"Geodyne" wrote in message

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all a happy New Year, a
successful harvest for those in the southern hemisphere

Grrrrrrrr! Did you have to remind me!!!

I've had the most poopful season, but then in the drought of the century I
couldn't expect better I suppose.

So far the tomatoes are still surviving but all else (except the perennial
greens) are drooping - even the strawberries were cooked before they could
be picked.


I'll be away for
January anf February, as I'm running off to sea again.

Sea???? To do with the job or the research? Either way, have a lovely time
and pray for rain while you are gone.

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.

I'm pea green with envy. I can't keep the water up to my garden at all (not
because of lack of water but due to the winds and the intensity of the sun).

Shadecloth has done wonders for the toms though so next year I will cover
more of the veg garden with it.

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.

Now I'm trying not to be cynical, but failing utterly. Whoever said that
must have lived in a much nicer climate (like the UK). Stability of the
garden in the wilds of Oz is a bit of a myth, methinks (at least in the
summer and anywhere outside the Southern Highlands and their 50 inch
rainfall a year)

Have a great time Tara and see you when you get back.