So you need food to eat in your forest garden, and you are growing all the regulars – apple, pear, citrus, fig, and so on. Then your shrub level (using Patrick Whitefield’s 3 level arrangements as per his How to Make a Forest Garden), is hard at work. All those empty spaces are getting filled with … Continue reading
A single fruit remains! Here is all that is left of the crop of 2014 – a lonely overripe tamarillo, just waiting for a bird to snatch. But somehow, they leave it alone. Experience maybe? The sour sweetness of tamarillo is an acquired taste, and I for one, have acquired it. So for this month’s … Continue reading
It’s late Autumn now. Chill nights lead to mostly sunny days, but some rainy days too. Only a couple of cicadas left calling for mates, and they will be quiet all too soon. Deciduous plants are preparing to sleep, casting off leaves that survived the Spring bugs and scorching Summer sun. I love Autumn. The leaves … Continue reading
This broadbean seedling was growing too close to some garlic so needed to move it. I was surprised by how vigorous the root system was so wanted to share this with you. See how those little grains of rock are growing into the roots? The result of remineralising my soil with basalt and granite dust. … Continue reading
A full week of rain in Melbourne marked the transition from an Indian Summer wannabe to Autumn proper. It felt like the soil itself let out a welcome sigh of relief, as a contestant drizzle eventually soaked the earth until it could hold no more. The best (or worst) sign of this is when find a heap of … Continue reading
Hungry? Just grab it! You see how it works, just like a vending machine. Sure it’s only working a few weeks a year, but nature doesn’t work on our timetable. She does it when ever she bloody well wants! Here are some handy instructions to follow: 1. Approach tree with ripe fruit 2. Pick off … Continue reading
It’s a Fruit – It’s a Vegetable. Whatever I’m surprised that Solanum betaceum (Tamarillo), does not feature more often in permaculture systems. They are a fast growing small tree with good drought resistance, thrive in a strong wind when kept in bush form to about 2 meters, and of course, they make delicious fruit – … Continue reading
