Bellingen Seed Savers Archived: bananas

Showing posts with label bananas. Show all posts

Saturday, 20 July 2019

Garden Visit to Tim’s new Food Forest in Fernmount

There was more than met the eye in this new Fernmount garden:

Tim and his growing family have been living in what was a vacant block for just over two years now, some of you may be familiar with it as the former 'Secret Garden' nursery. Lots of planning, passion and effort has netted him a food forest, jumping out of the ground, out and proud, in the front yard. An unorthodox style, but then a little chaos always brings opportunity.

Kale

Around the back there is more experimentation and innovation with livestock and microclimates; endless fun and education for his kids.

Tim tells us about his banana trees.

We learned Tim has recently gained an organic certification for his property. So he is careful what he feeds his livestock and where he uses his produced animal manure.

July Garden Visit to Tim’s new Food Forest in Fernmount

More than meets the eye in this new Fernmount garden:

Tim and his growing family have been living in what was a vacant block for just over a year now, some of you may be familiar with it as the former 'Secret Garden' nursery. Lots of planning, passion and effort has netted him a food forest, jumping out of the ground out and proud, in the front yard. An unorthodox style, but then a little chaos always brings opportunity.

Around the back there is more experimentation and innovation with livestock and microclimates; endless fun and education for his kids.

Inspirational! Tim has a lot of plans and ideas and thankfully for him and his family, also the energy of a kelpie to make them happen. In just under a year he has moved a house onto an empty plot, moved the family in, cleared a creekbed, set up chickens, sheep and a pig run, and planted out the entire front area as a baby food forest that's easy to mow around.

What grows well, grows well and what's too fussy is left behind. Tim had a bunch of ways of propagating that don't waste time. The easiest way to plant a tomato is to get a ripe one and squish it into the ground where you'd like more to grow.

We saw a broadfork in action - it's a giant garden fork that's more effective and more efficient for aerating or turning over new ground.

We were introduced to a bunch of fertiliser ideas. Throw the manure in with the chickens to scratch up, eat the seeds and break down. Give the scraps to the pig.

Home grown popping corn and a table groaning with cakes were very much enjoyed too.

Thanks to Jeff for all our photos.

Using a Broadfork

Liquid Gold

Seedsavers see Tim's new banana plantings

Using the popping corn harvest

Sunday, 28 May 2017

Garden Visit to a Repton Oasis

Saturday May 27, 10am

Three years ago, Shann and her family were lucky enough to make the move from Canberra to the delightful hamlet of Repton. A bushland setting opens out on valley views of farmland and circling Osprey. Terraced paths wend down the slope, through palms and frangipani to a pond and banana grove full of potential.

Shann has inherited an established garden mix of natives and exotics.

Views from Shann's balcony looking south

Chilis grow well at Shann's

Ctenanthe setosa

Alstromeria (Peruvian Lily

Pink Alstomeria makes an attractive groundcover on a slope in Shann's garden.

Camellias at the front entrance.

Crotons add colour to shady areas

Begonia in pot

Foliage and path seen from Shann's balcony

This sweet melon is available in local shops

Rae once again demonstrated how to incorporate fresh fruit into cake.

Georgie's Beetroot salad also has beetroot leaves.

Shann demonstrated how to stylishly use cook potato and capsicum.

Wednesday, 27 January 2016

A walk around David's garden yesterday January 2016

Nell's bananas with enormous bunches are coming good and the birds haven't found them yet - must cover the bunches. Giant lettuce from the Community Gardens and chillis so hot I don't dare to touch them and the curry tree in flower.

Irene and David's palms pushing up through the forest - strange spinach from John's garden looking good and even Aztec corn coming up now - that'll shade the lychee from the scorching sun. And Elizabeth's dahlias are everywhere now.

So many plants, so much food, from so many different people - such a pleasure. Where each plant comes from, I don't always remember, but it's mostly from the seedsavers group so - THANK YOU all.

And I'm sure the Great Mother thanks you too.

by David P.