I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all a happy New Year, a
successful harvest for those in the southern hemisphere and a happy
planning of the new season for those in the north. I'll be away for
January anf February, as I'm running off to sea again.

As an indication of the strength of permaculture, I have done *no*
gardening at all for the last 6 months. I planted no annual veg this
year, and yet I've managed to harvest all of the following from my
year-old garden in that time, either because they were perennial or
self-seeded:

Pigeon pea
Artichoke
Green beans
purple king beans
Spinach
Leaf amaranth
strawberries
chillies
red pepper (capsicum)
blueberries
peaches
lots of fresh herbs
and in the spring I'm going to have some nice fat asparagus spears for
the first time. By the time I get back there'll be self-sown pumpkin,
zucchini, okra and resprung pontiac potatoes to harvest.

In addition, we've had a lot of native birds come through to enjoy the
first flowerings of the local species I've planted and to drink from the
pond.

They say that the indication of the stability of a garden is how it
survives without human intervention. I'm about to find out how mine will go.

Tara