Identification of Trees in my homeland

When hanging out with Jesus the carpenter (see my last blog entry, before you think I'm having evangelical hallucinations). I come to know how little I know about trees.

I desire:
The ability to identify the common trees in my surroundings
At each stage of development. Seed, sapling, young, mature and when processed.
In each season. So when in full foliage in summer to naked in winter.
To know which uses each identified species has. E. G. Great for furniture, or fixing nitrogen etc
How best to propagate, manage and locate each specific species of tree.

Proposed solution:
I have purchased a colour picture laden tree identification book.
I shall now slowly add to my knowledge by first identifying a one tree I walk past regularly
I shall then research and answer the questions I have mentioned above.

Jesus and his Wood House

This weekend I travelled to the south west of England. Here I slept in a tent and assisted my friend Jesus the carpenter build his 7 sided round timber frame home.

The rafters and post are of Larch and most of my time was spent using an axe or draw knife removing the bark and sedum (sp) of the posts and rafter. Along with assisting with the securing of the almost upright 7 posts. He has decided that vertical is so last year and all post lean outwards.

After this we secured the wall plates. The next stage would be to place the 7 rafters attop and there we shall have the bare bones of a reciprocal roof.

Lessons learned:
Beeswax boots well before any such adventure.

DON'T be a hero and cycle from the station to the venue with a huge backpack. Take a cab

Remember to take Jesus some Frankincense as a house warming gift when I next visit.

Hungarian Rye Grass winter green manure

Shaks wanted to go hardcore on the weekend. So no cardboard, old fashioned turning the soil over. Topped off with generous sprinkling of Hungarian Rye Grass seed.

After two beds worth of digging. Shaks is in agreement. We'll go back to the card board method. Much less energy expended