Monday, April 30, 2012

Our Growing Family


The Springvale Garden Centre has a huge sale on now on perennials. Yesterday I bought 4 blueberry plants, 4 grape vines and a Tahitian lime.



This brings our total fruit-bearing perennial plantings to nearly 50 on our 700 square meters. (See below for an unofficial accounting.) In true permaculture style, we are layering our plantings. For example, in this frame there are 4 grape vines growing along the fence, 3 apple trees in front of them, four blueberry bushes in front of them, and...



... a strawberry patch in front of that. But that is not all.


In the left-hand corner are a cape gooseberry and a guava that is fruiting right now. Yum!



We also have feijoas ripening.



And it seems like we always have figs.



Billy T. followed me around all afternoon as I was planting the new members of our family and taking pictures of older ones.



We paid a visit to Amelia on her nest in the harakeke.



And we checked on the broccoli bed.




Billy T. told me that she thought staggering the planting by 3 weeks was good idea. Those in the foreground will give a second winter/early spring harvest.



And we could not help but be impressed by the growth of the pepino we planted about 6 weeks ago (background). We are also looking forward to our first lemons this winter (foreground).



What's that, Billy T.?



Of course. You're right, the banana is doing well too.



You are a very observant cat. Thanks. Oh, by the way, that was a good idea to tractor Eunice and Rosemary across the yard for the winter. They'll eat grass and fertilize.



Thanks Billy T. And thanks Springvale Garden Centre.

Unofficial Tally:
11 apple trees
10 feijoa trees
7 peach trees
4 blueberry bushes
4 grape vines
2 fig trees
2 lemon trees
1 plum tree
1 pepino
1 lime tree
1 cranberry bush
1 red currant
1 tamarillo
1 cape gooseberry
1 guava bush
1 banana

As yet, no pear tree or partridge.

Peace, Estwing

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