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/

January Fruiting in the Bellingen Area

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?