Christmas morning roll call

I've been away and with one arm immobilised after shoulder operation.This disability will extend for another month or three, this will reinforce the development of the garden in a rampant direction, under its own steam, with some pulling of grass etc for chickens and some addition of water, though as canopy develops, the need for watering diminishes a bit.

Coming back to my garden, very recent rain has not hidden the impact of dry hot weeks, evident especially with raised beds.

So here is  run through the garden 25 December 2013, early morning 20c, high humidity.

Compare photos at commencement of this blog, eight months ago. Click on any photo to see enlarged gallery of all.

Still guardians at door. The mess is the work of the blackbird,always rootling for insects.

The blue flowers on crazy long stalks are from a saw toothed long leafed red chicory

The house hides behind this forest of azalea and more. The tamarillo is very much at home.

This little Indian guava tolerated mild winter and clearly thrives on the mix of wet and dry. Fruit formed and new buds visible.

The rhubard thrived in raised beds of compost but have been knocked down by dry weather, clearly not happy that I've been away for a month. This part of garden needs rebuilding when possible. Dutch eschallots, planted out supermarket items, doing very well, proliferating vigorously. I replaced banana with a sucker from Helen's very successful ladyfinger.

salad items in raised beds did well in winter but not so since, partly normal, partly failure of raised beds to hold moisture. This system has been defeated by the wild windy dry months of August–October. I plan to remove the raised bed structures, build beds on ground.

the espalliered lemon, at entry to back yard, is beginning to thrive and be productive... after years of struggle

ponds with water cress and water chestnuts; gingers and arrowroot

Finally making a start, after months: turmeric coming up in summer warmth, amidst parsley anf golden marjoram

asparagus: picking ended a month ago, now let go for leaves to gather energy for next year's spears

The bananas were not quite ripe a month ago. In the opinion of birds or bats, they ripened and tssted good!

Recent additions: custard apple (just fed with pond soil) and gordo muscatel grape vine

Waterfall and pond opens veranda to garden.  Azolla floating in pond would be menace if could run to waterway but will go to my compost or direct mulch here.

Tamarillo with fruit, this tree four years old, hard pruned, well watered.

Nesrby, tamarillo same age... less care, not much pruning, dead

The fig is laden with an exciting hundred or so fruit. ... and none more excited than the frugivorous bowerbird. If I should want some fruit, I'll have to sit out there every day, shouting it away. Or get a replacement and watchful dog! A sophisticated and assertive dog, not given to yelling, but with authority to make strong bowerbirds run home hungry

tamarillo: seedling from last summer, grown in place, fed with shovels of pond soil.

pond with lotus which may need more feed to do well ... but soil from pond life valuable (as above)

tamarillo, indigofera, sunflower, unproductive brussels sprouts (planted too late?)

this patch behind the house is showing much life having benefited from a load of mixed aged compost from the local zoo

the rainforest corner behind the house is thriving, including with rufous whistler which seems worked up to only be able to see other birds (in mirrors) when in flight. Up off the tree, shout in circular flight, sit back down bewildered.

another view from same spot, herbs etc, and young quince tree

and again from that spot, back to chooks (3)

note for WWOOFers

This note is for WWOOFers who may be interested in coming to our places.

We are not a farm needing to sell every week. We are not able to provide documentation for 'second year working visa'.

We host because we need some help to make changes to our home food gardens and for artistic projects. We host because we enjoy meeting people and hearing their languages and ideas.

See the WWOOF guidelines about how much work is expected of you. In hot weather we prefer to work early and rest during the hot part of the day; young people may prefer to sleep in but it's not practical in hot weather. We do not work the same length of time every day. Time depends on project and weather. There are always jobs like weeding and other maintenance, but we try to focus work on projects and get ideas from WWOOFers. Helen works in an office Monday to Friday so we will do some garden work with her on the weekend. There will be days off, after you've been here a few days, and there will be end-of-day short tourist drives.

You will have privacy and wireless internet. You will be a part of our family while here, we ask you to respect that and contribute to basic things like kitchen work. Happy cooks welcome. We often go straight to the supermarket when WWOOFers arrive, to discuss food interests and concerns.

WWOOFers need to have the WWOOF book and should show that to their host on arrival. Also their passport. This is important to keep the WWOOF organisation safe and working and also means we have information about you in case of any injury or illness. WWOOFers should have health insurance.

WWOOFers need to have sensible practical clothes. Strong shoes or boots are important for safety and good work. You need practical work clothes (two sets at least). Working clothes get dirty and are damaged — we can take you to a charity shop where you can get good items for $5 a piece if you don't have suitable clothes. If you are a visitor to Australia,  you can throw away old work clothes when you leave the country. You need a hat, especially in summer and whatever skin colour.

You need to be aware of the seasons and weather where you are going. This is the page for weather in my area, you can use that site to check on other places.

You can travel to our place on the Sydney suburban train network, Sydney Trains. Look on here for South Coast line, we meet WWOOFers at the last station, Bomaderry. Three hours on the train, no food for sale on the train, but there is a toilet. View of the ocean from left side seats.

We expect WWOOFers to arrive clean, happy and positive. If we meet someone at the train who does not look right, we will interview in the time before the train leaves to go back to Sydney to establish whether you are OK. I write this because there a very small number of bad people travelling as WWOOFers. We will be able to identify a bad person before taking that person home.

This recent happy photo was possible as two WWOOFers were arriving just as two were leaving. Thanks for everything Julie, Nico, Florie and David!

and with wwoofers Julie and Flori from Hong Kong and France

Some more magic in Helen's front yard, not finished yet!!

WWOOFers 2

Part of the business of being good WWOOF hosts is finding time to show the WWOOFers some nice places. The request was for pelicans and kangaroos yesterday. At the tourist information centre, getting maps, we also learned that there were whales in Jervis Bay the day before. We went looking for them late in the afternoon but saw no whale. We saw one pelican, not this one, which I photographed years ago:

We found two large mobs of kangaroos, at least thirty in each.

Here is a little film of one kangaroo mob. filmed roughly from the car:

WWOOFers

We have had two French WWOOFers, David and Nicolas, for a few days.

After a day of mulching and tidying at Dennis's garden, we had a weekend at Helen's garden installing three tall narrow water tanks, two to collect from the roof of the house, the third up the hill - pumping up to it to provide gravity delivery to the whole garden: a kitchen sink in the back garden for cleaning fish, a Porcelaine de Paris basin in the front yard and three ordinary garden taps.

We had a lot of fun. Here we celebrate the work:

 

In the front garden, the French workers, the French porcelain, the happy clients!

... a little more artistic and structural work to be done! And the tap will be lower!

The proud expert installer!!!

The Adoration of the Banana

The view from the front - highway construction

and we had time to go to the sea, five minutes away

and more fortunate in these days than the people in the Blue Mountains, from where David and Nicolas arrived Thursday.

Climate urgency, micro and macro

I have written a couple of entries recently at my main blog about climate change and the urgency of dealing with it at global, strategic, national, community and individual levels. 

My immediate concern in relation to my 'sustainable food forest' is to sustain it through what seems likely to be a hot and perhaps very dry summer. I am pleased to have some tropical plants growing well (at 34 degrees south).

However much people may throw up their hands and say "even if it's true, what can I do?" that fails to address the core individual need to avoid being sucked into a hopeless practical helplessness marching between social media, the supermarket and the fridge. Resourcefulness important, in context of understanding the real world.

No, I'm not expecting to survive on the garden alone, but it is one of an array of ideas and practicalities I am working through and should write about soon.

CONTRASTING NATIONAL PARK VISITS

After I recorded that little film clip of wind on Thursday, the wind picked up, reportedly to around 100km/hr. Some damage in the garden, much need to water at end of day.

Saturday was windy again, but we went out towards Tallowa Dam, beyond Kangaroo Valley, to walk on the plateau in the Morton National Park to see spring flowers...  a bit late with all the heat and dry wind lately.

To round out the weekend, early Sunday we went to Jervis Bay, Moona Moona Creek and Greenfields Beach, the latter in the Jervis Bay National Park, to an entirely different environment. In gentle sunny weather.

Here is a short film of these contrasting days:

September winds

In this part of the southeastern coast of Australia, September is notoriously windy. This year no exception, except that the winds began in July, initially chilly, now quite hot and dry, from the inland. Drying out everything.

We at least have had good recent rains. Inland, grain and pastures crops may be struggling to survive if they have this happening now.

The little movie below I made early this morning. Winds got worse during the day, causing some damage here, but not as much as in some other places today... And as we head towards no climate policy, we do still have climate. Some are blind.

adding to spring report

Yesterday morning I mentioned the absence of asparagus. New shoots sprang up in the day, this morning six, more perhaps this evening. But the six there now are abundant for dinner. Absolutely fresh, so no cooking required. This is now the third spring since planting the crowns. This is the first year of harvest. The crowns have established themselves sufficiently. Constant quick harvesting will now encourage more shoots to come up, and the crowns to become more complex.

This is a useful information page on asparagus growing. A month ago, I scattered well rotted manure over the asparagus patch and covered that with mulch, as shown (product of our own mulcher, garden prunings plus waste paper and cardboard). More recently I have scattered blood and bone. While I have done these things in early spring, I also favour fertilising with natural fertilisers during winter. It is true of chemical fertilisers that if applied during the non-growing period, they are lost. But the natural materials are food for worms and worms work closer to the surface in cooler weather and thus we can expect, applying manures, compost and blood and bone when worms are coming to the surface, that it will be consumed and the soil with be loaded with the ultimate plant food, worm castings.

Moisture retention is important in this bed (as in nearly every other plant bed, of course). The keys to moisture retention are:

• mulch... whereas compost breaks down relatively quickly and feeds life, mulch (high carbon levels) breaks down slowly, allows water in and reduces the drying effects of harsh sun and wind,
• high humus content of soil. The wikipedia article on humus and this page by a biodynamic organisation in India are informative. In simplest terms, you seek the development of soil that contains a diversity of life, that incorporates the wonders of micro-crystals of clay (which are arguably the closest thing in inorganic chemistry to organic life), that is naturally moisture retentive and that provides an optimal basis for cation exchange capacity (CEC), inhibiting erosion and moisture and soil value to lower depths, connecting intimately with plant roots. Pick up a handful of good high humus soil and squeeze it; compare with a lesser soil which falls apart and is relatively dry. Add chemical fertilisers to any soil, throw the whole population of humus into unemployment, lose soil variously.

Spring report

 It's been very interesting assembling this report. It makes me aware of progress and diversity in the garden. Also at each step realising that I'm not including a whole lot of other things that are doing well. The assembly of this article took time, but it's been worth the effort, thinking through garden questions along the way... I hope you enjoy. I've also changed the top photo today, photo of my front door.

This photo report on spring, photos taken 24 September 2013, can usefully be compared with the state of play when I began this blog, in autumn. Photos I took on 12 April are here.

I began this morning, with Mollison's indispensable Permaculture Designer's Manual, plus new Fujifilm XF1, I had breakfast in sunroom and looked out into the garden. The XF1 is the first camera I have bought new since maybe 2004 (that was the Fuji S6500FD, which I used here and here and which alas I gave to a family member who uses it little. I was giving my right arm..... For this blog I used an old Fuji S3 DSLR... which over two months was very tiring for the right arm! So now back to Fuji after other things... The Fuji preoccupation arises from the quality of colours as also was the case with their emulsion film photos, plus their command of issues of dynamic range, plus (plus plus) now a return from some weird options to the most extraordinary range of X cameras, this XF1 the most modest priced, which I happened upon in a local store sale for $251, offering for $50 more three years replacement warranty which comes also with vouchers for 100 6x4 prints each year and one 20 page bound photobook per year.

Anyway, to celebrate, first shot from that sunroom table using the double exposure feature of XF1, the black cover of the manual darkens the garden photo.

Here is the view into that window, roses about to bloom under the peach.

Out the window also a view of first spring problem, of aphids on young shoots of seedling peach which shades this (southern hemisphere) north facing winter warm window through summer. I have dumped diatomaceous earth on affected parts of the tree and around the trunk to stop ants farming the aphids. It is also a useful additive for plant and soil but my first objective is a suffocating barrier and skin irritant for insects provided by the microscopic shells in the DE. I expect the problem will go away as leaves grow and toughen. At the moment the infestation is on low sprouts, which I could and eventually will remove, to maintain air and light flow through the tree, but if I just took them off now the ants would carry the aphids to higher branches and you don't want to throw diatomites above your head as you don't want to breathe them in.

... and then to go outside. Here are two views of growth in a raised bed in the back yard. This was in its infancy in June, here.

Near that, a couple of square metres of asparagus spears, none showing today.

Alongside that I have just planted a soursop. I bought this at the Gerringong market on Saturday from my wonderful Greek-Australian friend George ("I come from the beautiful island of Lesbos"). I thought at first glance if might be some kind of custard apple, but it was a soursop and behinf my back Helen grabbed for her garden the last custard apple.

Had I not bought this soursop, I would not have discovered this amazing source of horticultural information. Perhaps the tree unsuited to my latitude, but we will do our best together and meanwhile I will read to it from the paper at link (here again) to ease its distress at being far from home. I will keep it well mulched and in winter it can have mirrors to catch the sun and for self-admiration. As a 'compost tea', I gave it at planting a bucket from the bin I keep under the raised bed, to catch drips from the rich soil in the bed. In 1987 the author of paper at link, Julia Morton, wrote:

In 1951, Prof. Clery Salazar, who was encouraging the development of soursop products at the College of Agriculture at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, told me that they would like to adopt an English name more appealing than the word "soursop", and not as likely as guanabana to be mispronounced. To date, no altematives have been chosen.

and

Sturtevant noted that it was not included by Atwood among Florida fruits in 1867 but was listed by the American Pomological Society in 1879. A tree fruited at the home of John Fogarty of Manatee before the freeze of 1886.

See notes on materia medica at end of the article.

I turned around to take this photo, callistemon in bloom over rocket (arugola), sage, artichoke, leek and at the left margin some leaves of heavily pruned wattle (nitrogen fixed, soil miner and opener, source of wonderful leguminous mulch when chipped) and banana trunk.

I have nursed a couple of bunches of lady finger bananas through winter under a plastic bag, they are now near ripening. When these are harvested, the trunk will be cut down, the 'follower' trunk is alongside, recently well fed. I have improved access to this corner of the garden, which means that next crop should be earlier in the season and perhaps more numerous.

Three chooks, three eggs a day. Invaluable as consumers of kitchen scraps plus the remnants of lawn I tear up for them; also invaluable as source of manure, partly applied directly around trees, partly added to the compost.

Three eggs a day is a very good supply for two people, some surplus. These fresh home grown eggs taste very different from the shop bought egg.

Wonderful to have fruit growing well on the fig. There were no leaves a couple of weeks ago, lots of rain and then sun and warmth in a short period.

Remember a click on any photo offers all in enlargement

This is another raised bed, formerly huge dog bed, on stand... It was marauded by chooks some time ago. I left it to grow mainly from seed of previous crop, see little lettuces (mainly cos) coming, usefully some more advanced than others. At the front, a dandelion, well placed to scatter seeds further round the garden. As we include chicory, rocket and dandelion in our salads and as our just-now picked lettuces are sharp and flavourful, we have abandoned use of salad dressing — no need!

Here near the front door, a red spined chicory hides behind skirts of three graces.

Oops, before leaving the back yard, pleasing to have this seedling passionfruit growing well.

The Golden Marjoram is turning gold, from its winter green. The empty space beside it has turmeric root planted in it, under that straggling rocket. Parsley and nasturtium everywhere, nasturtium leaves and flowers also excellent in salad, along with the marjoram, the brightest companion for tomato.

 

My espaliered lemon is in bloom..

as (now in the front garden) are the oranges which border the driveway.

on the way to the front (from east to west) there is a narrow space for clothes drying, enhanced by north facing (heated) brick wall. Several months ago, the wonderful Daley's Nursery sent me a wrong order including a Jackfruit, which should no more succeed here than the Soursop or the turmeric (previous blog entry. Morton says it may grow to 70ft. Preparing for major climate change, perhaps!!

It has JUST survived the winter. You will see it is companion to a rose which has been hit by aphids and has been given the diatom douche. I made a little swale above these two, this very hot dry corner needs lots of water. Freesias run wild here, have just finished flowering.

Here now are two broader views in the front yard.

ABOVE: Azaleas finished,  the Chinese lanterns continuing to flourish (ankle high four years ago), this one of now seven tamarillo trees reaching for the sky. With yellow label, behind the basin, a Jaboticaba, which I do not expect to begin to grow taller for several years.

BELOW: Rhubarb and banana, both have just had a spring feed, which also went to the roots of the passionfruit climbing over the arch.

 

Among exciting new things, this Indian guava has flowers

Raised beds, tucked in a sun trap corner, largely hidden from the street, now have lace curtains to protect against the sun,  not too much wanted by leafy greens... and also to protect against blacbirds and bowerbirds, which mowed some lettuce, see second photo. In a very warm spot in front of that raised bed, a newly planted eggplant.

 

The concret blocks below are holding in place an old clothes drying rack rescued from someone's chuckout, great frame for the curtain.

 Even a couple of flowers and first fruit on this tiny Tahitian lime. Very pleased with how healthy and unstressed it's looking now that it's decided this year to grow!

This papaya survived winter. Now, taller, it will get more sun.

Another raised bed, with strawberries, self-sown seedling lettuce, etc.

Amid the understorey, this wonderful Telopea or Waratah, not easy to find in home gardens, but the emblem flower of the state of New South Wales.  Always flowering in September, with very unusual hot-wet weather in autumn, this plant flowered then too.

Sage carpet

Passionfruit flowers

BELOW: in front, a White Sapote, growing very vigorously. Behind it, one of several native frangipani trees (Hymenosporu flavum) which provide (at this latitude( mid sized trees between understorey and big trees ... and with lots of flowers and product for bees and honeyeating birds.

 

 This photo from eye level gives an idea of how dense the Chinese lantern bushes now are. These are much enjoyed by the Eastern Spinebill and the White Eared Honeyeater. (The photos at those links make them look fatter and larger than in real life.)

Here is another photo of this area of the garden, which I took only days ago, when the azaleas were at their peak, looking out of the front bedroom window.
When I arrived in this house in 2008 you could see in this window from the street – weird conventional design concept for main bedroom. Now I've changed that and this view from inside shows how the front yard has now become enclosed.

BELOW: Ground cover: as well as coastal daisies, which grow to 30cm high, you will see purple flowers of woolly pod vetch which I brought in in a green manure crop several years ago. It is now self-seeding prolifically, excellent. The slightly grumpy ag dept description at link neglects to mention that it is a legume, fixing nitrogen. It sprawls over other low plants in my front garden, does not block light, improves soil, dies back in winter.

This is a photos from a window to the narrow dark space on the south side of the house, which was, when I arrived in 2008, a steel fence to mainly concrete below. Several seedlings of Kennedia rubicunda and in thrre years the space was filled with green AND these spring flowers.

 

Finally, the ladies at the front door. If, otherwise, I have 

Ceres in the front, wood carving

The Three Graces, near this group

and Isis guarding the back....

then who are these?

well... these lovely people are too charming to be given labels.