Developing a Woodland from Zero

From monoculture rushy land to woodland in under twelve years.

Not just any woodland, but a food forest woodland, as you can see from one of the thousand plus trees planted above…a Greengage!

This is the only lawn here, enjoyed by Jack!

There follows a series of forty plus photographs taken here at Bealtaine Cottage in July 2016.

The Bealtaine Cottage Land Restoration Project was started in late 2004.

It was a challenge for one woman with zero resources to restore what was deemed by the EU as “Poor Land”…a term I vehemently challenge!

There is no such thing as “Poor Land”  just ABUSED EARTH!

As with all EU projects that entail putting Mother Earth first, there was zero funding for this!

Not to be deterred…(I never am!) at the age of forty eight, I took on a mortgage to help buy this bereft, sad-looking little place, with the dream of returning it to Eden.

I believe the Earth is sacred.

The rest of the story is told here in these photographs…

The fact that I have planted this entirely on my own, growing much of what you see from seeds and cuttings, makes this a workable model for anyone to follow…