Midsummer in a Bellingen seedsaver's garden.

Even in the hottest of midsummer with heatwaves pounding Australia we have produce available and an exciting garden to explore.

Perennial Capsicum with a bite

Perennial Capsicum seem to grow more of a bite and end up like mild chilis as they age.

Baby custard apple alongside chili

This Amarillo Chili has grown up supported by the branches of the Custard Apple.

Amarillo Chili

Our first really ripe Chili of the season

Mexican Weeping Bamboo

This clumping bamboo screens and weeps. It is easy to manage.

Baby Golden Hornet Crabapples

Golden Hornet is a universal apple tree pollinator. The fruit is small.

Path to explore at the pond

Even tiny mango trees can produce.

We grew this small tree from seed. It may turn out to be dwarf. This a five year old tree.

The Amla has suddenly shot up.

Perhaps we will have fruit this season.

Curious chooks

Not all eggs.

Grey Mugwort makes a great nest liner and discourages mites.

Tamarillos

Tamarillos are our most productive fruit. Use as a tomato or a desert fruit.

Green Sapote

Although this Green Sapote is yet to fruit it still contributes a fabulous tropical evocative shape to our garden.

Golden Lyre Grevillia

This Grevillia is loved by all of our local birds.

Baby Acerola cherries

The fruit is scarce but delicious.

Permaculture ideas: Visit to Nick's garden in October

Nick has two gardens to show us, his first garden in Repton and his new garden in Repton. The first was on lower land and more humid and the second was on a hill and drier. We visited in October but what should have been early Spring was more like early Summer. Climate change is taking effect relentlessly.

Here is a link to Nick's site with descriptions of the plants he grows.

A Guide to Crops for the Bellinger Valley and their ... - ecoliving design

Nick says:

"The first garden is 20 years old with permaculture planning on a flat, alluvial site. It includes an owner built passive solar house, vegies, fruit trees, clumping bamboo and rainforest restoration. The other garden is 6 years old, on a hilltop close by but very different – more windy, drier and with poorer soil. Climate change is making things tougher still, so I’ve learnt a lot about water conservation and regenerative gardening."

Nick's first vegetable garden is in Zone 1. The drums contain compost tea.

Nick's first vegetable garden is in Zone 1

Nick grows many perennial vegetables.

Nick's bamboo grove has building and eating bamboos.

Nick has a cotton plant now a 2m woody shrub.

These flowers on one of Nick's mangoes belong to an Asian variety

Nick's mulberry is heavy with fruit.

Nick in front of his garden

As usual Seedsavers enjoyed an early afternoon tea

Asparagus seedling

A pond for edibles is sited near Nick's roof.

A native Hop Bush in the front garden.

Nick demonstrates his levelling device for creating swales.

Nick has new Lotus Plant that will need a larger pond.

Growing seedlings in a warm spot.

A pile of tree lopping mulch used around vegetables.

Is this Celtuce?

A raised garden uses water run off from the first catch water filter.

The shadehouse

Swales make the steep block usable.

Another raised garden near the house in Zone 1.

Raised bed with annual and perennial vegetables

Warrigal Greens

This is a homemade first run off filter.

Papayas

Papayas are usually called Paw Paws in Australia and are not to be confused with North American Paw Paws which are a different genus.

Member Jeff has added some more pics for you.

River forest adjacent to Nick's first garden

Native Staghorns adorn the trees.

 Platycerium is a genus of about 18 fern species in the polypod family, Polypodiaceae. Ferns in this genus are widely known as staghorn or elkhorn ferns due to their uniquely shaped fronds. Wikipedia

So we made a rhubarb slice!

Rhubarb is growing strongly in our gardens because of the extra rain and warmth. Rhubarb will require shading in Summer.

Afternoon tea. The closest table holds our sign on register and name labels.

Entering Nicks Bamboo grove.

Dragonfruit (Pitaya) and Pineapples

PINEAPPLE, MANGO & COCONUT BANANA BREAD

PINEAPPLE, MANGO &

COCONUT BANANA BREAD

Adapted from Coles Magazine by Rae

Prep 20 mins I Cook 1-1 ¼ hr I Makes 1 Loaf

1 ½ cups (225g) self-raising flour

1 cup (220g) brown sugar

½ cup (40g) shredded coconut

450g can crushed pineapple

½ cup (125ml) buttermilk

150g melted butter

2 large eggs

2 large (or 3 medium) ripe bananas, mashed

400g finely chopped frozen mango

Method

·   Preheat oven to 180°C

·   Mix flour, brown sugar and coconut in a bowl

·   Drain pineapple in a sieve, pressing out liquid

·   Whisk buttermilk, melted butter, eggs and mashed banana in a bowl

·   Add to flour mixture

·   Stir to combine

·   Pour mix into a greased and lined 10cm x 22cm loaf pan

·   Smooth the surface

·   Bake at 180°C for 1-1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean

·   Cool in the pan for 5 mins, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely

Growing on December 26 in the southern hemisphere, a warm temperate/subtropical garden

Banana Passionfruit

Pumpkins, Carambola, Pecan Trees

Yellow flowered edible hibiscus with red hybrid canna

Choko on Carambola tree

Salvias at front of pic

Pineapples at front, beans on teepee, garlic in pots

Panama Berry

Protecting the mangoes from the flying foxes.

Salvia with yam growing through the bush.

Tamarillo

New vine spikes on yam