Crop circles

Saturday was  both a productive and fascinating day.  Carol, (church Secretary), came early and we raked up autumn leaves. At first we put them on the bare ground along  the fence-line. We wondered why the ground was so bare as the rains and still-warm soil has sprouted plenty of growth elsewhere. Later found out from Rev Andrew that the soil is basically nuked with poison each year as part of Council or Hunter Water maintenance of an easement.  Future doesn't look good in the short-term for the plants Allan had put in, and explained why the holes he had dug looked like desert craters - dry and dusty. That area will need some serious mulching and building up before any self-respecting soil biota has a go at living in it.

Annie came along later and installed the next crop circle. By afternoon Kerry (with Zebediah) , Carol, Lachlan and Chris had added their muscle and some cow manure, sheet-mulched with cardboard and chucked in the rest of the leaves. Potatoes come next. Zebediah found the smell and sight of cow manure irresistible and the perfect way to cover up the perfume of a recent bath.

Lachlan and Chris have started Tree Frog Permaculture under the N.E.I.S scheme. Over the next twelve months they will get support  to establish a new business of permaculture garden design and construction.  Email  christopher.wallis@gmail.com, phone 0418 484 330, 02 49100123.