The Sombrun Forest Garden Project

I have always been optimistic about the establishment and progress of the Sombrun Forest Garden Project, and I hope this has always been reflected in the tone of the Blog. In its own gentle way, the project continues to move forward. There have been three notable advances this year:

In six years, the original walnut tree that I inherited has gone from a weak specimen to a healthy vibrant tree. This is not down to external inputs other than the application of urine, but to a general improvement in soil health and unseen mycelial activity. Worm activity has also become remarkable around the tree, and they are literally ploughing up the ground! The garden has come to the aid of the tree. This year there was the biggest crop of nuts ever, and for the first time, they matured properly and fell out of their green casings to the ground. Until now it was the whole, slightly immature unit that fell, and the casing browned and hardened around the nut on the ground, encouraging mould and burrowing insects, making it hard to get at the actual nut. And this new development has in turn led to a far higher percentage of healthy edible flesh when shelled, so far I would put it at higher than 90%.

Chanua guarding the walnut crop

Secondly, fungal activity in the hügelkultur beds that I installed on the slopes of the Upper Garden is really getting underway as decomposition develops. Now there are not only fungi visible on the beds themselves, but also in strips spreading out from the beds to the surrounding land. There, not only the trees and shrubs I have planted will benefit , but also the flora and fauna in general as soil health improves.

And lastly, when planting some new trees and shrubs a few weeks ago (see more below), the increase in worm and arthropod activity in the soil I was digging out was remarkable. Not only the common earthworm, but other species of smaller worm and soil-borne insects.

There were reasonable crops of peaches, quince and almonds this year, still relatively small given the age of the trees, but appreciable. The almond crop increased about 7-fold to over 40 nuts! The autumn olive bushes also produced a fair crop and this was duly turned into several fruit leathers. A welcome addition was also some wild strawberries which are spreading nicely in Carré 4 in the Lower Garden.

Peaches (left) and autumn olive

I have also done some new planting this autumn in the Upper Garden; blackcurrant, raspberry, chokeberry and serviceberry in Carré 3 under and around a couple of cider apple trees planted there three years ago. A pomegranate and a late fruiting peach (pêche de vigne in French, because it fruits at the same time as the grape vines), a fig and two more vines. There will also almond, apricot and cherry bare-rooted trees delivered in December. These are to complement those already planted to reinforce their fruiting capacity.

The nutritional aspect of the project also continues, including regular sourdough bread-making and home-produced kefir, and attention to maintaining as wide a variety of foods as I can (biodiversity in the kitchen, too!). I consider these to be an essential part of my diet.

But this has been a challenging year, both health-wise and financially, and this will be ongoing for now. Capacity for physical work is critical in a project such as this, particularly as it is a solo enterprise, and mental health is vital too for continued clarity of thought, inspiration, motivation and development, and both have been in short supply this year. And although there has been no lack of personal commitment, the Sombrun Forest Garden Project has always suffered from underfunding, which has been a severe handicap given the level of vision I have had and what I see the project as a part of (this extends far beyond the boundaries of this small property to a global scale!). There have been ideas in abundance, from rainwater harvesting to solar-powered pumps and drying facilities, but without the finance to implement them, they remain on the drawing board.

But never say die! Although this Blog will be suspended for now, the project will of course continue in a modest way, and existing and new plantation will mature. The overall vision and plan remains the same as at the outset six years ago, namely the establishment of a forest garden, following principles established over many thousands of years in full respect of Nature, the environment and ecology. The land itself will become enriched and more densely populated from the systems I have set up (swale ditches and hügel beds, nitrogen-fixing plants, a diverse range of fruit and nut trees, a small native forest area left largely to its own devices, and so on), and its own ecosystems will expand and consolidate. I have invested too much intellectually and emotionally to just abandon it, and the Forest Garden and me are an integral, living, unit, an exercise in catharsis. Circumstances may change, however unlikely this may seem at the moment, and new possibilities may open up. And a Blog may appear from time to time! Thank you for your continued support!