On this podcast episode, I’m joined by Founder and Director of Wild Abundance.net Natalie Bogwalker and we discuss a few of her favorite perennials for the homestead and her school Wild Abundance and the classes they offer.
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The Modern Homesteading Podcast, Episode 120 – April 21, 2019 – A Few Favorite Perennials With Guest Natalie Bogwalker.
Homestead Updates:
- Incorporated a grandkids playground within the garden.
- The greenhouse is about full of seedlings.
- Potted up a ton of comfrey crowns that I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with.
- Goji Berry cuttings are flourishing and not sure what I’m doing with those either.
Main Topic:
A Few Favorite Perennials With Guest Natalie Bogwalker
Natalie is the founder and director of Wild Abundance, a school of permaculture, natural building, and eco-homesteading in the mountains of North Carolina. The school helps people cultivate connection and empowerment through earth-centered skills.
Natalie lives at the lovely, growing homestead campus with her partner and their young daughter, along with seasonal apprentices. They’re surrounded by fun and quirky like-minded neighbors. Natalie spends her time harvesting in the wild, building, gardening, planting, putting up food, growing, teaching, parenting, playing, and scheming about how to introduce more people to Earth-based living…all with reverence for the beauty around her.
Natalie has taught at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, the Maps Meet, and Earthskills Rendezvous. Additionally, she’s given talks at universities across the country. Natalie was featured in Morgan Spurlock’s documentary Freedom in America, and she appeared in the National Geographic series: Live Free or Die. Holding a B.A. in Ecological Agriculture, Natalie has continually pursued knowledge from wise and inspiring teachers. She’s studied with many who have deeply enriched her perspective, including Juliet Blankespoor, Margaret Mathewson, and Frank Cook.
Natalie and her partner Frank also run an herbal apprenticeship, a natural building apprenticeship, and a permaculture apprenticeship. These days she is especially focused on women’s primitive skills, permaculture courses, and home building workshops.
Natalie and I Discuss:
- Natalie’s journey into her unique lifestyle.
- A few of her favorite perennials to grow on the homestead.
- One annual she couldn’t resist throwing in the list.
- Her School and all the classes they are offering.
Resources:
Homestead Recipe Of The Week:
An Egg Sandwich That Will Make Someone Fall In Love With You
This week’s recipe comes in from blogger and podcaster Ronnie King over at The Efficient Homestead.
This Week’s Question For The Podcast
This question comes in from Max from Connecticut. He Asks:
“Hi, Harold. Been enjoying the podcast very much. My wife and I bought our first home on 2 acres a year and a half ago. A little more than half the property is wooded. The front yard had about 7 apple trees but were sorely overgrown and extremely tall, and we’ve had to cut some down due to serious rot and bad placement near the house. We want to start replacing them soon and adding some others like peach, plum, and pear. My question is: from a permaculture standpoint, are there any considerations we should keep in mind when choosing variety and especially placement? Function stacking or companion plants etc. Or is it as simple as “don’t overshade the garden”? We are trying to save some of the trees and have a self-fertilizing pear that is in good health if that matters.
My answer:
NAP method of planting. Alternating your trees with a nitrogen fixer, an apple, and then a plum, peach, or pear.
Choosing the right nitrogen fixer tree.
Build guilds around each tree that will benefit both you and the trees.
A great resource is a DVD called The Permaculture Orchard.
