By Jennifer Montgomery
​Board Member, Seacoast NH Permaculture

Principle #4 encourages us to apply self-regulation and accept feedback. This can be a tough one, of course. Many of us move in cultures and lives where “fortune favors the bold.” We often hurry and barge and act with impulse—for expediency or perhaps the comfort of habit. But this principle—in concert with Principle #1 Observe and Interact—invites us to embrace a different approach. To apply self-regulation and to seek and accept feedback requires an openness to a spirit of inquiry and growth, a spirit of a willingness to learn and to evolve our practices as we learn.
 
Principle #4 reminds me of my first forays into invasive-species control. I knew very little about the plants themselves or the impact of my actions. I saw the buckthorn and the bittersweet thriving on the edge of our woods, and I set about to remove them. With a big heavy axe and also a pickaxe. I found that method to be great fun—for me. It was a terrific workout, and it was viscerally satisfying to succeed in chopping and digging at stumps and roots until I could pull them out in my private little triumph. 
 
What I didn’t know—and hadn’t taken the initiative to learn—was that in addition to digging out these invasives, I was inviting them and others to take more root in all the disturbed soil I was creating. And I was also compacting the soil and trodding on unknown numbers of jack in the pulpit, trillium, goldenrod, asters, milkweed, and more (few of which I could identify at that point). I probably did quite a bit more damage than good, and I regret it to this day. 
 
The scales fell from my eyes a year later when I attended training in the stewardship of natural resources. The training included substantial introduction to Permaculture and to the importance of applying self-regulation and accepting feedback. Part of what has been so powerful about Permaculture for me is the spirit in which participants welcome and interact with each other and with novices like me. For many of us, feedback can land most powerfully when it’s delivered in a spirit of good will, encouragement, and the sense of possibility of knowing and doing better. Principle #4 in the wrong hands could feel punitive and destructive, but in the full context of Permaculture it’s a beautiful opportunity to grow and do better.
 
Depending on the sources you consult, Principle #4 can be quite simple or very complex. One compelling idea from www.permacultureprinciples.com (Principle #4) was the example of the earth itself: “…The whole earth is the largest scale example we have of a self-regulating ‘organism’ which is subject to feedback controls, like global warming.” For most of us, self-regulation and acting on feedback is a much simpler affair, but it can have huge benefits. 
 
Examples of Applying Self-regulation and Accepting Feedback

• The challenge of invasive species invites us to self-regulate and accept feedback. How, whether, and when we push back against invasives have an impact on native plants, our environment, pollinators, wildlife, and our neighbors’ homes and gardens. Are we thoughtful and well-informed about our choices and their impacts? And do we tackle these bigger problems in concert with the interests and wisdom of  others?
• Pruning trees and shrubs can be an intimidating endeavor that pushes us to take great care—or it can be something that we dive into with good intentions but an absence of knowledge and technique. With Principle #4, we can hold ourselves accountable to act with care and restraint and to seek and apply feedback from those with contemporary knowledge of the best practices in pruning and care.
• In Nature, species like porcupine and squirrels are continually weighing the benefits of self-regulation (i.e. self-preservation) and the feedback they get when they encounter humans and dogs. As with people, it seems to be a balancing act, and an opportunity to live and learn—or not.
• How do we move in the world in the context of our espoused beliefs? If we are committed to believing and speaking about the dangers of climate change and the impact of fossil fuels, do our own travel/usage habits and other daily decisions reflect that? Do we receive feedback about our choices in a spirit of inquiry and openness or do we struggle not to become defensive of our choices?
• Sometimes there can be tension between Permaculture Principles like obtaining a yield and the desire we have for yards and gardens to yield mainly aesthetic benefits—in ways that preclude food production, pollinator habitat, and so on. In what ways can applying self-regulation and accepting feedback help us have more balance in our actions and approaches in this regard?

 
Take Action
Pick an area of your life—in your yard/garden or in your family/community involvement, perhaps—where you can reflect on your actions over time and imagine where you would have been well-served to apply self-regulation and accept feedback. How can you reset yourself to prioritize self-regulation and accept feedback in this area going forward? Imagine some concrete steps and plan how you might take one of those steps.

By Deb Ganster
President, Seacoast NH Permaculture
 [This is the second in a two-part series on considerations when choosing trees and shrubs. To read Part 1 on tips for novices, follow this link: tips-for-novices-succeed-with-seedlings-from-the-nh-state-forest-nursery.html
 
In Part 1 of this series, you learned about the NH State Nursery annual seedling sale and the basics of how you might make choices of trees and shrubs you’d like to add to your property. In this article, we’ll add some additional considerations for bigger projects and more advanced plantings.
 
Some of us, for example, are focused on site-wide goals. Nurseries that sell seedlings at a good price are selling young plants for large-scale restoration projects. Part of the planning and selection should account for a certain percent of loss. 
 
Genetic diversity is an important consideration in this regard. If the seedlings are healthy and the site is appropriate for their needs, a large enough percentage will survive.  It is somewhat of a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.
 
For small sites where plantings will receive more individualized attention, it may be better to purchase fewer plants that are older. These will be more expensive, but they will give the homeowner a jump start. Trees that bear fruit and nuts are a great example of this. If you want to increase the likelihood of a yield—fruit or nuts—in your lifetime, get an older plant!  
 
You may also want to select for certain genetics. Native species are the best for wildlife, but not always for human food production.
 
For example, I have A LOT of aronia berry here, and most of it is from native stock with genetic diversity. But I have a few that are cultivars, and they are far superior for berry
Yields--bigger berries and more of them.
 
Therefore, if you have a smaller site, you want your design and selections to give the yields you need, and cultivars are more often going to do that. This is one of the benefits to doing zone analysis where you identify your food-producing zone, your forever-wild zone, and so on.
 
Another key consideration is how the selection behaves once it is planted. Moving things around is not always as easy as it sounds.  I will sometimes buy small plants and pot them to let them grow longer before meeting the big world (like the New Jersey Tea I just bought from a good source--and for a steep discount). Other plants establish quickly and spread out, send up suckers, and establish themselves in ways that may or may not appeal to you. 
 
And, not surprisingly, some things don't transplant well. Knowing the range of traits and particulars in advance of selection is key here. In addition to reading and research, try to see something actually growing at someone else’s site. This is a great way to learn about problems and failures before you buy.
 
Finally, given my long-term commitment to the plantings that I choose, I research items over and over--and over again. That investment in time and analysis has proven invaluable in achieving my overall site design.

By Jennifer Montgomery
Board Member, Seacoast NH Permaculture
[Note: This article was first published in NRS Inside Tracks newsletter in December 2023. Also, this is Part One of a three-part series on things to think about when selecting plants for your property.]
 
I first heard of the NH State Forest Nursery Seedling Sale during a class for Natural Resources Stewards from UNH Cooperative Extension. Someone brought up the seedling sale, and many of the people around me ooohhhed and aahhhed about all the great deals and what they were going to try. I just listened—in a bit of silent panic—and wondered at how little I knew about anything related to the State Forest Nursey, seedlings in general, and this near-mythic yearly sale that starts in December each year.
 
After the class, I went home and searched online to see what everyone was talking about. I found the state-nursery website and the sale catalog—but it was as good as Greek to me. 
 
The catalog had relatively little descriptive information, and I was too much of a novice in most things tree/shrub-related to fill in the blanks. It reminded me, actually, of my mom’s and grandmothers’ old recipes on 3x5 cards. They are wonderful recipes, but you need to know the methods from prior experience because they included the ingredients and not much else. I know what to do with old recipes, but I found the seedling options entirely intimidating.
 
I actually tried to put together an order suitable for our home in the woods, but I never completed it. I just had too little sense of what might work, where things should go, how much care they would require, and so on.
 
It's four years later now, and I still have never ordered from the seedling sale, though I intend to each year. I did revisit the State Forest Nursery page recently, though. There is more information there now, but a few more basics would help novices like me.
 
In case you have had a similar experience of being overwhelmed at how to proceed with picking seedlings, here are a few things I have learned—with the generous advice and direction of Mary Tebo, a dedicated permaculturist and former leader of the Natural Resources Stewards program.
 
Narrow down seedling selection based on your own space and place: This is where things get especially complicated for those of us with limited knowledge, plant confidence, and experience. The “What goes where?” question can drive me off into a figurative ditch. But thinking through answers to a few core questions can help narrow down options and focus your decision-making. 
 
Mary reminded me of the “right plant in the right place for the right function” advice. After you have identified possible locations in your yard, she said these four considerations can help you select your best options from among the trees or shrubs available in the seedling sale:

1. How much sun do your potential planting locations get? If you haven’t yet paid attention to this, it’s a great place to start. You might be surprised at what you learn when you pay close attention. Some people like to make a “sun map” of their yard and record details for different times of the year and different times of the day. Or you may have a good idea from your experience over time. I personally have been amazed at the difference a few feet can make, especially in relation to changing patterns based on the angle of the sun at different times of the year. We planted a highbush cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. Americanum) in what we thought was a perfect sunny spot, but as the summer days shortened that spot lost all of its sun due to the shadow cast by our house.
2. Is the potential planting space wet or not? We have areas in our yard that are entirely sandy and drain instantly. And we have other areas that drain water from higher elevations and so remain sopping wet all spring and during rainy days in the summer. Taking into account the average soil moisture of your possible seedling locations will further narrow your choices to best effect.
3. What functions would you like your new planting to fulfill eventually? Examples include wildlife habitat, pollinator habitat, wind break, beautiful foliage, erosion control, bird habitat, etc. Knowing your preferred function(s) will help you identify your best options.
4. Finally, as you narrow your choices, imagine the plantings as full-sized trees and shrubs. And imagine in two dimensions—both height and diameter. For example, you might not want to plant shrubs near your house that will grow tall enough to block the view from your windows. Or if privacy is your goal, you might want to prioritize that feature. And you won’t want to crowd your seedlings just because they are tiny upon purchase. Gaining clarity on your space available and the size upon maturity will help you further narrow your choices of seedlings and not overbuy.

 
Mary also made the point that you can plant seedlings close together temporarily, if needed. For example, you might want to grow them out in a bed while planning to move them later on. 
 
“I have some American plum from the nursery that I just stuck in my garden close together as I wasn’t sure where I wanted them and didn’t have time to plant them,” Mary Tebo said. “Now I have a space for them, so in the early spring I will move them. They doubled in size even when I got them into the ground late.”
 
Mary’s core advice here was super helpful. Still, I find myself wanting to add additional questions and qualifications to my seedling selection. But that likely speaks more to my fear of making mistakes or killing things than anything else. I trust Mary. I know that if I can somewhat confidently answer those four questions, my choices are well narrowed and to best effect.
 
How to choose once you’ve analyzed your site possibilities: Once you can answer those key questions about your own location, you can move on to the next step and make the best use of your research time on sites like The Native Plant Trust. 
 
Native plants remain the best option in the context of Natural Resources Stewardship. And the State Forest Nursery offers many inexpensive native seedlings “grown from seed in our own seedbeds to ensure they are well adapted to the regional climate and conditions,” according to the seedling-sale homepage.  The State Forest Nursery promotes its seedlings for purposes like site reclamation, hedgerows for wind and snow breaks, wildlife food and habitat, erosion control, and more. 
 
Various websites beyond the State Forest Nursery provide high quality information about specific species of trees and shrubs and their value for birds, pollinators, wildlife, and the environment. Here are a few New England-specific sites that can help build foundational knowledge from which to make good seedling choices:
 
•The Native Plant Trust provides high-quality information and advice specific to native plants in New England. Explore its Garden Plant Finder, check out its list of classes (in-person and online options), or visit its Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA, to see native plants in natural settings.
•UNH Cooperative Extension’s page “New Hampshire’s Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines with Wildlife Valueprovides a richly detailed table of options and their specific values to wildlife.
•The Wild Seed Project and the National Audubon Society also have detailed information about choosing native plants best suited to your locale and needs. 
 
NOTE: A problem with trying to figure out what to get from the NH State Forest Seedling Sale is that it’s so easy to go down internet rabbit holes. While the seedling-sale website strikes me as spare in its information, the opposite is true of other great websites. If you’re like me, you need to make a note to self: Actively avoid analysis paralysis. And answer Mary’s four core questions about your own location first.
 
Seedling survival: Once you have placed an order, it’s time to worry about whether you’ll kill these things in the spring. I say that with a bit of humor—but only a bit. The thought that these bare-root seedlings actually have a chance in the wilds of our yard amazes me. The New Hampshire State Forest Nursery has a good page on its website for best practices when planting your seedlings. Here is the link to the page titled Seedling Survival Tips.
 
I do not recall this information being available when first I looked in 2019. These Seedling Survival Tips are clear and doable, and they answer a lot of my questions.
 
Final thoughts: I do get a smile out of the pictures on the seedling-sale website. Pictures of each tree or shrub available for sale show them in their mature glory, when what you actually get to plant are little sticks.
 
It reminds me of my ancestors on the Northern Great Plains who planted so many shelterbelts to block the wind and the snow and slow down erosion of topsoil. They must have been wildly optimistic to envision that tiny seedlings would grow into mighty trees--and full stands of trees in a landscape inhospitable to trees. It’s time for me to commit to a bit of that optimism, do my research, and finally place an order…. As Mary reminded me, “These little guys are tough and want to survive, so save the worrying and just do it!”