The bushcrafter's garden or yard

[rich59]

I have a garden which is in total about 50 metres long including the shared lane at the back. In this environment 90% of my bushcraft activities take place. At the same time it has to be nice for guests in the summer, be a children's play ground, grow some fruit and herbs.

I was wondering about peoples experience, dreams and plans in using their private outdoor space that relate to their bushcraft interests - how it works, what conflicts arise and so on.

I used to be interested in gardening but now it is bushcraft. So, it has turned a bit wild and I struggle to find the time to keep it looking nice.

The shed it increasingly untidy now with hand and bow drill bits scattered about, a box of tinder, shelves with sundry bits of fungi, matches and so on knocking about. And it usually smells of smoke.

I am beginning to consider growing things more useful to bushcraft, and herbal uses, but apart from scattereing mullein seeds I haven't got far with this. Thinking of planting a fungus garden - shady and damp with lots of dead wood piled about.

The neighbours have not yet complained about the smoke.

Anyway - what's your thoughts?

 

[JohnC]

We've a smallish garden, but its great for sitting out in practicing some skill when, like us you've no car to get to the pentlands or wherever. I would like to rebuild my shed .

However we also have an allotment in the nearby park and there is much more scope for fires (within reason) growing flax and willow and generally leaving wood around without worrying too much about the look of the lawn etc.
If you check with your local council, some waiting lists for allotments are not too long.

 

[Abbe Osram]

Hi mate,
if I would have your garden I would try to build it in a way that I become Self-Sufficient, trying to produce as much food as I can and see how long I come. The money I save I would put away to buy myself more Land. ;-)

If you think that 50 meters is not much than I have to tell you that I was reading a book teaching how to design your balkony and your windows to make a self sufficient living in inner cities. He had very cool ideas how to get the best out of a very tight spot. He managed to get all the food he needed for his living.
I believe you can have some rabbits too and maybe you can even squize in some other usefull animals like chickens.

With the upcoming energy crises I believe its a good thing to have controll over his own food supply. Secondly its nice to save some money and put it into you bushcraft hobby and come to us to sweden for a nice Bushcraft holiday. ;-)

cheers
Abbe

 

[risby]

II was wondering about peoples experience, dreams and plans in using their private outdoor space that relate to their bushcraft interests - how it works, what conflicts arise and so on.

Anyway - what's your thoughts?

I'm lucky enough to have a bit of a wood at the bottom of my garden which over the seven or so years I've lived here had become overgrown with brambles, carpeted with ivy and impenetrable in parts due to holly. I went on a "camp craft" woodlore course at the beginning of August this year and since then I have been transforming it. I've cleared the undergrowth, put up a tarp and hammock (to practise my knots: buntline hitch and tautline hitch on guy ropes; timber hitch, wagoner's hitch and prussic on 'apex' rope {what's proper name for that?}; timber hitches are entirely adequate for hammock).

I built a ladder up two adjacent trees, practising my square lashing,

and then a pole bridge over to a clump of five trees where I have built a platform.

My two girls love it. I've noticed someone has the tagline "You're never too old to enjoy a happy childhood" and I think at 48 this applies perfickly to me.

 

[MalIrl]

Nice thought, I've been thinking about similar lately, while I was trying to get hold of some Burdock for my local patch. (I finally found the burdock only a few hundred metres from my play area). I used to do a lot of gardening until I moved to rented accom. while waiting on our new house (still waiting). Once we move in I'll have lots of space and the other day I was considering whether to start a wild-food garden. Burdock, ramsons seem obvious food ones ones to start, and then you could also look at medicinal plants, e.g. yarrow. How about a hedge across the garden with hazel, damsons, crabapple, wild raspberries etc. If your garden is 50m long it's pretty big and I'd look at dividing it in two or three: suburban garden (lawn, swings for kids, goalposts, flowerbeds) and then bushcraft garden and optionally veg. garden too.
Is there a seed savers association in Britian where you could learn to save different types of seed (though most wild food plants shouldn't be too difficult). Good luck with the project, anyway, and let us know how you get on.

Slán,
Mal

 

[harlequin]

Why not try one of Tom Brown's earth shelters. It's a kind of permanent wigwam.
Light your fire in the middle of it;
make your willow backrest;
smoke foods,skins in it;
have your little work bench;
do whatever you like in it!

P.S. Get rid of the shed.
P.P.S. Always somewhere to kip when the missus isn't talking to you!

Harly

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Hi. I live in the Country. There is a little stream (or burn, as it's called here) at the bottom of my garden, and we sometimes put an old eel trap in it at the full moon, with varied sucess, but it's good fun whenever we catch one. There is also an abundance of Willow and Hazel, a few Spruce a couple of Scots Pine, a few Alder and even a sycamore tree, which has provided some good wood for fire drills. Being in the country means that I can just climb my fence and go explore, although I have to say, that I mostly just hang about the garden. there is also a Forrestry commission forest not a half mile away (as the crow flies) and I sometimes hike over the fields to it, but I've never camped in the forrest, just in the garden or up in the field behind my house a few times as there are a few rabbet warrens and even a badger set dug into the hedge bank up there. So far this autumn I've made Bramble Jam from the wild Blackberries that abound here and have been trying to beat the squirrels to the Hazlenuts.

 

[rich59]

Why not try one of Tom Brown's earth shelters. It's a kind of permanent wigwam. Light your fire in the middle of it; make your willow backrest; smoke foods,skins in it; have your little work bench; do whatever you like in it!
P.S. Get rid of the shed.
P.P.S. Always somewhere to kip when the missus isn't talking to you! Harly

Tell us more. I cant seem to find a good reference on the net. Do you have to dig out a hole?

Get rid of the shed you say. Hmm. I'll sleep on that idea.