Early Autumn at The Fernmount Food Forest

The days in May (our Autumn) are rapidly growing shorter but there is still plenty of activity in our food forest.

Sea Grape

Green Banana Cakes

Green Banana Cakes
 

Oven baked green banana savoury cake

• Boil and mash sufficient green bananas (or plantains) to replace the meat in a traditional rissole recipe.

• Blend with plain flour (wholemeal, half wholemeal is preferred), an egg if you like, crushed nuts, finely chopped vegetables, seasonings (cumin works well) and herbs of your choice until you have a mix that can be shaped into small rissoles.

• Fry in a frypan using coconut or olive oil or bake in the oven to avoid oils. These little savoury cakes go well to nibble with pumpkin soup or serve with a savoury sauce.

Midsummer in the Fernmount Food Forest

Temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsious have burnt off a few leaves but generally the plants are growing strongly.

Our three year old, perennial capsicum, a capsicum with a bite, provides sufficient chili flavour for our meals.

Perennial Capsicum

The Guardian: Using food forests to prevent floods and hunger

Permaculture in Malawi: using food forests to prevent floods and hunger

   Read original story

"Permaculture projects in Malawi are developing sustainable food systems. It is time the development sector took this ‘marginal hippy movement’ seriously."

"Forests regulate water flow and protect topsoil. Restore the forests and you will go a long way to preventing flooding. Design the forests along holistic permaculture principles and you will achieve much more: water harvesting, fuel wood, high-quality timber, indigenous forest restoration and highly diverse food production. In a country where almost half the children under five are malnourished and chronic hunger is common, any holistic solution must consider food sovereignty."  

Phil Dudman spoke on Pruning and Propagating Fruit Trees at The Fernmount Food Forest

Phil Dudman presented on a large screen TV

Twenty Bellingen Seedsavers had an excellent guest speaker experience when Phil Dudman (writer and presenter from the Organic Garden and ABC Garden Show) visited the Fernmount Food Forest to speak on Fruit Tree Pruning, propagating fruit trees, and much more.

Very early Summer in the Fernmount Food Forest

A wander in the Fernmount Food Forest at present is refreshing. We have had some good falls of rain and the weather is regularly between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Cranberry Hibiscus

 The Cranberry Hibiscus is putting out new growth. In very wet weather a pruning cut will quickly turn rotten. Some complain that this plant seeds wildly, but not here. Only a few seedlings pop up close by and they are welcome. The raw leaves add a lemon taste to salads. This plant can grow to three metres tall in our food forest.

Fruiting and flowering in a late Spring (November) garden on mid north coast NSW

The ten year old purpose built house is designed for comfort, space and to save energy wherever possible. It has 2.5kw of solar power facing north and is fully insulated.

Planting at the front gate in Spring (Furcrea, Pentstemon and Bismarck Palm)

The rooms are spacious with high ceilings. The three bedrooms are roomy. Each room has a garden outlook and privacy. The large master bedroom has an ensuite and walk in robe and opens on to the north facing terrace.

The Music Room provides a nook to escape from the Family Room.

A hot water pump circulates hot water to the taps with the push of a button saving on cold water. An instant hot water tap save energy, no kettles are needed. A filtered water tap is situated alongside.

Although the house is connected to the mains water supply a 25000 litre tank collects rain water for the garden taps, the laundry and toilets.

A worm farm sewerage system deals with all black and grey water and pumps water to a thrid of the orchard.

View from the front entrance

Across the quiet rural road Fernmount Cemetery is rarely used.

Brunsfeldsia near the spa (under sail) on western terrace.

Walking iris and pool garden below spa terrace

The huge hardwood back western facing deck has blinds.

There is space for a plant nursery and worm farm under the excavated corner of the house.

Steps lead up from the main path, past raised vegetable beds (right) to the north facing terrace.

North facing terrace

North facing lawn with main bedroom window

Front entrance with extra large double garage on left

Front entrance with coreopsis in gravel garden

Music room looking to the north terrace and dining room

Family Room looking to the back deck

Spa and back deck

Bedroom 2

Phil Dudman presented on a large screen TV

Twenty Bellingen Seedsavers had an excellent guest speaker experience when  Phil Dudman (writer and presenter from the Organic Garden and ABC Garden Show) visited the Fernmount Food Forest to speak on Fruit Tree Pruning, propagating and much more.

Early Spring in the Fernmount Food Forest

We need to clear under these trees so that the falling Macadamia Nuts are easily visible. I have made a start by clearing the Pepinos also a useful fruit that flourishes here in our wetter months. So far we have no diseases or major pests attacking the trees. Let's hope the Cockatoos don't find them.

 This pink flowering Macadamia looks to produce a great crop. 'There are two varieties of Macadamia, M. tetraphylla with pale pink flowers, and M. integrifolia with cream flowers.'

Choko or Chayote? - An unappreciated vegetable or fruit?

Chokoes or Chayotes (Sechium edule) grow so easily in our subtropical/warm temperate climate and like many plants that grow easily and fruit prolifically we tend to overlook them as valuable sources of food.

A Winter Solstice Stroll in the Fernmount Food Forest

It is always cheering to suddenly finding an unexpected harvest. 

Last week's rain plumped up some Cherry Guavas. I wasn't expecting this harvest for a while.  I allow a few self-seeded bushes to thrive because they tend to fruit at slightly different times, probably depending on location but perhaps because of genetics.

Self seeded White Guava

This White Guava has a slight lemony flavour.