It’s been a wet week at Sunderland St, and the backyard has been loving the rain. All the ponds are full (and overflowing) and the plants are growing like crazy. Only the chickens seem upset by the weather – but an addition of dry sugar cane mulch to the pen cheered them right up.
The food forest in the west strip had no trouble soaking up the extra water. The bean arch is now heavy with our “Newcastle” strain of purple beans (ask us for some seeds, they grow like crazy!)
We’re not harvesting 3 types of beans and 4 types of peas, but there’s no waste as we’ve been seed saving like crazy – letting the beans and peas dry in the pod or on the vine getting the next generation of beans and peas ready for action.
Another useful permaculture tool we’ve been growing is the good old choko. It’s a tough vine with a large fruit of perhaps below average taste 😉 and a habit of choking out the plants it climbs. This could be trouble in your backyard, but it’s great news in an area of lantana. We’re currently trialing them in the chook pen – hopefully they will have a shot against the chickens.
The banana is loving life. All the water it could ask for and plenty of intense sunlight in the suntrap it lives in.
The east strip is coming along well. The Kangaroo apple is bursting with energy and new growth.