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A visual diary...
Mowing between the rows of the comfrey patch.
Mowing between the rows of the comfrey patch.The grass we sowed there to act as food for the comfrey is thriving. So much so, that weeding the rows themselves is going to be quite a bit of work.
Using the last opportunities to prune some trees. Chestnuts, almond, apple, quince and strawberry trees all got a hair cut today.
Using the last opportunities to prune some trees. Chestnuts, almond, apple, quince and strawberry trees all got a hair cut today.
We love sowing seeds from @sementes_vivas_portugal ! They are truly the best and it’s our main supply for the veggie garden.
We love sowing seeds from @sementes_vivas_portugal ! They are truly the best and it's our main supply for the veggie garden.After the storm, some of our veggies took a hard hit. The corn salad is doing great, though. But we were too impatient and ended up getting some...
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Field GIS for permaculture
As the map from the GIS project started to take shape, we wanted to take it outside with us. Many things only get noticed when standing in the garden and looking around.Because we were in a hurry, we started with printing paper maps: lines of trees and their relative...
Giving out a hippie vibe
It seemed inconsequential the first time: a local acquaintance confirming, somewhat surprised, that we eat meat. Perhaps there had been a misunderstanding?It keeps happening, though: many friends, acquaintances, and family somehow seem to assume that we don't eat...
Nitrogen fixing plants for central Portugal
Here is a list of the nitrogen fixing plants we have in our garden. They are present in order, according to the following: short herbs, climbers, bushes, trees. Trevo branco anão, Dwarf White Clover, Trifolium repensThis perennial doesn't grow beyond 10 cm tall, but...
Farewell, Squirrel
Our squirrel died. Of course, it wasn't ours. We just lived in his territory. Sharing a space, not coming too close. Yesterday, we were, for the first time, a meter away. He was laying quietly on the ground, breathing slowly. Alone, barely moving, still conscious of...
Aerial imaging for permaculture
A high resolution, up to date aerial image of the land is very useful for designing, implementing, and maintaining a permaculture system. That's even more so when using a GIS system, since the image will be the base layer for your project most of the time.Freely...
Spring recap
Summer is almost here and nature is doing its thing.Flowering: zinnia (left), sunflower (middle), butterfly bush (right)There's been a whirlwind of work, a lot of it focused on dealing with the wind and watering.Suffering from wind and/or thirst, but hanging on:...
The promise of Spring
Just last year, we kicked-off our reforestation project. Creating a food forest takes time. Not just to implement, in terms of hours of labour, but because Nature has its own rhythms. If you plant a fruit tree in the fall, you can't harvest its fruits the following...
Low stress, no waste sourdough starter maintenance
Baking sourdough bread necessarily involves obtaining and maintaining a starter culture. After experimenting with several ways of doing it, I settled on the lowest effort yet still effective one I found: the NMNF ("No Muss No Fuss") starter, courtesy of dabrownman on...
The wind: a new challenge
After a year and a half of living here, it feels like the wind never stops. Its temperature and intensity vary, but most of the time there is a noticeable breeze. And now, we're learning a new lesson: many of the young trees don't like it.March and April were warm and...
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