Bellingen Seedsavers Visit Rasa's Garden in the Byron Hinterland

We visited Rasa's garden at Goonengerry in July and discovered her superb food forest of five acres. We especially enjoyed her emphasis on growing edible perennial vegetables in her garden. Abundant flowers attracted beneficial insects and created not only a useful garden but an attractive one.

Here is a link to her local seedsavers facebook Page which has lots of useful information.

"Gardening...is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes!" says Rasa.  Check us out on Facebook 

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This iris was growing beautifully on a well drained slope in full sun.

We think this is Iris lazica / WINTER IRIS

Rasa grows a selection of yams and finds them a very useful vegetable. African Yellow Yams are contained on a wire mesh trellis.

Butterbur (Petasites)grows well

 Rasa makes tempura with the emerging shoots.  References refer to a level of toxicity.

A large Chili

Ethiopian Cabbage

Ethiopian Cabbage pops up in a few places after escaping from the vegetable garden. Rasa is happy with her plant volunteers. The plant we sampled had a mild flavour.

Seedsavers in the Food Forest

The edible white pulp of the Mountain Paw Paw

Rasa says she scatters the seeds and has good germination.

 Paw Paw (Del Monte)

Paw Paw

A Dragon Fruit reaches up towards a Del Monte Paw Paw (Papaya)

A Male Fruit Fly Trap

Rasa is very diligent about collecting fallen fruit. She has a special recipe for her Male Queensland Fruit Fly Traps. Here is  a recipe for found online.

This recipe is not specific to Male Fruit Fly.

1L hot water
1/2 tblspn Cloudy Ammonia (available at supermarkets in the cleaning section)
1/2 tspn Vanilla Essence
100gm Sugar
1 tspn Dishwashing Liquid
1 tspn Vegemite
Dissolve the sugar and Vegemite in the hot water.  Allow to cool before adding in remaining ingredients and mixing.  Makes enough for approx. 3 - 5 traps.

Here are some more links re baits and controlling fruitfly.

A mauve Salvia

Rasa's Pineapple Garden

Rasa sells plants as well.

 Rasa enjoys eating raw Plantain.

Strawberry Bed

Tahitian Spinach is a type of Taro

Taro

Yam

Can you detect the large Yam tuber pushing through the soil at the base of the black post?

Rasa grows Lotus for food. This how the bed looks in winter.

"Gardening...is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes!"

Check us out on Facebook 

 Of interest: 

https://permaculturenews.org/2014/07/25/tropical-salad-leaves-different-cut-panama/