Earthcare, Peoplecare, Fair Shares!
These seedlings have now become large tomato plants. Thanks to all who came along on Sunday. We had leek, onion and garlic soup. The greenhouse has been transformed into a workable and productive setting. Plots and projects are emerging. It’s all exciting. The strawberries are ready to eat. Pop along and help yourself.
We talked about the up-and-coming Permaculture course planned for Sept. We also talked about Human Ecology and several other topics.
— Nick
The idea behind having use of this plot on the Cainscross Allotment site is to have a base. Somewhere to observe, somewhere to learn from, perhaps design planting ideas. There’s a greenhouse to use, some tools and a compost bin.
Among those that came along on Sunday we had a couple of tours of the plot looking for plants emerging and thriving, e.g. herbs like rosemary, sage, marjoram, thyme, mint, parsley and sorrel. Seb and I found some decent garlic emerging and a suggestion was that sometime during the year we could create a meal out of what was growing on the plot. There are fruit plants including summer and autumn raspberries, rhubarb, two small apple trees, grape vine and strawberries. Thanks to the girls for cutting back the raspberries. The plot is also covered with flower plants, including some green manures like phacelia, lots of chard, hollyhock, poached egg (Limnanthes Douglassii), Jerusalem artichoke, artichoke, heliopsis helianthoides, sweet Sicily and comfrey. Also some Lacinato and giant walking stick cabbage.
Many thanks to all those who came along and so sorry if you missed us. By about 1.30 it was getting too cold, especially for the children so we toured the allotment site a little looking briefly at my plot at the top. We then migrated to my kitchen for tea, and some food that people had made.
This was a worthwhile event. We also broached the subject of undertaking Permaculture courses. There seem to be emerging plans on this. Ideas came out about using the plot for design experiments, and it might feature in the up and coming Spring Gardening Event for Sunday 15th April.
I plan to map the plot and keep a diary of what emerges. This is the January 2012 entry. – Nick
At long last I’m putting what I learned on my PDC course to use and have mapped both front and back gardens. I’ll post progress here as the plans come together and hopefully then to fruition. Some major negotiation likely with kids and Karen, but all part of the process!
I’ll be opening my garden for Edible Open Gardens in July organised by Transition Stroud, so have an incentive to at least get some of the way. At the moment the garden is a muddy mess.
Recent jobs have been:
When I get round to it I’ll post a few photos as I do stuff. If anyone wants to come and look and/or join in let me know! – Seb.
Having sort of finished a stressful project yesterday I was in an indulgent mood. My ramblings, as they often do, took me into Wilkinsons (the shop in the Merrywalks centre). They have lots of exciting and cheap plants in. I KNOW that cheap plants, like everything else, usually means that the environment or even human rights are being trashed somewhere, and in this case I guess the source will be polluting heated dutch greenhouses. Caveat emptor.
However, they have lots of fruit bushes in little boxes for about £2, and TREES in little boxes for about £4. As they have only recently arrived in the shop the new season bushes and trees (and onion sets, shallots, potatoes, asparagus roots etc) are in OK condition and not yet dead, which does tend to happen to plants in such shops.
So I bought myself an olive tree (I’d yearned for one for ages) and a lemon tree.
I also bought a packet of mushroom spore from the seed department – I don’t recall having seen that for sale before in a shop, and had been meaning for years to have a go at mushroom cultivation.
Just thought I’d share this in case anyone else is a sucker for bushes and trees in little boxes (it sort of feels like ‘saving’ them when you give them a home). Incidentally, my fruit bushes normally come from my own cuttings, and if anyone has patience I’m glad to take some for you in the autumn.
Does anyone have any experience with growing olive trees or lemon trees? Obviously I’m planning to pot them up and keep them in a sheltered place, but I would SO love one day to be able to pick some home grown olives or lemons. And any hints or experience with mushroom cultivation?
Peter
So, on January 1st 2012, I
Not a bad day’s work 🙂
– Peter (maybe members would like to blog on this site about their permaculture activities? If so, just contact me and I’ll set you up with a username for the site).