April has passed, the hottest, driest on record. The grass is turning brown and the vegetables need constant watering. Worms are scarse for the poor Blackbird on her second brood. The chickens eat the currants first.
We are grateful for our 5000 litre water tank, installed 5 years back. This collects much needed rainwater from the roof. The bees are drinking constantly from the birdbath. I always keep this full.
Our large wych elm is shedding millions of seeds each day, making us marvel at natures ability to reproduce.
Needing to learn much about Permaculture, I've been engrossed in Patrick Crawfords wonderful book on Creating a Forest garden.
Daily we have been experimenting with unexplored food on our doorstep. I never knew that young sedum leaves were edible or that the buds of day lillies were delicious. That young solomans seal shoots cut at 8-12 inches(discarding top leaf clustre) have a wonderful sweet flavour, when cooked. I never knew that hosta shoots were edible....If the slugs don't get there first. I've been learning about natural dyes, plants for soap and fine twine from vinca. There is such a lot to learn and so much we have all forgotten or taken for granted in our easy, food accessible, consumer ridden lives. This is all so exciting and fills me with hope for the future.
- Updated: 14 May 2011
The Good Lord is not to blame For the rain and the wet If we care about the bear And the loss of the bees The floods and hurricanes The death of trees We would wake up and know That...