No-work malanga roots

Malanga is a tasty little root from the tropics. The plants are a close relative of the ornamental elephant ears grown in landscaping and they look much the same, though a little smaller.

The central roots and the side roots are edible - just toss a good bulb back in the ground when you harvest and you'll have more the next year.

Malanga is a bunching perennial that is easy to grow and divide. They enjoy a lot of water and can even grow right in a ponds without rotting. My best-looking malanga plants are growing in The Greywater Oasis by my back patio. That's where the roots above came from.

A couple of days later I boiled these, then stir-fried them with rice, eggs, fresh greens, kidney beans and some curry.

Excellent!

To grow your own malanga, go hit your local ethnic market and buy some good-looking roots, then plant them. That's how I did mine and I've now had them growing for years.

The ones above were simply stuck in the ground beneath the banana trees as seen here:

Anyone else growing malanga?


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The Paper Mulberries are Fruiting

Those strange orange pom-poms are the fruit of a paper mulberry tree, also known as Broussonetia papyrifera or "HOLY MOLY!!! HOW DO I GET RID OF THIS THING IT'S EVERYWHERE!!!???"

Yes, the paper mulberry is an invasive species which tends to form large colonies of trees due to its tendency to sucker everywhere.

It's a useful tree in some ways. My friend Michael Adler, formerly of The Edible Plant Project, once taught a class on making rope from paper mulberry bark. The fibers are quite tenacious and make great cordage. I also like this tree for the sheer amount of rapid biomass it creates, though using it as a "chop-n-drop" tree for mulch isn't all that easy since the fibers in the wood dull cutting tools and chainsaws.

Fortunately, despite its drawbacks, you can eat the fruit. Some taste better than others. I've had watery ones in the shade and quite delicious ones in the sun. Good ones are really good, with a sweet, almost mild honey-like flavor. The center of the fruit contains a pithy core and they're almost impossible to store for any period of time. Picking them right off the tree is the best.

The photo above is just one tree out of a big stretch of paper mulberry trees I spotted beside the highway on Friday and photographed just for you, dear reader.

Go try some fruit - they're tasty but they won't last long.

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A Sunday Scripture

Isaiah 59:

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness.

No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.

Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.

Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.

The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths;

they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.

Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us;

we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.

We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.

For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:

transgressing, and denying the Lord, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words. 

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.

Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.

He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment.

So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives.

And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.

“And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Saturday and Sunday Posts? Let Me Know! Plus, Seminole Pumpkins Celebrated!

I've had a few people tell me they go through withdrawal on the weekends when I don't post anything.

Would you like posts on Saturday and Sunday?

I've posted on every weekday for almost three years... it wouldn't be a big deal to throw in two more posts a week. I love what I do and I love working on this blog... if you all want more, I can give you more.

Lynn Dufour's Seminole pumpkins

ALSO: If you're growing Seminole Pumpkins or have grown them and have photos, I've started a page showing the wide range of genetic variation of this classic Florida squash:

http://www.floridasurvivalgardening.com/p/the-seminole-pumpkin-project.html

Please send me your photos and any notes you have on where you got your seeds, how large they are and anything dealing with their vigor, etc.

I am creating the only online photo gallery of Seminole Pumpkin varieties for the sake of researchers and gardeners interested in growing this uniquely Floridian breed.

My e-mail address: davi d ( a t) florida food forest s .com

Take out the spaces, add an "@" and send me some pics!

And... don't forget... let me know if you want me to expand this blog to 7 days a week.


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A beautiful pond apple

When I was a kid growing up in South Florida I had no idea how blessed I was to be in the tropics.

I knew a few edible plants (I started gardening when I was six) but they were generally common things like coconuts, apples, spinach, radishes, beans, etc. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized there were a lot of delicious (and sometimes less delicious) wild edibles... and by that time I had moved out of the tropical paradise that birthed my gardening career.

The fruit above is a pond apple. Now that I'm much more sophisticated in my plant-spotting skills, I regularly see edible plants in the woods and on the roadsides that once would have passed me by unnoticed.

I admit: I haven't eaten a pond apple yet since the ones I spotted along a canal (and picked the fruit above from) were not quite ready. Some reports say they're good; others say they're not.

They can't grow up here in North/Central Florida, unfortunately, so I'm going to have to try and catch the season right with my next trip so I can try some. They are ALL OVER the place down south in wet places.

Pond apples are a cousin of the very tasty soursop fruit, among other edible relatives. The trees are short and attractive but will not grow in dry areas. If your backyard is a tropical swamp, this plant is for you.

One of these days I'll get to eat one. One of these goldurn pond-appley Florida days.

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The Great South Florida Food Forest Project: June 2015 Video Update!

I was just down in Ft. Lauderdale and filmed another update on The Great South Florida Food Forest Project:




It's coming along, though the dry weather has given some of the plants a beating. Later this year after the rains kick in things are going to look a lot better.

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Germinating peach pits - again!

Remember my cartoon on germinating peach pits?

I just finished sprouting another round. This time I stuffed about 60 pits into a bag without shelling any but a few.

Only about 8 germinated, as opposed to the 75%+ germination rate I got when they were shelled. It definitely makes a difference in success if you remove the kernels.

Here are some of the sprouts:

They grew like that in the fridge! Amazing, isn't it?

These were planted directly into the food forest after this photo. I should be getting peaches off the trees within 2-3 years.

Germinating peach pits is EASY! Give it a try - you'll be amazed.

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Tropical Almond Fruits (Nuts?)

Mom sent me this photo last week from The Great South Florida Food Forest Project:

That tropical almond tree isn't all that old! I grew it from a drift seed I found on John U. Lloyd beach down in Hollywood, Florida.

When we planted this tree it only had two true leaves:

The fruit of tropical almond is marginally edible but the kernels inside the corky husk are delicious.

Tropical almond trees are also quite attractive with an interesting pagoda-shaped growth pattern. Here's a picture from earlier this year before the tree fruited:

Interestingly, I planted a couple of fistfuls of seeds and this one was the only tree that germinated.

I'm very glad it did - it's truly a lovely tree... and soon we'll be eating from it.

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Big sweet cultivated plums harvested off a Chickasaw plum graft

I have been remiss in my garden reporting duties.

A couple of weeks ago I took a picture and it's only just now that I'm posting it.

Check out these plums:

Those were harvested off the improved plum branch I grafted onto my wild Chickasaw plum tree last February.

We got about a dozen fruits off that branch and they were delicious. Chickasaw plum is a really scrappy tree that can handle nematodes, drought, poor soil and lots of abuse... unlike most cultivated fruit trees. Taking advantage of its excellent root system by tacking on better fruit makes a lot of sense. You just need to support the resulting branches or else they'll outgrow the rootstock and pull the tree down to the ground.

In case you missed it, here's a video I recorded recently on this Chickasaw grafting project. You can also see the nectarine and peach scions I grafted onto the wild plum this year:


Success!!!

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A backyard transformation

Hey... I seem to have inspired another madman.

Check this e-mail out:

"Ok, you (and a few others), inspired me. So I've spent the last few months working on this. I took one end of my backyard and transformed it. 

I started by cutting the grass as low as possible. Then added a layer of cardboard topped with free mulch from the county hard water collection. Then free logs to create several beds surrounded by free stepping stones. 

Beds are filled with mushroom compost, peat moss, and some other various compost/manures. 

I have less than $100 invested in this so far. 

I've already stuck in seeds for Buttercup Squash, peppers, and Mexican Sunflowers. Have to cut a few more stones but it's pretty much set. 

Still more to come. Attached a few before and after pictures for your viewing pleasure. -S"

Here's his "before" picture:

And here's the "after" picture:

This is going to be an absolutely lovely garden. I can't think of a better use for the end of backyard.

If you're clever, it really takes very little work to transform a backyard lawn into a backyard garden.

If you've not had gardening success before, I recommend starting with a few dead-simple crops: mulberries, yard-long beans, chaya, loquats, sweet potatoes, Seminole pumpkin (make sure you have LOTS of space), bush beans, kale and mustard. Throw in a few hot peppers for variety and maybe a Japanese persimmon and you're going to have success. Most of those will do well even if you're a total amateur.

Just be sure to feed the soil first... and then the soil will feed you.

Good work, fellow gardener. I love it.

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326 Market today

I'll be at the 326 Community Market from 3-7 today... come on down!


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Laurel Wilt: Killing Bay Trees, Avocados and More: Fight back!

Most of the bay trees in my neighborhood have been wiped out by Laurel Wilt disease over the last few years.

Here's one in the middle of succumbing:

And here's one that's bit the dust:

I've also seen multiple avocado trees knocked out by this blight. It isn't cool.

Growing avocados used to be easy provided it didn't get too cold. No longer.

In the last few years we've picked up major problems with citrus (greening), avocados (laurel wilt) and ended up with a nasty and voracious fruit-tree eating beetle (Sri Lankan Weevil) as well.

I would love to cast blame somewhere, but the only thing I can really blame is international trade rather than local production.

And honestly, I don't want to go without Colombian coffee, so I can't cast blame as I'd like...

Anyhow, avocados are no longer a good choice for your yard. They tend to hit hit by beetles as they near maturity and really get into bearing age, say around 6 years or so. Younger trees are generally less affected.

No matter how hard we work at our gardening, there's always something new right around the corner that wants to destroy what we build. Just another proof that this world isn't paradise.

My two cents on fighting back:

Plant extra trees in case something happens to one or two of them. Plant a wide variety of crops. Don't do monocultures. Start trees from seed and plant them everywhere. Keep an eye on everything. And don't count on any one thing as a sure thing.

Going for a permaculture approach makes a lot of sense. If you're looking for a place to start, I highly recommend Toby Hemenway's book Gaia's Garden. Buy a copy and prepare to be inspired.

Good luck keeping things alive. Savor that guacamole when you can get it.

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At the Gainesville Market This Afternoon!

I've finally gotten my van back from the shop. Boom!

This afternoon I'll be bringing little moringa trees, figs, perennial vegetables, fruit trees and more to the Union Street Farmer's Market - stop on by and see me.

It's a fun market with lots of vendors.


(Also - if you're on Facebook, look me up and become my virtual friend.)


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The Anarchist's Pumpkin Patch: Breeding a Better Tropical Pumpkin

The more I look at my "Seminole" pumpkins, the more I wonder what genes may have made their way into the line before I got them.

They have the incredible vigor and rich flavor of Seminole pumpkins... but they're paler and are about five times the size of the little Seminole pumpkins I've seen being traded around by plant geeks.

My friend Mart Hale is growing Seminole pumpkins that look a lot like mine (except they have spots)... but he's the only other person I've seen with large fruits on his vines.

As I've written before, I'm attempting to breed a large tropical pumpkin with the fine flavor and vigor of a Seminole pumpkin but the size of a huge calabaza from the tropics.

To start off, I've been collecting C. moschata pumpkin/squash varieties and planting them all together in a big mess.

You can see more of that mess in this video I recorded yesterday:




After they've all interbred this year, I'm going to plant their seeds next year and also add any more large tropical pumpkins and Seminole pumpkin lines I can find.

If you have any great heirloom or even unknown varieties - please share seeds!

Upper Ground Sweet Potato pumpkin, Long Island Cheese, crazy Farm Stand varieties... I want them for spring of 2016 for the next round of additions to the genetic pool.

Meanwhile, my original pumpkin variety is currently being preserved by my skilled gardening friend Curtiss. I really don't want to lose the great variety I started with, hence the backup... but I can't help but wonder if I could make it even more incredible.

Next year I'll do some more controlled crosses rather than letting random pollination take place.

I'm re-reading this excellent book right now and it's giving me plenty of inspiration.

In the future I will be happy to give seeds of Dave's Giant Mutant Tropical Squash back to anyone that would like some. It'll be a few years but we're going to get there.
By the way, if you buy Carol Deppe's book through one of my links, I make a buck or so.

Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties is a must-have for anyone interested in creating their own heirlooms.
Breeding and maintaining your own varieties is a great way to make sure you get consistent yields without having to count on far-away seed companies.

I'm doing it with squash now... and if I get more experimental space, I'm totally jumping into corn as well.

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Anyone know what this is?

I found this growing tucked into my daughter's perennial bed among the mint:

I apologize for the blurry photos - it was getting dark and I was afraid we'd lose the bloom if I waited to shoot.


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You MURDERERS!

Last fall I posted this picture of a beautiful Japanese persimmon tree:

I made a few remarks on what a lovely tree it was and how good it was to see people growing fruit...

...and then, recently, on the drive up to church, I noticed...

It's gone.

Somebody cut it down.

What kind of a monster cuts down a productive fruit tree?

Did they not realize that those fruits were worth at least $2 EACH at the farmer's market?

Here's my bet: I'll bet someone ate the fruit when they weren't fully ripe, then chopped the tree down because they didn't like the astringency.

"Sheeeooot, that thing tastes NASSSY! Ima go get the chain saw!"

I am appalled.

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Trade Your Lawn

I confess: I am probably a bad neighbor.

No, we don’t blare dubstep or dancehall or ghettoslam (or whatever the current sonic terror may be) at 200 decibels…

And we don’t burn piles of tires and carpeting in the front yard…

And, most certainly, we’re not dumping diesel into the local creek…

However, we have – oh, the horror! – utterly given up on maintaining the front lawn on our semi-rural piece of the South; instead, it’s been replaced with a nascent food-generation machine.

Out with the lawnmower – in with a food forest.

The idea of a “food forest” or an edible “forest garden” is as old as Eden, but only in recent years has it started to make a comeback as a food-production strategy.

The concept is simple: instead of a patch of annual vegetables that needs constant weeding and attention, you plant a perennial forest of long-term edibles that can take care of itself for a long period of time with little or no intervention.

Take a look at a natural forest. It’s not planted in rows, it doesn’t have patches of naked soil and it doesn’t need constant watering and fertilization. Instead, a forest is a living patchwork of species ranging from wildflowers and fungi to towering trees and soaring vines, all hosting a wide range of animal and insect life.

If a tree falls it’s recycled into the system. If rain is delayed, the trees still thrive by pumping water from beneath the soil via their deep and ever-searching roots. If a cold snap ruins your spring watermelons the forest shrugs it off thanks to layers of leaves and a canopy that holds in warmth like a frost blanket. If one species succumbs to an imported blight, another will take its place.

A forest, as Nassim Taleb might put it, is antifragile.

Front lawns are a classic example of boom-era resource mismanagement. Maintaining a patch of grass requires labor and resources while returning nothing. They are a time-eating green blanket woven from the dubious threads of conspicuous consumption, suited to a time when cars were big and women were slim, when ambitions were limitless and silver sky-searing rockets graced placemats at diners.

In a wheezing and syphilitic economy, attempting to hold up the aesthetic frivolities of a happier time makes about as much sense as welding gleaming tailfins onto your aging Honda Civic.

Don’t get me wrong: I do like the look of a lush green lawn… I just don’t like having to pay for it and maintain it. I also like a friendly edible forest much, much more...

(CLICK HERE to read the rest over at LewRockwell.com.

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Beautiful winter squash/Kobocha pumpkins

My friend Asim at Swallowtail Farm hooked me up with a pair of lovely winter squash last week.

According to Asim, these are "kobocha" pumpkins, which are a type of Cucurbita maxima.

In case you don't know your squash varieties in Latin, there are 4 main edible species of squash that have been developed into a baffling array of cultivars. They are C. maxima, C. mixta (also known as C. argyrosperma), C. moschata and C. pepo.

The best varieties for the heat and humidity of the south are C. moschata types. Those include a lot of tropical pumpkins, butternut squash and Seminole pumpkins.

These kobocha pumpkins had a mild, nutty flavor that wasn't as rich as my Seminole pumpkins. I saved the seeds and will be growing some next year, however, since they won't cross with my other types and because they look cool.

My tropical pumpkin/squash breeding experiment is all comprised of C. moschata types, which means I can grow C. pepo or C. maximas in the same beds without worrying about undesirable cross-pollination.

Let's take a second look at these cool kobochas:

I don't know what it is, but I really, really like growing squashes. I think it's because of their incredible beauty.

If you want to grow winter squash in Florida or the southeast, the easiest types to start with are Seminole pumpkins, cheese types, or any variety of butternuts.

Also, if you're interested in squash as a survival crop, you should REALLY pick up a copy of Carol Deppe's book The Resilient Gardener. 

And if you really want to go down the squash rabbit hole, check out this video:



I watched it twice.

Yes, I am nuts.

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Healed Apple Grafts

I just put together a little video of the healed apple grafts from this February's grafting. They've grown like crazy and the way they've joined together is simply incredible - check it out:



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No 326 Market Today!

My van is still dead. Hopefully I shall see you all next week!


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NO MARKET

My poor van has died on me again so I will not be at the Union Street Farmer's Market this evening - come and see me next week instead. I should be back up and running by then.

Ah, the perils of being a one-vehicle household...



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Mystery squash!

A man visited me at the 326 Community Market a couple of weeks ago and told me he and his wife had a weird squash appear in their garden (likely from the compost they'd made and spread around).

He described it but I wasn't able to ID the interloper, so the next week after it had ripened, the gentleman and his wife brought it in to show me.

Here's the mysterious stranger:

It's probably about a 6lb fruit. From looking at it, I'm reasonably certain it's a Hubbard type.

Here are a few more photos:

Nice little squash. I told them to wait a couple of weeks, then cook it and see how it tastes. Winter squash need some time to sweeten up.

Hubbards are not well suited to Florida, unfortunately, or I'd be growing them. They're really a good squash for New England... not here. The couple told me that their vine made this one "big" squash and had another one that was about half as big still ripening up on the vine. I'm guessing they won't get much more than that because of our summer heat and humidity.

Still - not bad for a free compost-pile squash.

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A free beekeeping lesson

Yesterday Allen the Beekeeper invited my friend Donna and I to his place to help do a hive check and learn about bees.

We also installed a new hive at my place, which is quite exciting.

Those are in the backyard now - I'm looking forward to higher yields on my squash and other bee-pollinated vegetables.

While I was with Allen he let me do some recording, so here's a free beekeeping lesson from one of the most knowledgeable folks I know:


He covers how to check if a queen is laying, what to do with hive beetles, shows how he joined a feral colony into a brood box and more. Really cool stuff and fascinating if you love bees and want to keep some honey bees in your backyard.

Thanks, Allen.

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Growing Chinese Yams/Yamberries/Dioscorea batatas in Florida

Behold, the Chinese yam!

I know, not a very good shot. These things are tall, though, so I choose to blame their verticality for the poor framing rather than my tepid photography skills.

Also known as Dioscorea batatas, the Chinese yam is usually grown for its edible root; however, they also grow small edible bulbils that are reportedly tasty.

I say "reportedly" because I haven't eaten any yet. Last year was their first year on my homestead so I saved the few tiny bulbils they produced to use for planting purposes.

As for where the report on this plant's usefulness and edibility originally comes from, I give credit to Eric Toensmeier.

His book Paradise Lot is a must-read for those interested in transforming small yards and marginal spaces into permaculture Edens. It's also just a fun book with a lot more personal storytelling than most gardening works.

(Note: I previously reviewed Paradise Lot here.)

As for Chinese yams, this year they're growing a LOT faster than they did last year, thanks to their larger root mass. Here's what the leaves look like close-up:

With a proper trellis these would be a lovely and long-lived addition to a garden. They'd likely also do well climbing trees in a food forest.

I look forward to seeing the yield of this fall's bulbil production.

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Carrot harvest 2015

Every year we grow a few carrots for the children, mostly because they love harvesting and eating them.

Our carrots never look all that great for some reason but I grow them anyhow.

Yeah, those are ugly. But they're organic!

I tried Herrick Kimball's 4-day Carrots in another bed and had an almost complete germination failure. I just don't have the touch. This bed was planted conventionally but it was in a sunnier area with better drainage.

These tasted great despite their ugly demeanor.

Maybe I'll do better this fall. I probably need to do more research on growing carrots in Florida.

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IT IS HERE! Compost Everything now in paperback form!

Check it out:

Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Extreme Composting

Finally, we have a paper version!

If you don't like it, compost it!


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This week at the 326 Community Market

I'm not even going to list all the cool stuff I'll have with me today.

Just show up - it'll be fun.

The 326 Community Market runs every Thursday from 3 - 7PM and is really easy to find.

Google map is here. Their Facebook page is here (with lots more photos and info):

My prices are good and my gardening advice is free.


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Another plant that looks like marijuana

Here's another plant that looks like marijuana:

Someone call the DEA - that neighbor is growing marijuana!

I got this plant from some friends with a nursery just north of me.

They called it "false arrest" plant.

It's not at all related to marijuana, of course. It's actually a hibiscus, as you can tell when it decides to bloom:

Holy moly! A marijuana plant with a big pink bloom!

It's crazy how many people just have to make remarks when a plant looks like pot. It's been burned into us to be scared of marijuana and scared of the government.

Though I admit, if a drone ever started circling over my house and looking at this pot lookalike, I'd be grabbing my plant ID books to show the officers when they showed up.

Interestingly, last year's post on plants that look like marijuana is one of my most hit-on articles. Crazy.

Like I've said before, I've never grown pot or even tried it; yet just by being a plant geek with a large collection of interesting plants - some of which look like cannabis - I'm already a bit suspect.

Oh well - it's a crazy world we live in. For now I'll just enjoy my incriminating hibiscus.

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Seminole Pumpkins Compared

I'm fascinated with the genetic variation in what I've seen advertised as "Seminole Pumpkins." The one on the left above was given to me by Alex Ojeda; the one on the left is the type I've been growing for a few years from seeds of an unknown pedigree (I think they may have been from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange).

The size is a big selling point for me: I don't like dealing with a lot of little fruit when I can grow a lot of big fruit instead. That said, I would have to grow both varieties side by side in order to see if they have differences in their vigor and productivity.

There are also supposed to be green types - and my friend Mart Hale has a spotted variety with large fruit.

I'm planting a ton of different strains together, mixed with long-neck calabazas and other C. moschata pumpkins from the tropics. We're going to just forgo all the silliness of guessing breeding and breed a HUGE SCARY FLORIDA APOCALYPSE PUMPKIN!!!

Until then, here's a little video I just created comparing these two types of Seminole pumpkins:


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I will be at the Gainesville Union Street Farmer's Market this evening!

I'll be bringing little moringa trees, figs, Jamaican sorrel plants, perennial vegetables, fruit trees and more to the Union Street Farmer's Market this afternoon - stop on by and see me.

It's a fun market with lots of vendors.

Last week a gal stopped by wearing almost nothing above her waist... and I think I met a drug dealer.

I mean, Gainesville! GAINESVILLE!


I also grabbed some really cool plants from another vendor. (I know - I should be selling, not buying.)


The market has been very slow for me so I'm seriously considering dropping out - we'll see how the next couple of weeks go.


(Also - if you're on Facebook, look me up and become my virtual friend.)

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Video of today's garden interview on WOCA

I think my handlebar mustache nicely accentuates my double chin, don't you?

Larry and I had a lot of fun on the show today. We talk about growing nuts in Florida, lawn problems, wild plant foraging, testosterone-boosting beans and more.

I also drew weird doodles and held them up to the camera during the breaks. Rather hard to see, sadly.

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When Life Gives You Scrubland, Plant an Amazing Permaculture Garden! (Pt. II)

(For part one, click here.)

That's what a permaculture garden should look like.

Of course, I say that as somebody with terminally rectangular beds in my backyard...

Do as I say, not as I do. Heh.

Beans are growing along the trellises Sam built in his permaculture garden, both traditional pole beans:

And velvet beans:

Another thing you'll see in this garden is the use of plant "guilds;" for example, here's a classic apple/comfrey guild:

In the mix as well is some thriving yarrow. Tucked in nearby are a few healthy summer squash vines:

And a psychopathic gnome:

Also nearby are some arrowroot plants, just emerging from their winter slumber:

If you don't have arrowroot, come see me at the 326 Community Market; or, if you're further away, you can pick some up online in the winter from Grower Jim.

Look, anyone can grow a garden. When you prep the soil properly and apply water regularly, plants will grow. It may take a while to figure out what is going to thrive, so do like Sam did: plant a bunch of different things and tweak as you go. This garden is just a testing ground for him before he opens up some larger acreage for a food forest.

His permaculture testing ground looks a lot better than most people's regular gardens.

And, of course, if you're interested in diving into permaculture gardening in Florida, pick up a copy of my book Create Your Own Florida Food Forest on Amazon for $2.99 or buy the paperback at Lulu.com for just $4.99.

And if your soil is bad and you need to kickstart it without killing yourself or going broke, pick up a copy of Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Composting.

Whatever you do, don't give up... even if you're in the scrub. Sam's garden proves the power of permaculture!

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