Here in the sunny Horowhenua we seem to have gone from spring to autumn. The days are warm, almost hot sometimes and the nights and mornings cool enough for socks. Lovely to work in I have to say, but it’s created the perfect environment for fungi to come play in my orchard and is not at all perfect for heat lovers like peppers, pumpkins and aubergines who are fair to middling at best. I started planting broccoli, cabbage, spinach and carrots last month in case the hot weather never comes, and while I dream of being hot and dry, the truth is that brings its fair share of challenges too.
Flexibility is the name of the game, my friends. So too taking little steps to bring our gardens closer to nature – she really does know best. Whether the weather is too cold or too hot or too wet or too dry, the answer is the same – diversity will save us all. A diverse jumble of trees + plants survives when exposed rows of one crop do not. A variety of varieties and little and often plantings ensures something survives for dinner. Heritage varieties and our own saved seeds are resilient in so many ways. Trees, trees + more trees, grass left long, soil kept covered and a bounty of life everywhere you look… natures way is our gardening future.
I hope your summer garden is humming along nicely.
Yours in the earth,
❤️ Kath
