March 12, 2026

It’s been a while again since my last update, but really not much happens in winter. I spent the winter mostly pruning the blackberries, which run around 50 metres down the edge of the field. I have a plan this year to try to train them on some wires, so they form rows of horizontal walls. I’m hoping this will tame the mess so i can access the berries better, and then come next year, I won’t have to spend days pruning a huge thicket again. Once the canes start to create a wall, I’m hoping the old canes can support the new ones. Let’s see if the plan works…

I’ve started to lay irrigation in the field now that I have the pump working. I’ve got some commercial-grade sprinklers that have about a 30-metre sprinkling radius. I’m laying the pipes in the ground, and then the sprinklers can pop out. I’ve done one half of the field where I have trees planted, equating to two sprinklers, so I still need to do the other half. Once that’s done, I’ll just need to turn on the generator to pump the water out each time I visit in the summer, so I can water the field while I work on other things. At the moment, I don’t have remote turn-on access since I need to have a generator running to get power. 

I ended up buying a powered lawn mower, which is definitely a game-changer in terms of cutting the grass. I’ll be maintaining the grass at a reasonable level this summer, instead of letting it grow tall. However, it still takes a while to mow all the grass, probably 2-3 days, so I won’t be doing it that often, or maybe I’ll let some areas grow - we’ll see. 

I haven’t really planted a new set of trees yet. Last year, I put the fruit trees in the ground in December / January, but this year it’s going to be March. I’ve ordered a whole bunch more fruit trees to go in the ground. I have added a few other shrubs here and there. I want to start planting some evergreen hedges, which will go around the inner seating areas to give some privacy. I’ve chosen some fast-growing evergreens so I can get it screening asap. My first attempt was thwarted by the rabbits, who immediately ate the little shrubs. I didn’t think they would… but then again, they eat bark. I then realised that the raspberry plants that died over the summer might have also been eaten, since I didn’t protect them with plastic, same with the evergreens. I just assumed the rabbits wouldn’t go for it. But alas. 

I bought some more raspberries and evergreens to replace the missing / dead ones and protected them straight away, so hopefully they’ll be able to grow this year. I’d love to have a closed hedge that gives some privacy from all the people walking by, and also I’d be able to hide my tools a bit better. Although the regulars are very friendly, and sometimes if I accidentally leave my tools out, they put them back for me, and one person has gifted me some twisted willow cuttings, which is so nice! Hoping it will take root and grow. 

I bought a bunch of bulbs like bluebells, crocuses, and other flower bulbs to dot around the trees. I thought the rabbits had dug them all up at first, but I’m now getting some crocuses coming out. I think the rabbits will eat some, but hopefully not all, I probably planted a few hundred…

For this year, I’m going to attempt some vegetable beds to grow both perennials and annuals. Things like spinach, artichokes, asparagus, carrots, broccoli, etc. It’ll be fierce competition with the rabbits, so I’m spending a lot of time thinking about how I’m going to cover and net it off. I at least want to try… I’ve also made a prototype willow border, which I will put all around the beds to give them some structure. 

I know I keep talking about the rabbits, and although I’ve never physically seen them in my field while I’m there, there are literally thousands of poo pellets everywhere. On every log or surface area they might like to climb on, there’s poop. They are definitely very numerous and very active. Hence, they are my nemesis. 

I also dug a trench over the winter to collect water… I actually did a lot of work over the winter, now that I think about it. The trench is the perfect length to soak 6-foot willow sticks for basket making or fence making. It also gives me easy access to fill a bucket of water if I need to, rather than turning on the generator and waiting for it to pump all the way up and through the hose. I think I’ll make another trench down by the vegetable beds so I can water more easily over there. My first trench seems to collect rainwater pretty well. So far, I’ve just filled it up once, and it’s always remained full even when I take out buckets. I’ll probably dot a few trenches / ponds around for easier rainwater access. The water butts have been a bit of a fail, so I will maybe try to find another use for them.

This year, I’m hoping the fruit trees will take off a bit more than last year, when they were lacking water and settling in. I’m hoping for some noticeable growth and maybe a few fruits here and there. They’ll be 3-4 years old, so still not expected to yield.

So gearing up for year 2 in Faber Forest. It’s still in its infancy stages, and I’m still heavily experimenting… I’m not expanding the planted area this year, just adding trees to the existing footprint. I still have 2/3 of the field standing empty. I’m ok with that, as I want to prove I can plant a good density and build up the layers of a forest before I expand out. I’m also trying to think of different layouts or different plants and use cases for the next section. Maybe it could look different somehow… Though I need to stay within the ‘agricultural’ remit.

I still have lots of energy and enthusiasm for the project, even though it’s hard work, which I’m very glad for, after a year of work. It’s very satisfying and exciting to have a vision and slowly work your way towards it. 

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