Little Stones quote there... sorry

I have a 2 acre spread with a 3BR log home in New Hampshire (USA). About a half acre is cleared, the rest is mostly red oak and white pine. The area was originally called "Nutfield" when the white man settled here, as the woods were full of nut bearing trees. I cut the red oaks for firewood (could self-sustain for heat off the property... if I had more time away from my job- but I'm close on this score). I'm killing the red oaks because they are super numerous here, and it opens up the canopy for replanting with black walnuts, hazelnuts, white ash, and a few other native hardwoods that are less numerous.

Have planted 5 native plums, 5 native beach plums, apple and paw paw trees, native hazelnuts, and native ornamentals and herbal remedies. Working on strawberries, perrenial herbs, walking onions, asparagus, and some other more permanent food crops.

A 1/4 acre+ piece of my yard is compacted sand and gravel that a former owner used as a truck turnaround- he worked for the state and had logs from road building jobs brought to his house where he sawed them into lumber for sale.

I've got a lasagna garden (15'x20') and a raised garlic garden (12'x12') there, and have grown red clover in just a skim of compost there. Also have wild strawberries creeping in (fine by me, and the puppies love them).

A few weeks ago I took down an 85 year old oak that's shading some of the spot (as well as some apples and paw paws), and have been breaking my back bucking and moving the 2+ cord of wood. Yesterday I moved the last of the thicker brush and ground the rest up with my old abused beater Murray push mower. Handled it like a champ. There's a fine layer of mulched leaves, shredded sticks, and sawdust on the area.

Now I get to start from scratch.

Next week I get 100 yards of soil delivered and spread 4" thick over the whole area. I've already got 250# of bunny food set aside as starter fertilizer/OM, and all the seed that I'll need.

I'll be planting red and white clover, timothy hay (for the rabbits- house rabbits for pets), and native legumes that I got by the pound (purple prairie clover, partridge peas, and Illinois bundleflower). This will be food and hay for my 3 house rabbits, plus green manure for addition to the great quantities of oak leaves that fall in my yard (compost will be returned to this field, and to the lawn).

Anyway- thought I'd share the project here as I know that many are interested in this stuff. Yes, I do feel pretty darned lucky to have the space and the understanding fiance (as long as she gets a little lawn- I can have the rest).

I'm debating on whether or not this whole yard would be self reliant- nitrogen fixing plants a-go-go, composted with leaves and bunny poop, mulch grass in place in the lawn. I have ash to add from the woodstove and fireplace (wood from my property heats the house), plus a little kitchen scraps (OK- that's introduced nutrient) that amounts to not a lot in the scheme of things.

{{gwi:1141090}}

Bare yard. Look close and you'll see the basketball net that I dropped the tree on (tree was at the left rear of the opening). Oh well.

{{gwi:1141091}}

Another angle.

{{gwi:1141092}}

From the back looking at the house.

{{gwi:1141093}}

The stump of that big tree- the axe is there for scale. My latest compost pile (one of 4) is to the left and behind.