   what’s a three in one, you ask?  Well, it’s basically three different apple trees grafted onto root stock and is now a full sized tree.  It has a golden apple and a small red one and then a sort of crab apple sort of apple as well.  The crab apple one is not very tasty but the other two are!  The tree needs a little pruning and such, and we did some in the fall.   Hoping that helps it to produce a better crop this year.

This year we are hoping to add more semi-dwarf apples, since that is our favorite.   And a few raspberries where we want them…   we have raspberry and blackberry canes throughout the hedgerow around the property, but they are wild and not very good producers.  Each year I’ve watched and tried to catch them when they are ready but everything else beats me to it.  I don’t mind too much, I love the hedge and I think it’s very important for the wildlife in our area.  And it’s a wonderful natural barrier to help keep our critters in if they slip past the fence.  I think I will be adding a handful of good producing varieties to my garden so that I can watch over and net them with ease when it’s time!

We’re also adding some strawberry plants in a nice little plot.  There are several decent U-Pick places that I usually go and get a bunch for me and the freezer.  My crazy daughters don’t like them!  So it doesn’t take too much to give me a year’s supply!  But I still think it would be lovely to have our own in a little patch.  Can’t wait to get some time and get into the garden.   I checked and it’s finally dry…  I’m going to bring the ponies in for a little grass mowing and spend some time out there this week if possible.   Sunday through the first of the week is supposed to be cold and wet again, so I guess it might be the only time I get until May!  What a dreadful yucky and long winter this has been. I can’t wait until there is NO MORE FROST and super chilly nights!  Soon, I hope.  The only saving grace is that it’s giving me time to get the rest of the place in order before we start on the garden.  That is a good thing…

Dammartin says, NO MORE COLD….   he looks like a goof ball, doesn’t he, just sitting there like a fancy chicken and sunning himself.  He is one of Bucka Roo’s sons..  a beautiful French Wheaten Blue Marans…  This picture doesn’t really have anything to do with walnuts or permaculture, but I just thought it was neat.  Haha…   enjoy!!!