There are several places out here that operate as a *seed bank* for old fashioned varieties of vegetable seeds. We are losing diversity because the consumer wants *seedless* fruits [how does that work?] & the farmer wants disease free varities. The problem of course is that all varieties then weaken over time.
We have a very small growing space ~ maybe 12X12 feet with a Poinsiana tree growing in the middle of it ~ yet our corn is carrying 6 ears per stalk, our tomatoes are collapsing under their own weight, we are picking beans every day, drowning in cucumbers, & pick lettuce & silverbeet every day.
The old self~sufficiency ways where each household provided for itself really does work with a little TLC.
I would like to have a chook run again for the eggs.
Should we lay the blame for the move away from the home garden at the feet of feminism as no~one is then home to do the necessary sustaining of children, gardens, chook runs et al? I know that my boy & I have to divide the work between us to make sure it gets done because he works & I run around so much with the girl but permaculture methods really do cut out a lot of the downright slog. This year he put in a watering system that doesn't require more that someone ocassionally turning it on, then remembering to turn it off. Even hubby can do that if required. ☺
If we don't do something on a far wider scale I am afraid we will destroy ourselves. History! Did we learn nothing from the Irish potato famine? I could go on....&on...&....but I won't. I'm sure you know it all.
That's really interesting, Ganeida. Your veg patch sounds like something to be proud of! Yes, I feel that rediscovering our houses as homes would address many areas of stress and disaffection in our personal and community life. I am curious about permaculture methods, and we read about them in our family - but the imperative of weeding was instilled too deeply in the Badger and me at too young an age! We get this urge to dig everything over . . . Since we moved in to this house a couple of years ago, we've mainly worked to change the garden from purely ornamental planting to productive planting. We have several fruit trees now, raspberries and strawberries establishing, quite a lot of herbs, and we're doubling our veggie plot next spring.
Your garden will need to be dug ~ but once dug over & planted a covering of mulch [we use cattle cane which is cheap as chips but hay or straw or anything like that] over the ground & around the plants then stops weeds from sprouting, keeps moisture in & establishes a constant ground temp. Also you just plant your veg in amongst what you already grow; no special gardens just for the veg. It works beautifully. We've done it for years ~ more sucessfully some years than others, because I'm not the most practical person in the house. This year the boy & I did it as a joint venture & it has worked remarkably well. He is practical! ☺
4 comments:
There are several places out here that operate as a *seed bank* for old fashioned varieties of vegetable seeds. We are losing diversity because the consumer wants *seedless* fruits [how does that work?] & the farmer wants disease free varities. The problem of course is that all varieties then weaken over time.
We have a very small growing space ~ maybe 12X12 feet with a Poinsiana tree growing in the middle of it ~ yet our corn is carrying 6 ears per stalk, our tomatoes are collapsing under their own weight, we are picking beans every day, drowning in cucumbers, & pick lettuce & silverbeet every day.
The old self~sufficiency ways where each household provided for itself really does work with a little TLC.
I would like to have a chook run again for the eggs.
Should we lay the blame for the move away from the home garden at the feet of feminism as no~one is then home to do the necessary sustaining of children, gardens, chook runs et al? I know that my boy & I have to divide the work between us to make sure it gets done because he works & I run around so much with the girl but permaculture methods really do cut out a lot of the downright slog. This year he put in a watering system that doesn't require more that someone ocassionally turning it on, then remembering to turn it off. Even hubby can do that if required. ☺
If we don't do something on a far wider scale I am afraid we will destroy ourselves. History! Did we learn nothing from the Irish potato famine? I could go on....&on...&....but I won't. I'm sure you know it all.
That's really interesting, Ganeida. Your veg patch sounds like something to be proud of!
Yes, I feel that rediscovering our houses as homes would address many areas of stress and disaffection in our personal and community life.
I am curious about permaculture methods, and we read about them in our family - but the imperative of weeding was instilled too deeply in the Badger and me at too young an age! We get this urge to dig everything over . . .
Since we moved in to this house a couple of years ago, we've mainly worked to change the garden from purely ornamental planting to productive planting. We have several fruit trees now, raspberries and strawberries establishing, quite a lot of herbs, and we're doubling our veggie plot next spring.
Your garden will need to be dug ~ but once dug over & planted a covering of mulch [we use cattle cane which is cheap as chips but hay or straw or anything like that] over the ground & around the plants then stops weeds from sprouting, keeps moisture in & establishes a constant ground temp. Also you just plant your veg in amongst what you already grow; no special gardens just for the veg. It works beautifully. We've done it for years ~ more sucessfully some years than others, because I'm not the most practical person in the house. This year the boy & I did it as a joint venture & it has worked remarkably well. He is practical! ☺
Sounds good! x
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