I learn by doing
And by observing what is happening around me;
Yesterday I put on my kanga
While out delivering food for a community project
One person gave me the right address
But I was completely thrown
For it’s an abandoned plot in Houghton
And I drove right past it
Drove all the way to Saxonwold
And back again;
Gave up
When even Google maps couldn’t locate it
When I later phoned the technically homeless man
I got more accurate details
And returned yesterday
With the wrong kind of food
Tins without self-opening peels
And food that requires cooking;
He assured me though
That he would be fine with what the community had provided
E-pap would have been better I think
Yet as I drove off
I wondered if he had any farming knowledge
Stopping, I asked him,
And he assured me that he did
Sweet potato vines
With roots developed already
I delivered this morning
Along with micro-greened fenugreek
And coriander bought with roots
From the Chinese market
On a walk yesterday
I came across a man tidying up his front yard;
I stopped and asked if he was keen to plant anything
He sighed and shared that he had lettuce and beetroot seeds
And was planting them in his backyard
Anxiety about future food security I detected in him
The winter has been mild
Making it easy to continue planting
So, he too was given sweet potato vines
To get started
Although the tubers will only be ready next year
The vines can be used throughout as a spinach substitute
All this I must write down and print
And hand out with each plant
Even though it’s not the most scientifically accurate thing to do
For if the soil is poor
They won’t have much luck with the nutritious soil suckers
Which is what will grow now:
All the brassicas…
Fortunately, I found a really good video
On how to start an instant garden
Using the no dig method
Yet how do I share this
With people who,
Although they have mobile phones,
Use data for emergencies only?
If data they own…
The research library at Orange Grove
Would be an ideal place
Yet when I went there just before lockdown
I was informed that the free wi-fi had been discontinued
What is the use of technology
If the data is too expensive
for people to access knowledge?
Nonetheless,
Once the library is open
I can begin to seek permaculture books for donation
And who knows
Perhaps we can book a weekly session
For people to watch instructive videos
And then apply what they have learnt
In July we can plant potatoes
Peas
Radishes
And possibly other veggies if the winter remains mild
And fruit trees
The tubers came into my awareness
During Pesach
For I was full of judgements directed at the Ashkenazim
Who rule out the use of kitniyot:
Pulses and grains other than wheat
Which the Sephardim allow
Yet in that week
As I cooked rice and yellow lentils
I became aware that neither of these grow here –
From India my stocks are imported…
And the potatoes
And sweet potatoes looked at me
As I realised that on my small urban space
I can grow both of these
Perhaps even enough to meet my own need of starches
And then there are air potatoes
For those would be fabulous
As food as well as feature plant;
The one I was given
Failed to thrive
For I didn’t realise that the seed air potato
must be planted in soil…
Lentils I can grow
Chickpeas too
And beans to dry as well
Yet there is a little concern here;
Countries are holding onto their seeds
No longer exporting their surpluses
Which means that the next two years are seed-saving years
Seed banks we must grow
And share
So that the biodiversity of vegetables doesn’t die out
I have focused on herbs
Have saved my garlic chive seeds
As well as the coriander
And the basil is almost ready to be packaged
I have looked at some garden hacks which I might try;
These involve slicing ripe fruiting vegetables
And adding them to soil
An easy way to food grow
While leaving some to go to seed
For the next sowing season
I also planted a chou-chou
In a large pot
With two old eggs added to the bottom of it
As fertilizer
And it is doing well
Beginning to tumble over the wall
Where it will meet sweet potato vines growing upwards
From rough soil in a discarded mielie meal bag
The cat that loves my vegetable beds
Has made a come back
Destroyed most of the fenugreek seedlings I planted out
As well as the couve tronchuda
Which was meant for Caldo Verde
Portuguese potato soup;
These weren’t doing too well already
For I had planted it into kraal manure
I thought it was ready for use
But clearly it was not;
I have a few more seedlings
Which I will plant out in two weeks from now
For the moon is new
And seeds I am to sow
I bought a packet of mixed greens from Livingseeds
Which has produced a healthy variety of kales
And Asian greens
I started to thin them out
By testing something new;
New to me
Not to other permaculturalists:
I invested in a few bags
Of the best organic potting soil brand I know;
I cut holes on one side for drainage
And turning it over I cut holes large enough
To place six tatsoi seedlings
Usually I cut out the plastic so that the soil is exposed
The plastic,
(Yes, plastic believe it or not;
I have made peace with potting soil in plastic bags)
Acting as a possible frost protection
And even protection against cats it seems
For they love the soil
And the pebbles in the wetland water garden
as dignified toilets;
Now that is nice to know
Useful anti-cat rummaging devises these bags are –
Until such time as I have properly designed
The front garden
Although it makes no aesthetic sense to me
For I grew up with the idea
That food is grown at the back of the home
Where no one can see it
Or to be more technically correct
Where it is closest to the kitchen:
Zone 1 in permaculture
Making reaching it more energy efficient
The front garden belongs to plants that add beauty
Such as shade trees
Shrubs
Flowers
Colour
Texture
Scent
At least, this is what I observed from my mother.
Yet it doesn’t seem that this will be my scheme
For the veggies love sunlight
And the front is where it is brightest;
As I share
I learn
Which is a wonderful form of energy exchange
Between neighbours.
(©Archaela 5780 Sivan 02)