Making an A-frame

Because the branches in my garden are far too big, I choose to buy 3 broom sticks. Two of them, for the legs, must be the same length. The third you can choose the length you want, or maybe the same length as the legs.

The longer the legs and A-spreader, the bigger your steps, marking with your A-frame, on the land will be.

              Use some rope to wrap the top of your A-frame, binding the two legs together.

After that bind the horizontal stick on the two legs, same distance from the bottom up on each leg.

When you finish building your A-frame, make a mark where the rope with something heavy at the end, touches the horizontal stick. You do this on a horizontal floor, for example in your house somewhere. When the rope hangs exactly there, the legs of your A-frame will be at the same level.

Put a stick in the ground at each leg of the A-frame, when the rope is balancing at the mark.

My first swale boundary is marked with bamboo sticks on meadow 1 (zone 2+3).

View from meadow 1.

Tip:
Probably using flat wood - instead of round wood - will be easier making your A-frame and could be measuring more secure.

Guest boat cabin

An Leisure 22 sailing boat - 22 foot long - from the UK, has got a new life as a retiree on the land. The sales and mast are in storage. The boat is located at the boarder of the garden and has the most beautiful view of the land.

Sunset at January 29 at 16.45 hours.

January 29 at 17.00 hours.

A look inside.

Sitting area, which becomes a double bed with table down.

Two single beds (can be made into 1 double) in the front of the boat.
I never used it but there is a kitchen with sink, fridge and cooker on the left here. But not in use.

All guests are welcome to cook in the outside kitchen. Here there will be a 3 pits gas cooker.
A dish/washing area will be outside as well.

Looking out the back of the boat. There is an outside - on the boat - sitting area. Ladder for climbing up and down the boat.
On the wall left you see a solar charge controller. This will make it possible to have LED-lights inside charged by small solar panels on the roof. Also, small mobile solar lights and one old fashioned oil lamp above the table, for just in case.
There is also a single bed right to the staircase, head out, legs under the outside coach.
Lots of luggage space under the beds/sitting area.

The boat is 6.20 meter long, so not that big. Okay space for 1-2 adults, and maybe with 1 kid. Officially the boat offers space to 5 persons, but then a bit cramped.

Photos are from last time on the water. During winter all solar has to be removed and replaced again next spring/summer.

The guest boat can be used by wwoofers (helpers) for free.

It will be possible to rent the boat for a holiday stay for a minimum of 3 nights.

Bus 214 goes from Larvik to Kvelde towards Svarstad and back, every day except Sunday.
https://www.vkt.no/media/1016/207-215_3s.pdf

The trees around my primary meadow

This will be my first meadow to start planting, my Zone 2 (fruits) and 3 (nuts). Of course not only fruits and nuts will be here. Also berries, edible leaves and flowers, herbs, medical herbs, perennials, etc. Everything edible.

The view from the meadow

The following trees you will find here (Name in NO/NL/English/Latin):
Følgende trær finnes her (navnet på NO/NL/Engelsk/Latin):


Ask / Es / Ash / Fraxinus excelsior
https://www.floravannederland.nl/gast_bloggers/gast_bloggers_post/?permalink=es-en-de-essentakziekte
https://www.bomenbieb.nl/boomsoort/gewone-es-fraxinus-excelsior/

As mulch. Kan beheerd worden als knotboom of als essenhakhout. Loopt na zware snoei goed uit.


Osp / Esp, Trilpopulier / Aspen Poplar / Populus tremula
http://www.euforgen.org/species/populus-tremula/
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Populus+tremula

Recycling old wooden blinds into name tags.

The inner bark of the Aspen Poplar is anodyne, anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps. The plant is also used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Vague fears of unknown origin', 'Anxiety' and 'Apprehension'.

Bjørk, Bjerk/ Berk / Birch/ Betula

Bjørk, Bjerk

Spermatopsida (Zaadplanten), nieuwe 2-zaadlobbigen. Bij voorkeur groeit de berk in moerassige streken.
De buitenste laag van de schors van een berk is voortdurend bezig zich te vernieuwen en valt soms in dunne repen naar beneden. Deze repen hebben een groot weerstandsvermogen tegen bederf omdat de schors betuline bevat. Deze eigenschap maakt het mogelijk om van de schors kano's, schoenen en dakspanen (schindels) te maken.
Berkenbladeren die in het voorjaar geplukt worden bevatten naast harszuur en kalizout ook saponine. Saponine is een stof die als genezend wordt beschouwd bij reuma, blaas - en nieraandoeningen. Berkenbladthee werkt vochtafdrijvend. Met een aftreksel van berkenknoppen zou het lichaam gereinigd en de spijsvertering bevorderd kunnen worden. Berkenblad remt de groei van bacteriën en verhoogt de uitscheiding van urine, waardoor afvalstoffen in verhoogde mate worden uitgescheiden. Berkenblad wordt ook in kruidengeneeskunde aanbevolen voor de huid omdat het de aanmaak van collageen zou ondersteunen en door de saponinen een zuiverend, reinigend effect heeft. 
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. The average lifespan of a birch tree is about 140 years and grows to a maximum height of 70 feet and width of 60 feet.


Linn / Linde / Lindens / Tilia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia
http://www.bomeninfo.nl/linde.htm

'Linn'

The leaf buds and young leaves are also edible raw. Very important honey plants for beekeepers. For intricate carving. 
Limeflower tea. Linden flowers are used in herbalism for colds, cough, fever, infections, inflammation, high blood pressure, and headache (particularly migraine), and as a diuretic (increases urine production), antispasmodic (reduces smooth muscle spasm along the digestive tract), and sedative.


Eik / Eik / Oak /
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Quercus+alba

The seed can be roasted and then eaten, its taste is something like a cross between sunflower seeds and popcorn. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute that is free from caffeine.
Antiseptic. The bark is boiled and the liquid drunk in the treatment of bleeding piles and diarrhoea, intermittent fevers, coughs and colds, consumption, asthma, lost voice etc.
A mulch of dried leaves can be placed around vulnerable plants in order to repel slugs, snails, grubs etc; repellent.
Trees take about 30 years before they start to bear good crops of seed, they then have heavy crops about every 3 years with light crops in the other years.

Oak during winter. On the right, Hazel.

Hassel / Hazelaar / Hazel / Corylus avellana
https://www.permacultuurnederland.org/planten.php?zoek=hazelnoot&laag=&functieSER=Tjs=&page=0&pid=20&sort=naz

Hazelnoten bevatten veel plantaardige eiwitten, onverzadigde vetzuren, vitaminen en mineralen. Bovendien zijn de noten rijk aan vitamine B1, B2, B6 en E, en bevatten ze onder meer calcium, fosfor, kalium, magnesium en zink. Hazelnoten bevatten alle essentiële aminozuren.
Several of the Hazels here are about 6 meters high. This one here is a small one.


Selje / Wilg / Willow / Salix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJOimbSlDzk
Use of young branches/Making a 'knotted' Willow.

On moist soils. Eudicots. Remedy for aches and fever.
De wilg kan op ongeveer 2 m hoogte afgezaagd worden en heet dan knotwilg. Aan de stam groeien vervolgens waterloten, die wilgentenen worden genoemd. Ze worden tegenwoordig vooral gebruikt om manden en tuinschermen te maken.
Levert stuifmeel voor solitaire bijen.

Meadow 1, zone 2 - 3.

Gråor / Zwarte/Grijze/Grauwe Els / Gray Alder /  Alnus incana
http://www.stemderbomen.nl/pages/artikelen/art_els.htm
https://books.google.no/books?id=ESNIhP0f50QC&pg=PA192&lpg=PA192&dq=grauwe+els&source=bl&ots=n8daZatrpx&sig=ACfU3U3k6HuLUaRFtyC2inqdM_KDgZSrgQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi4zfbIvJrnAhViyaYKHbhWB8cQ6AEwCXoECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q=grauwe%20els&f=false

Alder is a nitrogen fixing tree.
Gekneusd elzenblad zou steenpuisten en zweren genezen. Een afkooksel van elzenblad zou een goed middel zijn tegen brandwonden en ontstekingen. Sap van de els geneest blaas-en nierkwalen.
Moerassige groeiplaats.


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Noe om andre trær og bruk av dem:

Which trees fix nitrogen?

Black Locust, Mimosa, Alder (one of my trees), Redbud, Autumn Olive, Kentucky Coffee Tree, Golden Chain Tree, Acacia, Mesquite and others are examples of trees that support nitrogen in soil with the help of bacteria. These NFTs pull the element out of the atmosphere and build a storehouse of the gas through their nodule root formation.

Bøk / Beuk /  / Fagus Sylvatica

https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Fagus+sylvatica

https://www.floravannederland.nl/planten/beuk

Thrives on a light or medium soil, doing well on chalk, but ill-adapted for a heavy wet soil.
Young leaves, raw, in a mixed salad. To pick 2x 3 weeks per year.
The bark is antacid, antipyretic, antiseptic, antitussive, expectorant, odontalgic (against tooth ache).