Bellingen Seedsavers

Perennial Staple Crops of the World

2012-02-25T13:19:00.003+11:00

Coppiced mulberry leaf on contour at Las Cañadas for human food and
goat fodder. Overstory of nitrogen-fixing acacias.

Perennial Staple Crops of the World

This is a link to a website with some very useful information about some of the food crops we can or may be able to grow in our Bellingen locality.

Here is a tiny sample of this extensive information source.

Chaya/Tree Spinach (Cnidoscolus chayamansa), or Mayan spinach, is a shrub of the tropics and subtropics. It tolerates arid to humid conditions, in lowlands and highlands. Though raw leaves contain cyanide, the cooked leaves are very nutritious. Yields are very high, 20-30 tons per hectare fresh.

Katuk/Sweetleaf (Sauropus androgynous) is an Asian shrub with delicious leaves. Unlike most woody leaf crops it can be eaten raw. It likes humid tropical lowlands and thrives in the shade of fruit and nut crops. The protein content of fresh leaves is 6-10%.

Moringa/Drumstick Tree (Moringa oleifera, M. stenopetala) is a small tree of the tropics, thriving in arid and humid climates. The dried leaf is incredible nutritious, and used by nursing mothers in much of the tropics. If allowed to grow to tree form moringa produces nutritious pods, but for leaf production it is coppiced. Yields of moringa leaf are very high, 10-50 tons per hectare.

Recipe for a very mild Sambal

2012-01-24T16:36:00.000+11:00

This recipe uses local plants and spices. If you like a hot sambal add more chili.

Perennial Garlic at the reshooting stage

Perennial Capsicum, small but prolific

Lemon Grass

Rocoto Tree Chili - very hot

Galangal

Ingredients:

- One clove of perennial garlic
- Quarter of a hot chili
- A good handful of small red perennial capsicums or use a large capsicum
- 1/4 teaspoon dried nutmeg powder
- 1 onion, preferably mild, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons- chopped palm sugar

- dash of coconut oil. Coconut oil adds flavour. Don't use olive oil
- 2 Curry Tree leaf bunches
- 2 Lemongrass stems, bruised
- 1 cm Galangal, peeled and sliced. Fresh ginger could substitute.
- 2 tablespoons Tamarind paste or substitute lime juice
- 2 tablespoons salt

Directions

1. Combine first seven ingredients and grind or blend finely. If you are not bothered by a more fibrous sambal you can also blend the lemon grass and galangal added in the next step.

2. Heat oil and saute ground ingredients together with curry tree leaves, lemon grass and galangal, stirring until the mixture changes colour. Add tamarind juice and simmer for another minute, then leave to cool.

3. Remove curry tree leaves, lemon grass and galangal before serving.

4. It will last at least a week in the refridgerator. I use a large dollop to stir-fry climbing or bush beans but use to stir-fry any suitable vegetables such as baby chokoes.

This recipe was an adaptation of an asian recipe. You can experiment and vary the ingredients to taste.

January Fruiting in the Bellingen Area

2012-01-21T08:49:00.004+11:00

Here are a few of the plants fruiting in this area at this time.

This White Sapote has yielded a few fruit and as you can see there are more on the way as they seem to ripen over a few months. Bagging against fruit fly is necessary.

The cucumbers are at their most productive.

Black Kale (Dino Kale, Cavallo Nero) are still producing fresh leaves although the older leaves are well nibbled by the white cabbage moth.

Keeping the birds away from the ripening grapes can be a chore.

These Perennial Capsicums are small but prolific at a time when capsicums can be quite costly.

Rhubarb does not like much heat but the weather has been more wet and humid than hot and sunny.

It is time to dig the Cassava.

The bush Butter Beans are adding to the climbing beans and Snake Beans which have been producing since Christmas.

This Cranberry Hibiscus was a surprise seedling. A few young leaves added to the salad bowl taste like sorrel, contributing a slight lemony flavour.

At present this Mountain Paw Paw drops its fruit before they reach a useful size.

This Wax Jambu is producing loads of crisp, crunchy, moist fruit. These are great to eat fresh but not to everyones taste. Wax Jambu would really contribute to an asian salad with a lime juice dressing.

This tamarillo has been fruiting for a month. If grilled, like a tomato, a Tamarillo will add flavour to the breakfast plate.

The first of the Wing Beans are ready to pick before they become too big and full of fibre. These plants have regrown from the 2010, 2011 tubers.

This is a moth eaten leaf but the tiny sprouts of Purple Sprouting Broccoli are still being produced.

The sweet basil loves the humid warm weather.

The New Guinean Mushroom plant also likes some rain, heat and shade.

The ginger has been shooting for six weeks now. It loves this weather and is growing in shade beneath the Tiger Grass.

The unblanched celery is tough but softens when cooked.

The Snake Beans love the heat. Why do they attract so many ants? Picking each bean with a twist, so the growing point will fruit again, has contributed to the yield. What is fruiting in your garden at this time?

Bellingen Seedsavers visit 'Ohana' at Thora

2012-01-14T07:29:00.003+11:00

Rob shows us around his large garden. Click on any pic to enlarge.

Thora is about ten minutes drive west of Bellingen. Kirsten and Rob welcomed us and shared their large vegetable garden and orchard with us. The area has been reclaimed from weedy Lantana which had climbed five metres into the fruit trees. Rob and Kirsten used goats, horses and human power to clear the land and discovered the mature fruit trees. The garden, previously cultvated and now enriched with plenty of animal manure is very productive. You can see more of Rob and Kirsten's garden at www.ohanathora.blogspot.com.

The rich soil has been sculpted into vegetable beds.

Amaranth provides Kirsten and Rob young leaves for a salad

The tomatoes are protected from birds with nets

Rob grows large quantities of parsley.

Yellow Evening Primrose provides flowers for a salad.

Yellow Zucchine

Water melon

Egyptian Spinach seedlings

Seedling Black Walnut

Black Walnut trees provide shade but not fruit. Apparently they are also useful for rootstock.

A large unpruned plum.

A fruiting Persimmon

This mature Nashi Pear is loaded with fruit.

Mature Feijoas

A 1.5m resident goanna checked on our presence.

Our Bellingen Seedsaver's Workshop, December 2011

2011-12-14T06:09:00.004+11:00

Matt provided us with a fascinating and informative workshop demonstrating the skills he once applied regularly in his nursery experience. Thanks Matt.

Click all pics to enlarge.

Here we can see a T bud from a Tamarillo that has been applied to a Wild Tobacco plant. Matt says he has successfully grafted these two plants in the past the Tamarillo benefiting from the Wild Tobacco's root vigour.

Taking a bud.

Another T bud in place. Matt demonstrated that sticky tape could be used to hold the bud in place.

Matt prefers a veneer bud. In this example Matt demonstrated with an Avocado bud and a Camphor Laurel branch. Are they compatible? It's worth a try says Matt. Plants of the same genus are generally compatible. (Note: An internet search indicates such grafts are not successful.)

Matt mixes sphagnum moss and potting mix to create a suitable medium for the marcot (air layer).

The air layering medium, once placed on the plastic shopping bag, is wrapped around the prepared area on the limb to be layered.

This Gardenia has been prepared for marcotting. An area of an extending branch had the surface bark scarred/scuffed, down to the cambium layer. A cut was made, 1/2 to 3/4 through the underside of the branch and a small stone was inserted to prevent healing. A spot on the branch with plenty of callus (Parenchyma) and therefore rich in the hormone (Auxine) that encourages root production, was chosen for the aerial layer. Clear tape was then wrapped around all places that might allow air (or ants) to enter the marcot. The marcots will be ready for taking in a few months.

Our workshop was held at Nell's. Her garden is rich in plant material that suits our local coastal climate including 27 year old citrus. Nell's block is usually frost free and faces north.

More pics. These were taken by Jeff.

Nell has mature coffee plants

A T bud graft

A veneer graft

Taking a bud for the graft

Wrapping the graft. Matt used sticky tape. The actual bud is left exposed.

A veneer bud graft before wrapping

Placing the veneer graft

The prepared stock for the veneer bud graft

Preparing the veneer graft stock

A well wrapped marcot (air layer) in place.

The host plant is a thriving Feijoa

Wrapping a marcot.

Using tape to make the marcot air and ant proof

The prepared site for the marcot

Nell's fruit and vegetable garden with a Paw Paw in the foreground

More of Nell's garden with Comfrey in the foreground

In Bec and Wilma's December Garden

2011-12-02T21:17:00.005+11:00

December 1 was a rainy day but we found Bec and Wilma's Bonville garden fascinating. Bec has planted lots of exotics, especially fruit and nut trees. Wilma and Bec's vegetable garden is extensive with vegetables at all stages of production.

Wilma extracts some well composted mulch from the pile.

This mini hothouse well stocked with seedlings.

This pumpkin is leaping up the wire fence.

We usually bring food and feast before our meeting. Beryl brought her award winning muesli slice. Her recipe is in an earlier post. Nell brought delicious steamed choko shoots, some buttered and some mixed with coconut milk. We also enjoyed Kay's tasty pizza with balsamic onions, goats cheese, tomatoes and herbs baked on a puff pastry base. Part pre-baking of the pastry will ensure it does not go soggy. A pizza stone will also help.

This Atherton Oak was thriving. Can you see the nuts? Click on any pic to enlarge. This will be another nut for us to try. The fruit is bright blue.

Extensive raised vegetable gardens mix flowers and veges.

A bore (under the box cover) produces perfect water says Wilma.

A globe artichoke, lacking thorns and unlike my prickly beasts, is starting to flower.

A turmeric, in full flower, ready for planting out. Heinze uses these as a ground cover along his riverbank.

Runner beans clamber up the fence.

A spring onion sets seed.

A Dragon Fruit has climbed up this palm. Bec uses a long stick to knock down the delicious red fruit.

The temperate loving Silver Beet will gradually fail with rust in this humid summer weather. Nell says that this is the time the subtropical vegetables become the 'greens' for salads and stirfries. Choko tips, Sweet Potato tips, Edible Hibiscus, Brazilian Spinach, Amaranth, Kang Kong, Ceylon Spinach, Rungia (Mushroom Plant) and Warrigal Greens flourish in the heat and humidity.

A bright red Canna provides a showy corner.

Wilma and Bec's vegetable corner.

These Saba Nut (Malabar Chestnut) trees are setting seeds around their trunks.

A garden arch makes a showy climbing bean support.

Borage in flower in the semi shade. Wikipedia suggests the leaves as well as the flowers can be used in salads.

Vegetables are crowded into beds.

Beetroot grows in front of coriander.

A Brachychiton tree shows off its full pink glory.

Beryl's Dorrigo Show Winning Slice

2011-12-02T19:44:00.001+11:00

Energy Muesli Slice- a real lunchbox treat

125g butter
2 tablespoons honey

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 and 1/2 cups natural muesli
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup flaked almonds
3/4 cup chopped raisins
1/4 cup sesame seeds

Grease a 19cm x 29cm lamington pan. Melt butter and honey in saucepan, remove from heat. Stir in eggs, sugar, muesli, coconut, flour, almonds, raisins and sesame seeds, stir until combined. Press mixture into prepared pan. Bake in moderate oven for about 20 minutes. Cool in pan, cut when cold.

Mandarin and Almond Cake with Cinnamon Syrup

2011-11-21T12:23:00.001+11:00

Carol's Mandarin Cake made use of an abundance of Mandarins.

Ingredients:

• 350g mandarins, skin on, quartered, seeds removed

• 1 3/4 cups caster sugar

• 3 fat cinnamon sticks

• 125g butter, softened

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal (ground almonds)

• 1/3 cup gluten-free cornflour (made from maize not wheat)

• Extra thin slices of mandarin for decoration

• 2 tsp orange flower water for syrup

• Double cream to serve.

Method:

1. Preheat oven tp 180 degrees C/160 degrees C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm deep, 20cm(base) round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper.

2. Combine mandarin, 1 cup sugar, cinnamon and 1 3/4 cups cold water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil, covered, for 15 minutes or until mandarin skin is tender. Remove mandarin with a slotted spoon. Process mandarin until almost smooth. Cool. Reserve syrup.

3. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in almond meal, cornflour and mandarin puree. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, place mandarin slices (seeds removed - a bit tricky!), reserved syrup and orange flower water in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat. Cook gently for 5 to 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Take the mandarin slices out of the thickened syrup if the cake isn't ready and put them to one side. If left in the syrup they start to fall to pieces when you go to place them on the cake. Can't have that if you want the cake to look 'beautiful'!

5. Cool cake in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking tray. Place mandarin slices on cake and brush/pour syrup over the cake. Yummy like this and also yummy serve cake with cream drizzled with a little syrup.

Nell's Vegetarian Walnut and Rolled Oat Burgers

2011-11-21T11:56:00.001+11:00

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup diced onion

2 eggs

1/2 cup of cream which may be replaced by 3/4 tsp of salt, 2 tbsp of powdered milk and 1/2 cup of water.

Add herbs to taste. Nell uses parsley, thyme, sage or mixed dried herbs.

Mix all ingredients. Fry mixture in a lightly oiled pan until lightly browned. Size as desired.

Drop burgers into a saucepan of 4 cups of simmering water flavoured as desired for 20 minutes.

May be used as burgers on bread or rolls. They can be served with gravy, with vegetables brushed with tomato sauce, as a dip or on skewers.

After boiling, this burger may be crushed and tomato sauce added to create a dip consistency. The fluid used to boil the burgers may be used to add moisture together with sauce, to control flavour.

These burgers freeze well either before or after boiling.

Nell's Green Paw Paw Salad

2011-11-21T11:53:00.002+11:00

Green Paw Paw Salad

4-5 cups of grated green paw paw

1 cup of bean or pea shoots

1 cup ground peanuts

1 small chili

1 tbsp of Dulce flakes (seaweed flakes)

Combine above ingredients.

Dress with:

1tbsp honey dissolved in 1 tbsp of hot water

1/3 cup of lemon juice

1/3 cup of olive oil

2 tsp of sesame oil (optional)

Fish sauce is traditional in green paw paw salad. Vegetarians can use the above ingredients.

Nell's Dolmades

2011-11-21T11:52:00.000+11:00

Blanch vine leaves in boiling water for 3 minutes. Rinse in cold water and drain. The number of leaves needed depends on the size of the leaves. Nell’s leaves are large.

Fry 2 finely diced onions in half a cup of olive oil. Add 1 cup of rice and 3 tbs of pine nuts and stir for 2 minutes.

Add, finely chopped:

1 tbsp fresh dill
1 tbsp of mint
• 5 tbsp parsley
• 3 tbsp currants

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1 cup of water.

Cover pot tightly and cook for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Place vine leaves shiny side down and place rice mixture in centre. Fold stem and sides over the rice and roll towards point of leaf. Line a heavy pan with vine leaves. Pack rolls placing seams down. Cover with:

• juice of 1 lemon
1 cup water
One third cup of oil.

Cover with vine leaves and a fitted lid (a plate will serve). Simmer for one hour. Remove from heat and stand 1 to 2 hours to allow all fluid to be absorbed.

Snapshot: November Edibles in northern NSW, Australia

2011-11-21T06:53:00.010+11:00

It is mid spring in our November gardens. In this climate, on this north facing block, it is early summer. Click on any pic to enlarge.

The taro is in full leaf and grew throughout our mild winter.

Pink Brugmansia in front of Arundo Donax. The Arundo is useful as a source of mulch.

This Wax Jambu has just burst into flower. The fruit are crisp and moist.

A thorny Globe Artichoke has been left to flower but is delicious eating.

This Rose Apple was planted during winter under a wattle that will soon 'kick the bucket'. It has yet to start new growth.

A Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum (syn. Cyphomandra betacea) has already yielded a few fruit, its first crop. As yet Fruit Fly has not attacked this fruit and the plants are very productive in this Bellingen climate.

This Mangosteen was planted in autumn in a swampy part of a north facing slope. So far it likes its position but has not yet put on growth.

The choko vine is beginning to cover the poultry fence.

The White Mulberry has been fruiting for a few weeks. Birds have not yet recognised the ripe fruit (white to pale green) as ripe and have left the fruit for us. The flavour is extremely sweet and many prefer the black, common mulberry for taste.

Two Burdekin Plum trees (Pleiogynium timorense)
are growing strongly. Native to Australia the fruit requires treatment to increase palatability.

Natal Plum (C. macrocarpa) is starting to flower for the first time. These plants were planted two years ago. the white flowers (like a small Gardenia flower) have a sweet smell. The plant is neat and very prickly.

This Fuju Persimmon is growing strongly again after dropping its leaves over winter.

A tropical peach looking quite miserable. Tip borer attacks this tree each year and prunes it. The Lomandra grass behind the tree is to edge the terrace.

Two Davidson Plums grow strongly.

An apricot has yet to flower despite its growth.

A Grumichama yielded a few fruit last year. They grow well in this climate.

This Longan tree finds the soil dry and poor despite its heavy mulch. The pine trees above it rob the soil of nutrients. Another location is required.

This Star Gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus), is also known as the Otaheite gooseberry, Malay gooseberry and Tahitian gooseberry. It has the same name as Sweetleaf, (Sauropus androgynus) which is confusing. This tropical plant has struggled with our mild winter and is only starting to regain its leaves. Perhaps it will last the next winter with leaves because of its growth. The Gota Kulu herb has almost swamped this plant.

Pecans grow strongly in this climate

This native lime bush produced many fruit last summer.

A young Rosella will need every warm day to produce its fruit. The fruit is excellent for jam making.

This 2.5m Black Sapote is growing strongly and may fruit this year.

A variety of edible figs survive this wet climate and produce fruit.

A Cavendish banana in fruit.

A Soursop regains its leaves after the winter defoliation and dieback that affects many tropical trees in our winter.

The Peanut Butter tree (Bunchosia) likes its warm wall and has produced a few fruit.

This Myrtus ugni is growing reasonably quickly but is yet to fruit.

The Mushroom plant is in flower.

Vetiver grass retains this steep slope and is also cut for mulch.

Day lily flower buds can be added to stirfries.

This yellow guava produces small, sweet fruit.

The variegated water parsley loves the edge of the pond and tastes like parsley.

The Kang Kong has survived the winter cold and is starting to grow across this pond.

I still find the leaves of this Brazilian Spinach very leather, but it is useful as a summer salad green.

This annual Amaranth does produce some mild tasting salad leaves.

Oca (Oxalis tuberosa) growing from a yam purchased from a local store in winter.

Close up of a Cape Gooseberry bush. If you look carefully you can see an immature fruit in its green casing (cape) which unfortunately do not protect the fruit from birds or Fruit Fly. Still this plant is extremely productive and delicious stewed with only a little sugar. "Native to high-altitude, tropical Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, where the fruits grow wild, physalis is casually eaten and occasionally sold in markets." Wikipedia.

The Boysenberries are fruiting heavily. These plants were established in late summer last year and the boysenberries have swamped the Youngberry and Raspberry also growing on the trellis. So far the birds are leaving plenty for us.

This sharp thorned Kei Apple is yet to fruit. To persuade me tokeep these two plants (hopefully one male and one female) the fruit will need to be superb because this plant is an eye hazard.

Irene's November Newsletter

2011-11-20T05:50:00.001+11:00

Hi Seed Savers

It's almost Summer and we are galloping towards the end of the year but we can still look forward to our December Gathering at Bec's home in Bonville from 1pm on Thursday 1st. This will be our first time in that direction and this should please those of you who have to travel along the Highway from the north or the south. I'm sure we will have a great time at Bec's and hope you can come.

The weather was kind to us for our last Gathering in Fernmount and everyone was in awe of what John and Carol have achieved and there are some photos on the blog. Many thanks to John and Carol for their lovely hospitality and for sharing their beautiful garden with us.

We had a particularly interesting mix of seeds* and plant material to share with one another we welcomed lots of new people attending their first Gathering. It was lovely to welcome Dean and Teal, from the Bellingen High School garden and, on behalf of BSS, I presented them with a copy of The Seedsavers' Handbook. This book is invaluable and I still have a few copies available for $22 for BSS people.

How we have grown in the three years since five people attended the very first Gathering - from 5 to 208 on our mailing list! There are a couple of points that I would like to highlight - the first is that we had no idea that we would experience this sort of growth. The level of interest that we receive from people at plant fairs and other events has risen with each one - it was overwhelming at the Spring Plant Fair this year. Our main aim is to ensure future food security in our community and we do this by saving the seeds from our best plants and sharing them around. We have a wide variety of micro-climates in our individual gardens and if someone experiences a failure of a valued crop in their garden, we need to be in a position to provide replacement seeds. The more varieties of resilient seeds we have available, the better. Many of the old heritage varieties have disappeared. We notice that seed suppliers' lists of offerings develop gaps.

In addition to our gatherings, we distribute large quantities of seeds and plant materials at our stalls. The higher the level of interest from the public, the greater the quantity and varieties we need to be able to offer and this is where we rely on our members to play their part. We have founding members, who have been saving and sharing seeds for the last three years (some for many more), and we also have new people constantly joining us, who have enormously varied backgrounds and experience in gardening and seed saving. We are delighted to welcome everyone. It takes a little while to get into the swing of seed saving but it is so rewarding.

We are all volunteers and we all enjoy our garden visits, where we can learn from one another. For the first time this year we were very happy to have Jude and Michel Fanton, the Founders of The Seedsavers' Network, spend a week-end with us, sharing their expertise. This was very successful and this event and future presenters are funded by our activities at plant fairs and other events. We work very hard to ensure that we have an attractive, informative stall laden with packets of seeds, plant materials and all sorts of goodies from our gardens. We are totally self-funded. Obviously, the more people who contribute, the more it spreads the load - and the joy.

*Labelling of seeds and plant materials.

The bigger our 'membership' becomes, the more important it is that the seeds and plant materials we share at Gatherings are labelled (see attachment). If you do this before setting out to a Gathering, it saves confusion as the share table is often very crowded. It is so easy to arrive home and find yourself with anonymous packages - so frustrating! If you include details of your name as well as the seeds, their origin, plus any specific information needed to raise them successfully, we can all keep track. I am attaching the label that you can complete (as far as you are able). You will see that one of the questions asks whether you are willing to 'adopt a seed'. This means you are willing to ensure that you grow sufficient numbers of the variety and can ensure that they are protected from cross fertilisation, so that when we label the package we can be reasonably sure that it contains what it says.

2012 Gatherings

I would love to hear from anyone who would like to offer their garden for a Gathering next year. We enjoy all sorts of gardens - and they don't have to be immaculate. We all live in different settings and no two are the same - and there is so much to learn from experiencing them all. We can bring everything we need (cups, food, chairs, etc.) and some of us are happy to offer to help with some gardening while we are there.

I am just re-reading a favourite book by Margaret Simons called 'Resurrection in a Bucket - the Rich and Fertile Story of Compost". I love this quote she uses by Simon Schama: 'The sum of our pasts, generation laid over generation, like the slow mould of the seasons, forms the compost of our future'. Ah, compost - to be treasured.

Please ensure that you let me know if you are coming to the next Gathering in Bonville on Thursday 1st December - by Monday 28 November, so that I can send you all the directions in good time (I received 14 enquiries in the last day or so before the last gathering. I think it is only fair to let the host know how many people to expect in good time.

Looking forward to seeing you at our end-of-year Gathering.

Cheers

Irene

bellingenseedsaversunderground.blogspot.com/

Gathering at John & Carol's, Fernmount, 3 November 2011

2011-11-18T16:35:00.001+11:00

Forty Bellingen Seed Savers were delighted to explore the flowing design and the enormous variety of edible and decorative plants in John and Carol's garden.

It was beautifully cool on the bamboo-shaded path.

John explains the finer points of the many rare fruit trees he collects.

The dense planting discourages weeds.

Carol explains how to recognise a ripe Cape Gooseberry

Paths zigzag down the hillside

The vegetables to be frequently harvested grow close to the house.

The raised vegetable beds below the verandah are very accessible

At every BSS Gathering many seeds and plant materials are shared

Answer to a question asked at our gathering:

"The easiest, safest and most useful organic-approved fungicides are based on cupric hydroxide. Cupric hydroxide controls a wide range of problems effectively, but unlike older preparations, like Bordeaux or lime sulphur, it can be used at any time. Do not substitute with copper oxychloride, which is not organic."

Jeremy Coleby Williams

Irene's Newsletter

2011-10-14T22:21:00.001+11:00

Hi Seed Savers

We had a wonderful visit to Carol's garden last week and were all delighted by the design, the collection of orchids, bromeliads, succulents, irises and the excellent use of groundcovers - and much, much more. If you go to the blog you will find that John has posted many photos of this picturesque garden. A big thank you to Carol for inviting us and many congratulations for the years of dedication that she has put into the garden.

We were lucky that the rain held off until after our tour of the garden and we then enjoyed tea and conversation, a debriefing on the recent events and a lively Q&A session. I was happy to share the news that, despite some reasonably large expenses recently, our bank balance remains very healthy. All the donations received at the Plant Fair, etc. and the expenses of the Fantons' visit balanced out very well.

It was agreed that we benefitted greatly from the Fantons' input and a few suggestions were made as to other experts who might be willing to share their knowledge with Bellingen Seed Savers next year, e.g. Jackie French, Jerry Coleby-Williams, Isobel Shepherd, a local edible weed expert, etc. If you would like to suggest others or specific topics you would like covered, please let me know. I will start making enquiries.

Q & A sessions have become a regular part of our Gatherings and give us an opportunity to pick up some useful practical tips from one another. I sometimes receive cries for help between Gatherings too and here are a couple of recent ones which were discussed last week:

1. Q from Rhonda - After one of the gatherings I struck some elderberry pieces and they are now planted in the garden. However I did not check how big they grow and may have put them in the wrong spot. Not sure who bought the plant to the meeting but if you have time and think about it could you ask the group via email, how big it grows, I’d much prefer to transplant it now than later.

A from Elaine -

The Elder, ( Sambucus nigra )...has more Folklore attatched to it, than any other European plant.....and can grow to 10 metres depending on conditions.

I like to cut them back to just above a metre, and keep pruning the tips, to produce more flowers and berries, and allowing them to grow to just over 2 metres, makes harvesting easier. However I like to leave some, for support for the aerial potato, and creating a micro climate, for underplanting, to protect plants from extreme conditions of heat and cold. Pruned they also make a fast growing wind-break.
The FLOWERS treat, all Respiratory and inflammatory conditions, colds, sore throats, hayfever, feverish illnesses, arthritis and are a mild laxative.
The Berries, are rich in Vitamin C and flavenoids, with antiviral and immune enhancing actions. Strengthen the eyes and improve night vision.
Both Fruit and Flowers have been traditionally used in TEAS Cordials Jams and Jellies Wines and Anti - ageing formulas...hence the name ELDER.
ELDER FLOWERS AND OR BERRIES with yoghurt, make an excellent addition to the morning MUESLI.
A brew of the leaves is a good insecticide.

2. Q from Lesley -" I've always had good success with dwarf beans but this year something is eating my seeds as they're emerging from the ground. Those that come up at all have brown edged holes in the cotyledons and don't make it to becoming a plant. Do you know what's doing it? More to the point, what can I do about it?"

A from group - a number of protection methods were suggested - a piece of polypipe or an upturned drink bottle, pushed into the ground around the seedling.

Causes suggested - birds, slugs/snails, 4-legged creatures......

3. Q from someone in the group - a Brazil Cherry - flowers but no fruit

A Could have been the period of wet weather

If you have a query about something you are growing, please send it in and I will circulate it.

Bellingen Seed Savers Visits Carol's Coronation St Garden

2011-10-13T07:03:00.004+11:00

Our group really enjoyed visiting a town garden. This garden was packed with surprises. As we approached we could see that Carol has fully utilised her nature strip.

Old Man's Beard is draped on a Frangipani branch.

Carol has collected many succulents, ...

... orchids and bromeliads.

Her monster Birds Nest Fern has been growing here for many years. This fern is native to the rainforest around Bellingen.

It gathers forest debris, in its spreading fronds, which then decompose to feed the fern.

Some of us enjoyed a cup of Carol's Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) tea. Carol grows the nettles in a pot to prevent this invasive plant becoming a weed.

One of Carol's many orchids thriving in the semi-shade.

Carol grows comfrey and a variety of vegetables in a long raised bed with bird-netting stretched over polypipe. Comfrey is an excellent additive to compost and also makes a mulch rich with the minerals it mines with its deep roots.

This golden day lily loved its sunny northern position.

In this pic you can see an aloe, a rose and a native banksia all growing happily in Carol's front yard. She has also extensively planted her nature strips outside her fences.

Irises grow by the pool with a crucifix orchid in the foreground. We thinks these are Lousiana Iris.

Here is a blue Lousiana Iris which is growing happily in soil.

Calla Lilies make an easy care groundcover, easily contained in a town garden.

Carol shared her years of gardening experience.

Carol has collected many succulents and uses them here as groundcover.

Her raised, netted vegetable area provides a steady supply of vegetables and herbs.

Mustard grows in the vegetable garden...

...as does Italian Parsley.

A view of the Dorrigo escarpment from Carol's front garden.

More of Carol's succulents.

The naked branches of the large Frangipani.

A very, large Magnolia (not Magnolia grandiflora) provided shade. On the left is a mature Frangipani still to come into leaf. Click on all pics to enlarge.

Next Gathering:

2011-09-28T05:44:00.000+10:00

Thursday 6 October 1pm

Coronation Street, Bellingen

This will be a lovely place to spend a Spring afternoon. This mature garden is delightful and quite different from any that we have been to before. The extensive use of pavings with a huge raised and netted herb and vegetable bed, surrounded by densely planted borders, makes for a low maintenance, creative garden. There is a lot to learn in this garden and I hope you can come and enjoy it. One of the delights is the sound of the water feature.

Please let me know if you can be there. It is very helpful to our host to have a reasonable idea of how many people to expect. I will send the address and let you know of anything you need to bring.

Cheers

Irene

Jude and Michel Fanton visit Bellingen Seedsavers

2011-09-22T14:55:00.003+10:00

Once again we visited David's large garden which he most generously allowed as the venue for a Jude and Michel Fanton Seedsavers Workshop. Jude and Michel founded the international seedsavers movement which is headquartered in Byron Bay, NSW.

One activity involved finding the most perfect pea pod to save for seed.

Under the shade of the trees, on an unusually hot spring day, Jude and Michel explained many of the mysteries of seedsaving.

The workshop finished with the group learning how to clean seeds using various sieves.

We all brought along seeds and plants for a 'show and tell' session. As usual, Nell was a fount of knowledge. Here she is describing the excellent properties of a Fijian Taro that she has grown for many years. We also learned that the shoots from Arrowroot (Canna edulis) can be eaten when prepared like asparagus.

Nell mixes the cooked Taro with coconut milk to make a tasty dip or spread.

Much of the food brought along to share was grown by members of our Bellingen Seedsavers Club. Lemons, peanuts, mandarins, paw paw, grated green paw paw and bean shoots were just some of the home grown edibles used in cakes, salads and dips.

Peter brought along his pickled walnuts and they were indeed exceptional. Here they are served with crackers and cheese. His large tree is around ten metres high.

The chilacayote (Cucurbita ficifolia) the melon-like fruit, was new to many of us. Like a pie melon, this fruit is probably best used as a zucchini when small, according to our experienced members. The flesh was white and slightly sweet. You need never starve with 'killer chayotes' in the trees. Just watch your head if you allow them to grow high into the trees.

Colourful nasturtium flowers decorated this salad.

Nell made this salad with grated green paw paw and sprouts with a lemon-juice and honey dressing.

Bellingen Seed Savers host Jude and Michel Fanton 17 and 18 September 2011

2011-08-26T13:46:00.001+10:00

Seed savers poster

August Newsletter

2011-08-16T17:54:00.000+10:00

Hi Seed Savers

First of all I am delighted to tell you that Michel and Jude Fanton, the Founders of the Seedsavers' Network, have accepted our invitation to present a workshop in Bellingen. This is quite a rare opportunity and I do hope you will be able to participate. I have approached them before but they are frequently travelling overseas but this time I managed to catch them at the right time.

We still have a few details to finalise but I can say that they will be here on the week-end of 17 & 18 September. They will present a one-day workshop in Gleniffer on the Sunday and this will be preceded by a film screening and Q&A /catching up with the locals session at the CWA hall from about 4.30 or 5 to 7pm on Saturday 17th.

*If there is anyone with some time and has skills with posters and banners, I would be delighted to hear from you. I'm suffering from event overload!

The Fantons have such a lot of knowledge and stories to share and they are a delightful couple. You can see them in action, if your internet speed is up to it, on their latest video postings on youtube.com/seedsavers, also facebook.com/seedsaversnetwork Also visit their website at www.seedsavers.net/

The cost of the workshop will be kept at a very reasonable level and we are just working on the final details, which will be sent to you shortly. It is the requirement of Michel and Jude that a minimum of twenty people attend the workshop and we will need to receive a minimum of fifteen registrations by two weeks before the event (3 September). More details soon - put it in your diary.

Gathering at North Bank Community Garden 4 August

A happy mix of long term and new seed savers gathered on a beautiful day. Thank you all for being there and special thanks for the seed and plant contributions . The gardens look fantastic - every week brings more plants, more improvements in the layout,design and innovation - see John Vernon's report and photos on the blog http://bellingenseedsaversunderground.blogspot.com/ . We were even filmed on the day by a young woman from Victoria who is making a documentary and I will let you know if and when I hear more about it.

Thank you so much to everyone who has delivered pots and containers to NBCG, to replace those stolen along with their ute. There was a great fundraiser on Saturday and I hope they raised lots of money for a new ute. We enjoyed some great music and the very tasty food being served and I understand that there will shortly be an expansion in the size of the kitchen.

Important Info. about Sword Bean from Carole Helman

"You may have taken some of the big pink Sword Bean seeds from our recent Gathering at David's. My notes on the day, with the seeds, said we use the very young green pods, sliced finely, as 'green beans'. We DON'T ever use them with developing seeds in them and an old, but very informative, book indicates that the ripe seeds probably shouldn't be eaten. (Reference: 'Tropical Crops' - Dicotyledonsby J.W. Purseglov, 19680.

Upcoming Events:

Working Bee Thursday 18 August 1pm, Bellingen
A few of us will be at Laurie's to pack seeds for the upcoming Plant Fair. If you would like to join us or if you have some seeds or plants to contribute, please let me know as I need to have labels prepared for the packets and signs. If you just have time to drop in for a chat, we will be pleased to see you. If you let me know you might do this, and you haven't been to Laurie's before, I will give you the address.

Energy Festival at the Showgrounds Saturday 3 September

Bellingen Seed Savers will share the Transition Bellingen site this year, rather than having a separate stall. The reason for this is that we will have the Plant Fair the following week-end and don't want to overstretch our resources - human and edible. I have committed to being there and, if there is anyone who will be at the Energy Festival who would like to join me for a while, that would be nice. I will just set up a display of posters, photos and information. It will be a good opportunity also to promote the Fantons' events two weeks later.

Spring Plant Fair at Market Park Saturday 10 September 8am to 2pm

Please let me know if you are able to make a contribution to the preparations for our stall, either in the lead-up or on the day. It is always a very busy and interesting day but we do need sufficient volunteers to help us survive it in good spirits. This is our main way of fundraising through donations for seeds and plants and raffle ticket sales. This enables us to cover our expenses for all the various materials we need and events. It's also a lot of fun. It would be helpful if I can draw up the roster for the day quite soon.

We need people to:

*Prepare signs, banners, etc.

*Help set up, take down and put up the various displays ready for the early browsers. We usually start at about 6.30am.

*Work on the stall with others and enjoy meeting interesting people of like minds.We usually have a lot of plants in pots as well as seeds and information to hand out and raffle tickets to sell. We do need several people there at any one time during the morning at least. If you have already told me that you can help - please remind me.

The Fanton Events at CWA Hall Saturday 17th, Workshop in Glennifer Sunday 18th. Watch this space!

Best wishes everyone - I'm really looking forward to seeing a lot of you throughout August/September.

Gathering Thursday 6th October

Gathering November Thursday 3

Please consider hosting one of these at your place. The more variety of gardens and areas we visit, the more interesting it becomes. Whether your garden is new or long-established, large or small, in valley or heights. It certainly doesn't need to be perfect. It's such a good way for us all to share the joys and heartaches that we experience out there - and to learn from one another.

Cheers

Irene

Seed Savers Visit to Bellingen North Bank Community Garden in August

2011-08-05T07:05:00.001+10:00

Midday temperatures hovered around 20 degrees centigrade as we enjoyed another perfect late winter day on our visit to the North Bank Community Garden. This garden has four directors and operates on a voluntary basis. Volunteers help grow the vegetables and fruit and also share the produce. This community garden also hosts a 'for profit' seedling supply business. The garden has planted public gardens and fruit trees around Bellingen and is involved with the sharing of locally grown food. It is auspicing another community garden at Valla and another proposed garden at Brierfield.

(Click on any photo to enlarge.)

Kohl Rabi is being harvested in the garden. This plant will soon be ready for harvesting.

This bed of lettuces is waiting to be thinned.

A plentiful harvest of bottle gourds is drying in the open.

New beds are being carved into the rich soil. Loads of stable manure are being trucked in. Many of the gardens are designed in this free flowing design.

A huge tatsoi awaiting harvest.

One of the last cauliflowers is almost ready for picking.

The seedling production area is supplying local businesses as far west as Dorrigo. It therefore grows a range of seedlings, some suited to frosty areas and some suited to the lowland heat and humidity.

Jess (left) is one of the directors and operates the seedling supply business.

New solar panels, courtesy of Bellingen Solar, have been erected in the ever-growing garden. The garden has plans to landscape the riverbank and extend the orchard.

Is this a bed of leeks?

Members were able to collect rooted sections of Lemon Grass. Some of us had been sold Citronella Grass by nurseries. The Citronella grass is unsuitable for eating and can become weedy.

The community pizza oven and barbecue is well used.

An arch of split and bound bamboo frames the view.

Mustard has self seeded around the garden, here growing under the ginger. The 'chooks' welcome the green feed produced by the garden.

The 'seed savers' gather to share seeds, ideas and food. We shared many seeds. New seeds added to the seed collection included Thai Egg Tomato, climbing beans, Pie Melon and Linseed. We also shared seedlings of Irene's Bok Choy and Drumstick Tree (Moringa oleifera) cuttings.

Carol enjoys a local pecan nut. The platter has Carambola and citrus grown by David.

Local Food Film Festival 2011 Short Film Competition

2011-07-19T06:07:00.000+10:00

The Local Food Film Festival 2011 is calling for entries into its first short film competition. With $1,000 in prize money, the winning film will be screened at the annual Festival in October and published online.

This years’ theme is ‘Growing and eating for the future’ with each film showing or having a connection to locally grown and produced food.

Films can be up to 8 minutes, there is no entry fee and submissions will be accepted until Friday 30^th September 2011.

All people are invited to enter the short film competition, regardless of background or level of experience- primary/high school, local community groups, established filmmakers or anyone passionate about local food.

For entry guidelines please visit www.localfoodfilmfestival.com.au

The Local Food Film Festival 2011 will be held at Bellingen Memorial Hall on 22^nd October, Bowraville Theatre 29^th October and Bunker Cartoon Gallery 30^th October.

Two feature films will be shown; ‘Vanishing of the Bees’ and ‘Economics of Happiness’, as well as a number of short films including the winning entry in the short film competition.

The Local Food Film Festival 2011 is supported by the Coffs Coast Local Food Alliance and NSW Environmental Trust. For more details about the Festival, please visit www.localfoodfilmfestival.com.au or get in touch at info@localfoodfilmfestival.com.au

Mid North Coast, NSW: 16 July 2011

Media Contact:

Jocelyn Edge 0423 595 736

info@localfoodfilmfestival.com.au

Bellingen Seed Savers Visit David's Delightful Garden

2011-07-08T09:28:00.004+10:00

Our Bellingen Seed Saver's jocular David suggested we visit his small acreage to advise him on garden plantings and layout. As we suspected David had little need for our advice but we thoroughly enjoyed his sustainable plantings that are rapidly meeting his goal of developing a small but productive Eden.

We gathered outside with David in his 'special Seed Savers' hat ready to view the garden.

David's productive garden commences at the top of his gently sloping block.

The wild ducks did not appreciate the visitors.

David has made great use of bamboo and drapes his bird netting over his 'chook pen'.
Unfortunately the hawks have been active.

His 'chook pen' serves as a trellis for his recently planted broad beans.

Some of us couldn't believe the size of this guava but David says he grows some twice the size. These would feed a family. David believes this is a green or white guava.

David's 'Imperial' Mandarin tree is occasionally mulched with old horse manure.

His hens have a magnificent view of the escarpment. While the south of the NSW suffered from snow and wind storms on this day, the Gleniffer Valley near Bellingen had a clear blue sky and 19 degree Celsius temperatures.

Comfrey is a great addition to the compost or mulch and can also be fed to the hens.

This young native Black Bean tree enjoys its sunny position.

A Jaboticaba is yet to fruit but looks very healthy.

David grows Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) for its nitrogen fixing properties. Read more at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_pea about the fascinating history of the Pigeon Pea.

This African Horned Cucumber (Cucumis metuliferus) is ready for picking.

More about this fruit at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_melon

A small patch of leeks flourishes next to the climbing peas.

David knows this is a Sapote of some kind, with a delicious fruit; he has tried a fruit in the past but not from this tree. However, the velvety underneath of the leaf has us confused over which sapote this is.

Saba Nuts (commonly confused with Malabar Chestnuts says Bec) have been brought in pots by Bec to share. David has a tree already producing nuts.

David has just planted and mulched a raspberry patch.

A pineapple patch thrives in the sun. These are all grown from the discarded tops of pineapples.

Irene calls us to order and we share our Seed savers philosophy with jounalist visitor Uta. We endeavour to grow seeds and then to ensure they are distributed throughout our membership. Heritage seeds from acclimatised vegetables and fruits will always be growing somewhere in our district. If seed companies attempt to patent the seeds of common food plants and to introduce genetically modified plants we will still have seed stock available to share. Of course, our acclimatised plants grow best in our district.

Ute's photograph of our happy group appeared in the Coffs Coast Advocate

Our seed table is a treasury of locally grown seed, some grown for many generations in this district. The very hot rocoto tree chilis in the bags were taken for chili jams, seeds and to be dried for chili powder. The powder is used in cooking and for medicinal capsules to relieve arthritis. Great idea Jeff.

Jicama (Yam Bean) is new to most of us but Nell says to harvest the tuber as soon as the flowers fade. The tuber or root has more of a mild bean taste. This plant was left to grow for seed and the tuber was huge. These Jicama dipping sticks were the result. Nell says she uses her Jicama and her Yacon to provide the crunch in stir fries as an alternative to 'hard to peel' water chestnuts.

The Jicama plant is seen here climbing a young macadamia tree. You can see (click on the pic) the poisonous seedpods containing rotenone the active ingredient of 'Derris Dust".

Beryl's lemon butter tarts, made only from organic ingredients (lemons, sugar, butter) were popular at afternoon tea along with Jicama sticks, mandarin cake, banana cake and various slices made from local ingredients. Despite appearances, however, we gather not for the food but to share our seeds, our values and friendship. It works for us. Come along to the next meeting if you live locally and share your seeds or plants.

Seed Savers' Network Aims

2011-07-08T09:20:00.001+10:00

Our Aims

The Seed Savers' Network was established in Australia in 1986 with these charitable and educational purposes in its deeds:-

To develop and promote:

Educational programmes for the preservation of open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds and the genetic diversity of plant varieties;
Non-profit seed exchange programmes;
Agricultural and horticultural programmes with particular emphasis on the propagation of open-pollinated plant varieties;
Preservation gardens for open-pollinated plant varieties;
Seed banks for non-hybrid plant varieties;
Scientific research relating to the above matters, either alone or in conjunction with a public university or other institution.

To Provide:

Financial and educational assistance to community development projects - local and overseas;
Open-pollinated seed stock to individuals, groups and communities.

from the Seed Savers Network

Bellingen Seed Savers gather to share seeds, July 2011

An Excellent Resource for Tropical and Subtropical Vegetable Growing.

2011-07-05T07:21:00.013+10:00

Hello Fellow Seed Savers

I have just stumbled upon this resource.

"Growing the major food plants of Papua New Guinea
A description of the crops, how and where they are grown, and some of the problems with their production.
Bruce R French"

Click on the link below.

Food Plants International Resource

The book is in pdf format can be downloaded at no cost and it is a great resource.

Here are some sample crops that are very suitable for our area:

Wing Beans - detailed information on how to grow for the harvesting of beans, bean pods, plant tips, tubers.

AND....

Kang Kong, Mushroom Plant, Sweet Potato, Cassava, Taro, Potato.... and lots more.

Fruits and nuts are also covered.

I think you'll find this resource most useful.

John

Growing in a Seed Saver's Garden near Bellingen in Late June/Early July

2011-07-05T06:02:00.001+10:00

We have had no frosts as yet and the the winter is mild.

Brazilian Spinach (Alternantera sissoo) is still producing edible leaves in the sun although the plants in the shade look miserable.

This tree chili or rocoto chili just grows away in this weather and produces chilis throughout the winter. It also grows easily from seed.

A Jicama vine grows up into a young macadamia and the apple (root) probably needs harvesting. This is useful grated into salads. It does not turn brown like a potato or Yacon once peeled.

This Star Apple (Chrysopyhllum cainito) has lost a branch in each of its two previous winters in this garden. It may be old enough to survive the cold this year. The leaves are most attractive with the brown furry underside.

A lone and small Acerola fruit lingers. The best fruiting was during late summer.

Bacopa monniera (Memory Herb) loves the shade and wet conditions

Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) cases yet to dry out so the fruit is still green inside the case. The cases seem to drop and disappear as they ripen so it is a daily task to pick the ripe fruit. I am not sure yet that it is worth it.

An artichoke regrows after being cut back. Quite a few of the seed grown artichokes were too prickly to bother with. I think this one was relatively spine free.

This nectarine is just coming into flower. I suppose our winter corresponds to its native spring. Birds, bats and fruit fly consumed most of last years crop.

Galangal thrives in part shade and evening sun. I have yet to dig and use this plant.

Two pics of a lone fruit on a Peanut Butter (Bunchosia) Fruit tree. This is more of a shrub at the moment and the fruit is smaller than the egg sized fruit I was expecting. It tastes sweetish and the texture is peanut butter like.

Perhaps as this tree ages the fruit will increase in size. I'm hoping!!

Mushroom plant (Rungia klossii ) thrives in shade with plenty of water as long as it is not too cold. There is plenty still growing to add stir fries, soups and stews, even sandwiches, for a mushroom flavour and a vegetable high in protein. The red stems belong to an amaranth that is still lingering.

Enjoy
John

Growing Vegetables and using Bamboo; Ideas from Japan

2011-06-26T14:56:00.001+10:00

We thought folk might be interested in how vegetables are still grown by many semi-urban and rural Japanese. Carol and I took a few photos as we explored Kyoto, Takayama, Hiroshima and Osaka by rail and bus. Don't forget a double click enlarges the photo.

This sign did catch the eye and seemed most appropriate for the Bellingen Seed Savers blog. In reality this shop was selling clothing.

We were visiting in early to mid June and the weather was very hot and steamy, just like a NSW Mid North Coast summer but following the very cold Japanese winter. Many of these gardens were in a rural village in the mountains surrounded by still snowy peaks. Black plastic was commonly used to warm the soil for some crops and to suppress weeds. Interesting to see here the use of recycled plastic stakes in a land that has made the use of bamboo an art.

Japanese cities merge into villages with rice fields and vegetable gardens. Only the hilly and mountainous ground remains uncultivated. Note the onion tops bent over to ripen the onions before harvesting.

I think these might be tree onions.

Another vegetable garden seen from the train between Kyoto and Takayama. These gardens were alongside the tracks in the river valleys.

I suspect these are cucumbers, started with black plastic to warm the soil. Outside Takayama we visited a 'traditional' village where we could get close up to many more vegetable gardens.

I would never have thought of growing a potato patch with black plastic but these plants seemed to be flourishing.

These are climbing beans, still out of season when we visited. However, we ate soybeans in tempura (delicious) and salads and drank lots of soy milk in coffee (not so delicious). Maybe soy beans would be a useful crop in our gardens as well?

Beans, tomatoes, eggplants and capsicums. The netting was commonly used to grow beans.

Why not grow a raft of water-loving vegetables or herbs on our ponds? This raft also sheltered the fish.

We could also grow a grapevine in a pot on the terrace. It might be easier to protect the fruit from the birds on a plant in a pot.

Ancient pomegranate trees, pruned and shaped for beauty over many years, were still producing fruit. It was rare to see a tree in a garden that had not been heavily pruned and shaped and sometimes supported. This allowed a dense planting in ornamental gardens.

An ancient plum tree orchard at the Shukkeien Garden, in this case the plum trees are grown more for the flowers in Spring rather than the fruit. Note the support for an ancient branch trained for a weeping effect.

When you see the meticulous pruning of the branch tips to induce a 'cloud pruning' effect it is easy to understand the time and care the Japanese expend on their trees. It might take a few days to prune a pine tree this size. You can clearly see the technique removes the growing green tip and leaves a smaller twig now inclined to branch and to grow densely and horizontally rather than vertically.

In the Bellingen area we often grow bamboo to use around the house and yard. Here are a few ways the Japanese use bamboo. It is used extensively, in this case to retain a bank.

Bamboo makes a useful barrier.......

.... or fence, here a lattice attached to pine poles. The lattice is screwed or wired to the poles and the black cord is tied over the screw to achieve a more authentic effect.

Here the bamboo is used to contain the bushy tips of the plant to achieve a brush effect. There is also a small gate inserted to allow access to this bamboo grove on the outskirts of Kyoto.

Here the bamboo lathes are used cleverly to disguise a PVC pipe emptying storm water into a garden drain.

Larger bamboo poles make a comfortable seat when tied to a steel frame.

This gate is more decorative than useful but the design could easily be adapted to achieve a gate more resistant to livestock.

If you are growing Camelia Chinensis (tea) at home, the bushes do thrive in our climate, then you may be interested in this small tea garden in the larger Shukkeien Garden in Hiroshima. The bushes are kept to waist height. Small tea gardens, this size, were seen attached to many houses on the outskirts of the cities and towns. I think I will be taking cuttings from my bush and planting out more to achieve at least a row of bushes. I grew to enjoy the green tea easily made from the tips of the bush.

A miniature rice paddy with irises grown for effect in the same garden.

All this pruning, shaping of trees and the use of bamboo adds up to a truly beautiful garden. The Shukkeien Garden is now restored to its full glory. The buildings and vegetation were restored after the A-bombing of Hiroshima.

Camphor Laurel trees are treasured in Japan and used extensively. They are constantly pruned to manage their growth and to create a cloud effect but I doubt their fruits are a problem to the native bush in Japan. These trees (below) grow around the A-bomb dome in Hiroshima, a sacred site for many. Folk in Bellingen, with its controversial Camphor Laurel trees, may be particularly interested in this photo.

Bellingen Seed Savers Visit to Jason's Plot at Valery on 2nd June

2011-06-02T12:03:00.008+10:00

Despite the miserable weather a small intrepid band of Seed Savers enjoyed a very interesting afternoon on the verandah, discussing the challenges and advantages of the block, the aspect, the terrain and the design possibilities. Jason and Toni talked of their goals and dreams for their property. We shared afternoon tea throughout the afternoon as we looked out over the fruit trees.

Beryl who is a champion preserve maker. left happily clutching a large bag of Davidson Plums which were gathered in anticipation of very tasty jam

The old orchard has a lot of potential

What plant is this? It grows very tall on the hillside. We recognised it as a weed but no-one could identify it.

More About Bellingen SeedSavers Visit to Carole's House

2011-05-24T06:45:00.001+10:00

Hi Seed Savers

We had a wonderful afternoon at Carole’s inspirational house and garden this month. Carole warned us that she had been away for a while and wouldn’t have much to show us – far from it! From the bathtub of Water Chestnuts and the Taro to the extraordinary range of vibrant chillies, from the Sword to the Winged Beans, the pineapples to the berries and much more it was all so interesting. Carole brings in as little as possible to add to the soil, concentrating on using her own compost. The garden continually expands, within and outside the netted area. See the photos on the BSS blog.

The Cancer Council Biggest Morning (Afternoon) Tea that we shared at Carole’s was delicious and Lynda was able to send $50 to the Cancer Council so thank you for that. Carole even offered us a tasting of her home-made Davidson Plum Wine – the verdict was ‘beautiful’.

Lynda was asked by a number of Seed Savers for her Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe so this is attached. We many of us seem to have a large harvest of sweet potato so this was particularly appreciated. Thank you to everyone for bringing such lovely food and for donating to the appeal.

Thank you so much Carole for hosting the May Gathering.

A Valuable Book:

I have Penny Woodward’s book ‘Asian Herbs & Vegetables – How to identify, grow and use them in Australia’ on loan from a friend and I am excited about the amount of detailed information it includes on all those valuable, resilient vegetables that many of our members have been growing and sharing in this region since we came together. The book covers the origins of each plant, lists the names under which it is known, describes its appearance and method of cultivation, suggests a number of uses and gives some nutrional information. Also great photos.

I brought the book to our last Gathering so that people could have a look at it and I subsequently placed an order for seven books at The Yellow Shed in Bellingen. In ordering more than four copies, we receive a 10% discount on the usual price of $26.95. If four or more other people wanted to acquire the book, I would be willing to order a quantity at this slightly reduced price. Let me know if you want one. If you are not in the Bellingen area, I would need to charge postage.
Penny Woodward’s website: http://www.google.com.au/

Seeds for the Spring Plant Fair

Would you please let me know what seeds you hope to have ready for the next Plant Fair on 10 September? This is a good time to plan so that you can make sure you save the seeds from the best plants and protect them from cross-pollination.

Long Term Seed Storage

We again discussed this matter. Although our main aim is to have our seeds circulating around the area, we also need to save some longer term. I took to the last Gathering a small domestic cryovac kit that might be suitable for our purposes. A friend showed me hers and demonstrated it to me. You can see it being used at www.idemo.com.au/shop/Ezi-Seal+Vacuum+Sealer/Ezi-Seal+Vacuum+Sealer. Scroll down the right-hand column and click on the 1 min video. The kit costs around $40, including four reusable bags and you can buy extra bags at $20 for four. The price seems to vary with the supplier.

Maybe next time you are in a store you could have a look around to see what else is available. I believe there are heavier duty kits which cost one or two hundred dollars.

I would appreciate your feedback on this idea – would you approve of BSS purchasing one?

Next Gathering
Jason’s block on Hydes Creek Road, North Bellingen
Thursday 2nd June 1pm

Jason has a block of land which is a bit further along Hydes Creek Road than North Farm (for those who have been there). It is in the very earliest stages of development and Jason very kindly invited us to visit. It will be a great opportunity for us to discuss the design possibilities, whether we are in a similar situation or have spent years working on ours. It should be very interesting and, as usual, it should promote very interesting discussion.

Once again, car pooling is highly recommended and all other details will be sent to you when you RSVP – by Tuesday 28 May please.

I would you like to suggest that we bring along the ingredients for any special tea that we enjoy so that we can do some sampling. As an example, I love Lemon Myrtle Tea, which I drink every day if I am home. I will bring along fresh leaves to share and perhaps you could do the same with your favourite.

I am so enjoying the lovely Autumn weather – a wonderful time to be out in the garden working hard. Let’s hope it will be like this when I see you at Jason’s.

Cheers
Irene

LATE NEWS

Hi Seed Savers

A few things have come up since I sent out the Newsletter last week:

The Books have arrived
We collected the seven copies of Penny Woodward’s book ‘Asian Vegetables & Herbs’ on Saturday ordered by: John V., Rhonda, Carole H., Lynda and Jen (Laurie and I have ours). I will bring them to our Gathering next week but, if you are anxious to have yours in your hot little hands immediately, let me know. I will be in Bellingen for a few hours tomorrow – Tuesday, otherwise at the Growers’ Market on Saturday, so we might be able to arrange a handover. The price is $25 a copy.

* North Bank Community Garden
I was at the Garden yesterday in relation to the Transition Bellingen Reskilling Workshop on Organic Garden and wanted to let you know how fantastic the garden is looking . It’s a year since we last Gathered there and I will make sure that we do it again, perhaps in August. Each time I go there I see the enormous amount of hard work and creativity being poured into the place by Steve, Jesse and volunteers. I have mentioned before that Jesse had taken on Aleasa’s seedling business which is now located at NBCG and it is now powering ahead and I urge you to have a look. The garden is accessible all day so you can go at a time to suit you.

Cheers
Irene

Lynda's Sweet Potato Cornbread

900g sweet potato – boiled and mashed (to yield 2 cups)
125g butter
4 eggs lightly beaten
Quarter cup brown sugar
Half teaspoon bicarb of soda
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 cups fine polenta
Preheat oven to 180’ – butter a 20cm square cake tin.
Pure sweet potato in a mixer or food processor with all ingredients except yoghurt and polenta.
Stir in Yoghurt and polenta and pour into prepared tin.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool a little before turning out and cutting into squares.

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Bellingen Seed Savers Visit to Carole's Garden, May 2011

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Carole has a netted garden split into two sections. In one section the netting goes to ground level to keep the small birds out. The other area is netted sufficiently to protect from larger birds and fruit bats.

In the foreground you can see Carole's compost heaps, some covered to protect from rain and to conserve heat.

The Taro plant at the corner of the garden (bottom right) is thriving. This was the first day without rain after a week of showers.

Here are more compost heaps at various stages of development. Carole says that her self-seeded avocado (in the background) is really shading her garden too much so she keeps pruning out the top. This avocado has prospered in contrast to grafted avocados that have succumbed to root rot.

An old bath filled with Water Chestnuts is an ideal way to keep control of a plant that can become invasive and also makes harvesting a 'breeze'.

The garden that is fully netted has a variety of healthy chilis.

Aren't these chilis decorative? They also look super hot.

Nestled against the warmth of a north facing wall of Carole's house are these healthy pineapples. They look as decorative as any of the bromeliads.

The view from Carole's verandah where we enjoyed our usual afternoon tea feast. We especially enjoyed Lynda's slice made from sweet potato and polenta. Our gardens are flush with sweet potato at the moment so this a useful way to use this sweet vegetable.

Elaine had brought along a branch of her Clove Basil in full seed. This is a useful place to post Elaine's recipe for her delicious punch flavoured with Clove Basil.

HERB TEA PUNCH

Ingredients:

Berries of the Forest (or a similar cordial)
Lemon Grass
Lemon Myrtle leaves
Clove Basil leaves/seeds
Rosella fruit (Cranberry Hibiscus leaves might substitute)
Garden Mint and Peppermint
Orange rind.

Place a tablespoon of each of the above ingredients in a stainless steel saucepan or glass basin. ( Snip them a little with your kitchen scissors, to release more flavour.)

Cover with a litre or more of boiling water, stir for a minute and cover with lid, to prevent loss of flavours from evaporation.
Infuse until almost cold
Strain, pour over iceblocks into Punchbowl. Chill.

The strained Herbs may be used a second or third time to extract the flavours and constituents. Add to the punchbowl. Keep covered in the refridgerator.

When ready to serve, add a bottle of sugar free, preservative free, juice of your choice and a bottle of mineral or soda water. Stir to blend and pour the PUNCH into glasses over some icecubes.

Elaine used sugar-free cranberry juice but advises that pomegranate, apple or blackcurrant juice also blend well.

Homer added wine to his 'erb teas. ENJOY.

Gathering at Laurie's Garden on 7 April 2011

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Many thanks to Laurie for the delightful visit we had to her garden on 7th April. We were able to fit the garden tour in during the interval between showers and all the native trees and plants looked especially beautiful in the rain. We had a great mix of Seed Savers, from ‘founders’ through to very recent arrivals and this enabled lots of sharing of experiences and stories on the verandah over a cuppa. It was good to welcome Olivia and Benn from the new food garden which is in development at Bellingen High School.

Tea and talk on the verandah

Objet d'art - including David Pepper

Ayla shows the recently vacated enormous python skin

Using Yacon

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Hi Gleniffer.

Thanks for the question. I believe you can 'bandicoot' Yacon tubers. For non-Australians this mean digging down under the plants and extracting tubers like our native bandicoots would. I find that when I dig up the plant in Autumn it breaks into tubers and the stems at ground level have lots of growing points. Therefore, I have grown the plants from the tubers and also by replanting the lower stems. I hope this information assists.

Fernmount

Bellingen Seed Savers Stall at the Autumn Plant Fair

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We had a superb day. The weather was fine and mild. The number of helpers on our Bellingen Seed Savers Stall was numerous and the load was shared. Once again Irene's extensive preparation was evident with loads of information for passing folk. We are also indebted to David and his van for transporting the furniture.

Double click to enlarge any photograph.

Our stall was busy. We aim to disperse our seeds for a gold coin donation. By the end of the day the seed tray was looking very sparse which is not surprising given that the seeds are grown locally for our climate conditions. Irene's previous post lists all the available seeds. We much prefer to spread the seed amongst growers rather than face the problem of storing seed to keep it fresh.

Here Irene shares information and Allan serves at the seed table.

Our list of seeds and information about Seedsavers. Our small efforts at collecting and growing out seed contributes to a rich store of seed available to local gardeners and ensures a rich source of seed during possible future seed shortages.

Interesting to note that during a recent reported shortage of Snake Bean Seed from commercial companies, Bellingen Seed Savers had a very adequate store of this seed.

Our produce raffle was popular which was not surprising given the increased cost of 'veges' following the floods and the cyclone in Queensland. Beryl, pictured, contributed jars of her much lauded relish to the produce raffle. If you have a question about how to cook and preserve your produce Beryl is a wonderful source of information.

Carol and Linda at the raffle produce box. Can you see the gourd in the centre of the box? That is a New Guinea Bean, a useful substitute for zucchini. Zucchini tends to succumb to moulds and fungi during our humid summers. These gourds can grow to a metre long but are best eaten under 40 cm in length. Obviously Carol and Linda were having a great time at the Plant Fair.

Members had potted up plants. These were also dispersed for a gold coin donation. We don't aim to make a profit, just to cover our costs. We want to encourage the growing of as much food as possible in the home garden to reduce food miles and encourage the eating of fresh produce without pesticide contamination. We discovered how to cook Taro from two visitors with a cultural heritage in cooking and preparing Taro and Taro leaves. Paulina also showed us how to tell the edible Taro from the ornamental Taro growing in the creek behind the stall.

We were told the ornamental Taro has shiny leaves but the edible Taro had velvety leaves, not at all glossy.

Most of all our members enjoyed meeting fellow gardeners and folk who share our philosophy. After all the preparation and the the usual chores it was a positive delight to be at the Plant Fair amongst friends. Many visitors to our stall took away information about seeds, plants and about Bellingen Seed Savers and our blog.

Maybe we will meet you at the next Plant Fair or at our next members meeting. Membership is free and casual. Just turn up at the meetings you can attend and help out when you are able. That is the spirit of Bellingen Seed Savers. You can contact us at bellingenseedsavers@gmail.com
If you were at the fair we would really like you to make a comment below. What would you like to see on our stall?

Seeds available at Bellingen Autumn Plant Fair 12 March 2011

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BELLINGEN SEED SAVERS

SEEDS AVAILABLE

at Bellingen Autumn Plant Fair

12 March 2011

BEANS: climbing

*Adzuki

*Black Turtle

*Borlotti

*Cannellini

*Lima – red & white

brown & whit
*New Guinea Bean –

(gourd – use as zuchinni or cucumber)

*Poor Man/7 year

*Snake
*Tiger

*Yam (eat yam only)

BEETROOT

BOK CHOY

BROCCOLI

*Green Sprouting

CABBAGE

*Thai

CELERY

*Chinese

CHIA

CORIANDER

*Biodynamic

DILL

FENNEL

*Florence

GRAMMA *

IBICA

*Edible Hibiscus

LETTUCE
*Mixed

*Light Green

*Red Cos

MAIZE:
*Manning White

*Early Leaming

*Large Yellow Kernel Dent

MUSTARD
*Red/Purple

NEPETA *Catmint/Catnip

PARSNIP *Hollow Crown

PASSION FRUIT
*Panama Black

*Yellow, round

PEANUTS *

PIGEON PEAS *Multi-purpose

ROCKET *

SQUASH *

VELVET BEAN (Cover crop only)

GOURD *Wax

Edible Plants Thriving in Early March

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The following edible plants are enjoying the rain, humidity and remaining high temperatures of early March in the Bellingen Valley. Soon the cooler weather, and it some cases frost, will cause some of the cold sensitive vegetables to die off or become dormant. What plants are growing strongly in your area at this time?


Wing Beans (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) love the subtropical conditions of our summer.

The bean pods are delicious in stir fries. The plant regrows from the roots as the summer heat returns.

The whole plant is edible and the shoots can be eaten.

A ripe Panama Berry (Mutingia calabura) tastes like a boiled lolly.

The Panama Berry flower

It is a useful small tree

Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius). The tuber is eaten like a sweet potato.

Crookneck zucchine loves the slightly cooler weather of March.

A mild sweet capsicum is so useful given the prices in the greengrocers.

The capsicum (mild peppers) are small but plentiful.

This Rocoto (Tree Chilli) is three years old and prolific. The birds eat many and this is O.K. because the fruit is so hot. We use these very sparingly.

Brazilian Spinach also loves this weather. It's best cooked although it is often used in salads.

Egyptian Spinach (Corchorus olitorius) can be dried and used to thicken soups. The Arab name is "Molokhia." Its bland leaves (without any bitterness) make a great salad.

Taro had a growth burst in high summer. It loves the rain.

Daley's Nursery's says that Taro can be substituted for potato in any dish. I've yet to try it. Do any readers have a favourite recipe for Taro? If so, please add to the blog using the comment facility.

This Panama Berry has been in the ground for two years. It was 30 cm high when planted. It lost some leaves last winter but remained in leaf. It is a useful small tree and it is being trained away from the lawn. The fruit is delicious but only a cm in diameter.

Native Bees, Bananas and Fruit Salad Plants

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Jen and Gai's hive contains stingless native bees, Trigona carbonari, which are tiny creatures that do a great job of pollination and don't sting! Here's a useful site about native bees that has information about ordering them and caring for them once the courier drops them off at your place: http://www.aussiebee.com.au/stinglessbees.html

The hive nestles under the Icecream Bean Tree. Do you have native bees?

Their bananas thrive on the slope above the house.

The bananas are recently established, and have peanuts growing in the mulch around the base, using seed kindly provided by fellow local seedsaver John. The peanuts are planted when the soil is warm in late November, and have foliage and flowers that are typical of nitrogen-fixing legumes.

The Monsteria deliciosa is already fruiting despite its small size. Jen believes it is because of the applied rock minerals. Are you growing fruit salad plants? When do you pick yours?

Bellingen Seed Savers January/February News Update

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Bellingen Seed Savers have gathered several times in February to map out the coming year and prepare for the Bellingen Autumn Plant Fair on 12th March. Our seed collection continues to expand and plant divisions have been taken and potted up. We have one more working bee scheduled for 3rd March.

A full list of available seeds and plants will be posted shortly.

After the Plant Fair we will resume Gatherings at members’ gardens – in April in Bellingen and in May in Gleniffer.

The Q&A session that we included in our last Gathering/Working Bee was a great success and will continue on a regular basis. We have also decided to bring along any surplus produce (including eggs etc) which we may have to share with the group each time we meet.

Bellingen Summer Vegetables Survivors

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In Bellingen’s hot, wet summer conditions, vegetables like lettuce, spinach and silver beet really struggle. Don’t despair - there are some great survivors which will fulfill our need for green, leafy vegetables at this time.

The young leaves of Basella (Ceylon Spinach), Tatsoi, Nasturtiums and Sweet Potato are delicious and can be used in a salad or a stirfry. Ibika cooked in coconut milk
has been recommended by a valued Bellingen Seed Saver.

Basella and Ibika are shown in the following photo, along with Tumeric, Ginger and Garlic Chives. Are the grubs attacking your leafy vegetables like they're attacking mine?

Coping with Vegetable Pests

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The Bellingen area has its fair share of vegetable pests anxious to enjoy the fruits of our labours. Fruit bats, birds, bandicoots, rabbits, wallabies, kangaroos and insects such as fruit fly and cabbage moth can all make vegetable growing problematic.

We are not alone in this. This is the vegetable garden at Great Dixter in England;

...and this is a caged area at Great Dixter.

We fence, cage and net but sometimes the cost can make the growing activity uneconomical. Then we need to look at the other benefits of growing our own food:

• no food miles
• no poisonous sprays
• fresh food with more vitamins and minerals
• the pleasure and achievement of growing our own food.

What pests attack your garden?

Seed Savers December News

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Our last meeting for 2010 was held at Jen and Gai’s fascinating property near Bellingen. It is two years since the inaugural meeting of the Bellingen Seedsavers on the same property.

inside the extensive netted garden

Jen explains the progress of their farm enterprise

Jen and Gai have dramatically improved their originally poor and acidic soils with lime, gypsum, minerals, biodynamic preparations and loads of mulch. They have made extensive use of pigeon pea trees to shelter the vegetables from the summer sun and westerly winds.

Chickens roam in a huge netted enclosure. Jen and Gai fence off gardens from the chickens within the enclosure and then allow the chickens access when the plants are ready for harvesting, either for people or by chickens.

Alongside is a new goat enclosure for their two British Alpine milking goats and three kids. From the daily milking they gather enough milk for the household and for making a litre of yoghurt and one kilogram of cheese (haloumi, fetta, ricotta) amongst others.

At our meeting everyone thanked Irene for her management, development and guidance of the Bellingen Seedsavers. Volunteers were found to share management tasks in the areas of:

• seedsaving

• education

• communication

• meeting organization

We discussed the rationale for seedsaving in Bellingen and came up with the following reasons for the group’s existence:

• to preserve and share heritage seeds and plants for the growing of healthy food

• to preserve and share plants and seeds that have acclimatised and are successful in our immediate local environments.

• to provide a gathering and support network which shares knowledge for like-minded growers of food and useful plants.

Chinese Celery seeds were a new addition to our seed bank.

Chinese Celery

(from Chinese Vegetables.co.uk)

Chinese celery is a smaller version of the celery in Western markets, but its flavor is quite a bit stronger. The crisp, hollow stems of some varieties are light green, while others can be dark green or white. The leaves are typically jagged on the edges. Indispensable to many Asian soups or stews, Chinese celery is one of the most commonly grown vegetables in China. The entire plant is used, either fresh or dried. Add leaves and stalks to flavor vegetable or meat soups, or use them in a stir-fry. In China, celery is sometimes served as a dish by itself, stir-fried with a little soy sauce and sugar. The flavor may be a little too strong raw in a fresh green salad. Try it in small amounts at first.
This Chinese celery has long green stems with green shiny leaves with jagged margin. It prefers cool temperatures. Use the pencil-thin stalks and leaves in stews, stir-fry or salad. Considered indispensable for Chinese cooking, this celery has a stronger flavor than Western celery, so less is needed. It stays flavorful when dried.

Maturity: Approx. 50 days
Planting season: Spring or late summer

More information at: http://www.chinesevegetables.co.uk

Seed Savers Love to Visit Gardens

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We aim to visit a garden each month. However, sometimes wet weather can affect roads and parking areas on country properties and require the postponement of a visit.

A sumptuous afternoon tea is a feature at every garden visit but this was a special lunch at Peter and Beryl's home.

We share seeds at every gathering

We visited Carol's garden in 2009. Her garden features a netted enclosure close to the home. It makes sense to facilitate intensive garden maintenance by placing the garden close to the house (in Zone 1 using permaculture language).

Note the red bellpeppers (capsicums). We have access to mild and hot bellpeppers which often overwinter in our mild climate (in frost free areas) without much winter damage.

Bellingen Seed Savers gathering at David's Garden December 2009

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David's garden with views of the mountains, rich soil and abundant growth

Seed Savers Visit Aleasa's Garden 7 May, 2009

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Aleasa's Garden 7 May 2009

The gathering at Aleasa’s was a huge success and many thanks to Aleasa for her hospitality. There were eighteen of us there to enjoy Aleasa’s workshop on sowing seeds, which resulted in a very excited group choosing seeds from the large selection on offer and sowing them into punnets and trays to take home. Aleasa was extremely generous with her time, seeds and seed-raising mix.