I approached the garden gingerly this morning. There was a lot I wanted to do and I didn't want to overwhelm myself. Mrs PP was searching the garden for flowers that weren't rain damaged after the previous few days. It would normally be the Albany Agricultural Show weekend and this year, though it had been … Continue reading November Rains & Seed Saving
Today, I had the luxury of getting outside early. Though ten minutes into my day I was already sweating as I carted buckets of sand up the slope to where I am starting the very top swale. It is hard work, but I have a Little Fella with me - more for conversation and entertainment … Continue reading The Wall, The Soil & The Beans
With the nice dry weather of January and a couple of further weeks in the back room to ensure the seed harvest is completely dry, I finally got to sorting out seeds and cleaning them for storage. The bulk of seeds we will use over swales or as green mulch come Autumn. Throughout January I … Continue reading Summer Seed Saving
The stunning image of the Red Mustard leaves in our front garden had waned to one resembling more of an unkept garden. But now the seeding plants have been harvested and hung to dry and the garden is a little more 'normal'. These plants gave us many leaves for salads and for cooked meals. They … Continue reading Red Mustard Seed Harvest
The Basic Rules of Seed Saving 1) Plants of the same species are close genetic relatives and can cross breed or interbreed. It is best to grow either different species of a variety or have them flowering at different times. ie plant them at different times or plant early producing varieties/late producing varieties. Isolation is another … Continue reading Seed Saving Basics
Petit Paradis 