November Harvest

Vegetables from the garden, picked Nov. 12, 2008.
Clockwise from top left - Collards, Chard, Mizuna, Butternut squash, summer squash, baby red chard, trombetta summer squash, tomatoes, daikon radish.

Oh, a pumpkin pie sits to the right - made with butternut squash - and it was delicious!

Berm & Basin (swale progress)

Swale expansion went well. Many hours of digging, shaping and planting have produced a basin and berm next to the road. The first few rains happened after the first digging/planting stage of the project and the water came in, filled the basin, then infiltrated the soil. It worked. Now with the larger area ready to accept water, it should be ready for our heaviest downpours. The pineapple guavas look very pretty out there, as do the lavender plants. The fava beans from the first digging/planting stage are up a few inches. I planted more fava beans in the newly-completed area and Daikon, salvia verbenacaea, and others. I am lacking in much mulch materials but I did bring some mulberry leaves and pine needles from the back yard to start that. I'll continue gathering materials to have the area better mulched before the rains really get going.

Cotton Plant

A cotton boll before it bursts open with the lint.
The cotton lint from my plants has a natural green color. In Permaculture we hope to provide for as many of our needs as possible, fiber being one of them. Cotton is a thirsty plant, which requires rich soil and sunshine in a long growing season.