Just as I was thinking of writing a social critique on my lovely Belgium and its insane economic measures, someone posted this on Facebook. So I gladly quote.

When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed.

--

Ayn Rand (1905-1982) Author Source: Atlas Shrugged, Francisco's "Money Speech"

Cold Cold weather

It remains cold in the country of chocolate.
Cleaning house, cooking, rediscovering my favourite food.

Hoping to be back to Chiang Mai soon, this is no longer my country.

Wouter

Sugar

A simple sugar palm plantation that I am bound to visit eventually one day I hope...
It is such a lovely picture, thanks to my friend.

Wouter

Boyfriend Update number 2

Seedlings are growing in the recycled seedling trays. I have named them before, but thanks to my boyfriend, I have lovely pictures now as well. Enjoy...
Oh, and pictures of the first Jack Beans Jeff. Planted directly around the tree roots for maximum effect of nitrogen fixation.
And a bewildered Sophia...

Boyrfriend update

Thanks to my lovely boyfriend, I get to see the progress in the garden bit by bit, all is growing.
Apart from the chihuahua, she's mainly sleeping...

Cold in Belgium

As the winter cold in Belgium sets in, I can't help but thinking about the nice weather in Thailand.

I'm sure all the plants and seeds are doing well, some pictures to keep you entertained. Jackfruit, Cha om sprouting and the first onset of mango on the flower stalks.

Seedlings

The nursery is on its way. I wasn't planning on talking about it until some results were to be shown, but seeing them pushing up so full of life, it just made my typing juices flowing.

You can't call them conventional seedling trays as they are recycled cut up water bottles. I was shocked at the prices of conventional seedling trays, knowing as well how long they last...

So far I am growing pumpkin, cucumber, tomatoes, eggplants, chilies, moringa, lime, lettuce, sweet peppers, celery, spring onion, thai spinach, mustard leaf.

Apart from the slower ones such as moringa, lime, celery and spring onion, they are all shouting and sprouting in several directions, mainly upwards. I'll leave my boyfriend with the job of transplanting into soil bags. I haven't found any viable recycle replacement for those bags, just because I need so many. Any advice or ideas anyone?

As I am leaving to Belgium for 3 weeks, posts might be irregular. Hold on, I'll post something and will certainly report on results(or failures) upon return.

Wouter

Roses, limes and lemons

In my shopping insanity I tend to wander off to a certain place on the local plant market, where I know they have interesting things. My boyfriend tends to try and keep me as far away as possible from that corner, as he knows that this will lead to more expenditure.
Last time we found seedless lime trees, as well as variegated lemons of over 10 years old. All cultured in pot to better allow controlled growing circumstances, as these plants don't do well bearing fruit in full soil here, too rainy in the rainy season.

I know some of my organic friends will say I'm sinning, because growing in puts and cultivated, its all not good, it goes against permaculture principles, etc.
I disagree. I believe it is our task, through permaculture, to look for sustainable ways of living. Anyway who believes that horticulture is going to disappear has got it wrong. So in stead of opposing potted culture, cut flower production, ornamental plant production and horticulture as a whole, lets incorporate it. Show them that this part of Growing Green Gold can also be done in a sustainable way. Apart from the lawns, they have to go, sorry!

And then the roses, my boyfriend has been talking about this illustrious semi wild Thai rose, called "Mon", kularb "Mon" was all that was asked at every shop with roses we saw, nobody ever had them. Until that day, where we found, right next to the lemons and limes, a rose shop. And she had 10 of them. Coming from a European background and loving roses, I have to say that they are fantastic. Smell day and night, semi climbing, thorny and bushy, old English tea rose type. So these have been potted as well, to add to the organic potted garden experience.

These roses, limes and lemons will be grown in an organic way as well, to be sold on the market if any surplus, to enjoy and to make tea from the dried petals.

I offer one petal to Armand, the sweetest man I ever met. May you rest in peace my friend. You will be missed and that is something rare in my life.

Wouter

Bean it up!!

Thats what we do when we have no other resources. When the land is dry and the soil depleted, when there is no chemical fertilizer to be used out of principle. When we have no other resource but to return to nature to bring nitrogen into the soil, we bean it up.
It means that beans are planted and grown in those places, not only creating biomass and a potentially edible crop, but more importantly fixing nitrogen into the soil. Its what beans do best of all, fix nitrogen.

So the beans that were planted today are just a little itsy bitsy start, but I have to start somewhere right?
I planted jack beans(not edible but beautiful and fast growing and strong), black bean, winged bean, purple winged bean, some more long beans and butterfly pea(dok anchan, the most delicate of blue edible flowers).

They were planted along the fence, as this can be used as a natural climbing post.
But also around the trees, they can go up there and in the mean time fertilize my poor poor trees, who look so desperately in need of everything they require to thrive...thanks to the lawn.

When they've grown, I'll post pictures of the different species and some information about their use.

Wouter

Pictures as promised

Here are some pictures of the lawn, the general outline and some of the garden beds in build up.
For more information, don't hesitate to send me a message, I'll reply promptly.

Garden Layout and Miserable Lawn

The lawn is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing aspects of most gardens in Europe and the US. That is, in the minds of the people tending them. What they don't seem to grasp is that it is rather useless, high maintenance(resources AND time), soil depleting and rather ugly...
There are so many more pleasing alternatives that are good for you, good for the soil, for the environment. Vegetables, herbs, etc...

So here I am, stuck with this lawn, dried out, badly trimmed, roots growing straight into hell... sigh, sigh sigh.
Under the motto, if you have a problem, do something about it, I came up with a solution, after considering several options:
Letting it dry out just makes the soil underneath even more arid and hard to maintain.
Taking out the grass is laboreous and will be a repetitive chore over the next few months.
Spraying it to death is not an option... who wrote that on my mind's mirror???

So I've decided to cover it with cardboard. Grow mulch in the back of the house, acquire some rice straw from a local farmer and covering that cardboard with it. Spray it down for 2 days, and just plant straight into it. Resistent stuff at first, beans, corn, chillies, eggplants.

To get the kitchen garden started I did buy 5 cubic metres of black soil(din dam sir, thank you), mixed it with cow shit and put that in between the cardboard and the straw/grass clippings from my lawn).

This was planted with the afore mentioned plants, as well as seedlings given to me by friends and family. Thyme, oregano, peppermint, black mint, thai mint, culanthro(not cilanthro).

To protect my precious seedlings I have interplanted them with these herbs as well as some marigolds and garlic, the chili should help as well.

On the borders long beans are being grown to climb the fence. More will follow as I go along building soil.

I tried to post pictures but it didn't work, goddamn computer maffia, makes me life impossible.

Wouter

Grow Green Gold new adventures

Hi all,

Now that I've moved to a new place, with a lovely garden, almost 1 rai big(for non Thai, 1 rai = 1,600 square metres), it is time to Grow Green Gold.

Vegetables, trees, greens, colours, all kinds of edible, semi edible, non edible but oh so lovely plants.
Based on the permaculture, organic, agro forestry principles. A mish mash of all these in order to create a valued and balanced ecological system. Shows to prove that all commercial farmers are wrong by definition and should stop listening to Monsanto and other crooks, including the banks they entrust their money to.

I will try and regularly post pictures of the progress, together with some story. Not too much scientific blahr, not too much preaching, not too much idealism... just a sane and sound proof of facts... that it can be done, that it is viable.

Hope to receive your visit one day. Just send me a message and I'll reply.
It is a work in progress, but thats half the fun of it.

Wouter