Project Thoreau – March-May 2009 Updates

Editor’s Note: Ezanee keeps us posted on his latest efforts with ‘Project Thoreau‘. We invite other project leaders to do likewise!

March/April 2009 Update

Apart from one major clean out in early March, work on the garden was pretty sporadic. I’m really only doing enough to keep the garden "presentable". It has also been a period of encouragement and discouragement all at the same time.

I’m encouraged by the fact that the rocket, parsley and nasturtium, which all self sowed and propagated, are absolutely flourishing. This is promising for the future in that if I can create the same circumstances in a different location, then these should continually regenerate themselves without any help or encouragement from me. A few New Zealand Spinach seeds have also germinated by themselves, and I’m hoping these enjoy the same level of success.

I’m less encouraged by the fact that the seeds which I sowed myself, such as silver beet, coriander and especially the beans, have been less certain and vigorous in their growth. I’m less encouraged by the fact that I’m not eating as regularly from my garden as I did during the summer, or in the same quantities. This is despite the fact that I realise things generally slow down as the weather gets cooler.

I’m still battling endlessly against the "pests". A combination of pellets and good old fashioned hand-to-hand combat seem to be the most effective way of dealing with snails and slugs at the moment. My capsicum and chili plants threatened to be overwhelmed by aphids. Thankfully I discovered an excellent nasturtium spray in a Reader’s Digest book which has proved very effective in keeping them under control. I’ve also been fortunate to have ladybirds frequently visit my garden in regular, albeit small numbers. Understandably however, they can only do so much to reduce aphid numbers.

I’ve also been fighting borers which killed my strawberries, absolutely infested one of my capsicum planter boxes, and threatened to overwhelm my potato patch. I cleared both out as thoroughly as possible before replanting in them. Currently, I’m just observing the state of the plants for any sign of possible reinfestation.

One nice piece of encouragement, however, is that the lemons are finally ripening after literally months and months of waiting. I realise that I did not exactly plant the tree in an ideal location. Instead I planted it in an existing hole simply as a matter of convenience, which just happens to be in almost constant shadow. Still, they promise to be worth the wait, and I’m looking forward to drinking lots of lemon water to keep my Vitamin C levels up during the winter.

Finally, a note of thanks to Ben for further putting me on the correct path concerning what I thought was a fruit fly threat to my lemons. It seems likely that is was a case of vinegar fly instead. It is the building up of knowledge and awareness like this that will help me carry out projects and tasks with greater assurance and efficiency in the future.

May 2009 Update

Well, it’s been a year since I completed my Permaculture Design Certificate course, and I’m pleased to say that my convictions concerning the role that permaculture can play in my life, and in the well being of the planet in general, are as strong as ever. I’m also pleased to say that the garden is also holding up pretty well, and more or less taking care itself. My input has been surprisingly minimal, and currently involves ‘small’ tasks such as keeping the plants sufficiently watered, keeping the weeds and grass in check, keeping an eye out for pests, and other minor maintenance. The ‘pests’ recently have been pleasantly dormant. The borers seem to be under control, and the snails and slugs are no longer roaming about in the rampant numbers that they had been in recent months.

Most of the beans that I had previously sown have germinated, and are now looking exceptionally strong. I have since sown several more beans, and I am hoping that these also germinate successfully. My goal is that if I don’t exceed last year’s bean harvest, then I at least want to equal it. The potatoes seem to be fine, the self propagated New Zealand spinach plants are also progressing well, and overall I am optimistic for the winter. I harvested my first lemon, which I squeezed into a glass of cold water, and it went down a treat. I also ate one of the stored pumpkins in the mistaken belief that it was starting to go off. No worries. That one lasted three months, and I still have one more in storage which I plan to hold on to for some time longer yet. Although I’m not consuming items from the garden on such a regular basis at the time being, it still gives me great pleasure and satisfaction every time I do.

Just out of curiosity, I know that you can eat nasturtium leaves, but I’m having trouble getting my head around that fact. This is despite the fact that my research shows that they are a good source of Iron and Vitamin C. Maybe it is just a case of old prejudices dying hard. At this point I’m using nasturtium primarily as a companion plant and pest control measure, but as can be seen in the photograph, I’m being flooded with it. Penny Woodward in "An Australian Herbal" says they can be used in salads, and that are good eaten with cheese or eggs. Is there anyone out there who regular consumes nasturtium, and if so could you give me any additional ideas for using them in cooking? I’m looking forward to seeing the suggestions….