Learning from Others

When I started to develop my food forest garden back in April this year, I only had a small amount of knowledge - and knew nothing about Permaculture. 

Since then, I have started doing the free online permaculture course, and I watch youtube videos where I have several favourite people that I follow, and love to watch when they upload new videos. I have learnt a huge amount from seeing what others do, 

Up until today I have only been able to gain knowledge from reading and watching videos online.

But today I spent an amazing afternoon visiting a fellow 'Permie' living only just over an hour away from me.

Wow- I was like a pig in mud. I couldn't get enough of looking, listening and absorbing everything my lovely new friend Annie was showing and telling me.  Time became irrelevant, even though I had planned to have left by 2.30 - 3.00pm, we were only part way through her amazing food forests, subtropical garden, orchard, plant nursery, and numerous other food growing areas spread out around the property so I was a tad late getting away. 

I have been inspired.

I have been motivated.

I have been empowered.         

I have been blessed with her enormous generosity.

To be able to see this garden in reality has just made me realise what an incredibly exciting journey I am on, and also makes me feel very proud at what I have achieved by myself in only a few months.

Thank you Annie for your generosity of time, knowledge, plants and other bits and pieces that have made their way home in my car. 

Back to reality this evening though in my small urban food forest garden  - a day's absence obviously gave the blackbirds that now inhabit the garden the chance to scratch away to their heart's content. I came home to many plants unearthed, dried, and not looking too happy. Part of one of my hugelkultur beds is now partially flattened with all the beautiful rich compost spread out everywhere.

I read somewhere recently that the blackbirds will chose the richest and best soil to scratch up as they know that is where the worms and grubs will be. This is proving to be so right. 

I also realised how dry things have got from the winds we have had, and lack of rain, and after replanting several plants ( though not too hopeful that I can save them ), I got the sprinkler out and gave half of the garden a good soaking, and will do the other half in the morning. 

Another super interesting thing I learned this week was that when your fruit trees blossom from the bottom up - it is going to be a good season of fruit as the tree has reached into the soil for all the nutrients it needs. If the blossom starts from the top and opens down, then it means the tree is reaching for the light and energy from above, and there won't be such a good crop of fruit.

I am keen to check this out with the few fruit trees that I have. Have any of you heard of this?

My only  plum tree (at this stage) which is going to be a surprise as to what variety it is because I purchased it in a sale and it was not labeled, has had its first buds of blossom open. The blossoms are at the base of all the branches near the trunk - so let's see if it will have a good crop.  My other trees are not in blossom yet - a waiting game for me who is so impatient. 

 

I have been doing a lot of chop and drop to start building up the humus in the soil. I don't have a lot of my own green matter to use yet, but am so fortunate that friends and family bring me their prunings and garden tidy-up bits and pieces. I have managed to make lovely fairy rings of the chopped up greens around all of my fruit trees, and it gives me so much pleasure and satisfaction chopping it all up and laying it around.  I just can't wait until I am in the situation where I will be able to use all my own garden produce to create beautiful soil. 

Bees are starting to work with several of my herbs and flowers out in full bloom, and I love to hear the happy buzzing while working outside.

 

I lifted my leaf cutter bee cocoons out of the fridge this week where they have been in a forced 'winter', and I have put them out in their little house on the fence. I am hoping that they are all viable cocoons and in a few weeks will see evidence of these darling solitary bees flitting around my garden. These beautiful little bees don't sting and make the most exquisite cocoons made out of petals and leaves that they cut out in perfect circles. Mind blowing really to think what they can do.  These are a great bee to have to show your children as they can get really close to see them without the fear of getting stung. They only fly about 300 m away from their nest so will become your own resident bees in your garden. Rose petals are their favourite thing to make their circles from so if you see perfect wee circles in your petals and leaves of plants - then this is the leaf cutter bee.

We are so lucky today to have the internet at our fingertips to learn from and see things in action.

I can only imagine what things would be like for me if I had started this journey 20 years ago. Frequent visits to the local library, finding people involved with this type of gardening, and a mighty lot of trial and error. 

I have to admit though I am still a lover of a 'real' magazine and book. I prefer to read something that is tangible vs an online read. 

I subscribe to a couple of magazines and also have purchased a few books which have become my bibles. 

Here are my favs!!

 

Learning from others and being able to see things in reality are probably our best learning tools, and I am so grateful for Annie to have opened my eyes even wider today and filled my brain with a heap more knowledge!

Happy gardening everyone - and as one of the Permaculture principles teaches us - 

MAKE A SOLUTION OUT OF A PROBLEM !!!