Permaculture student...

This beautiful planet ~ Gaia Mother Earth ~ call her what you will. She sustains life and she is truly magnificent, but oh how she can throw a wobbly when her belly gets hot!
It is hard to think of much else other than Japan's nightmare and Cornelius's murder, but one is to live in the moment, right?...and right at this moment in my green world we are making cuttings for the farm. Wormwood, lavender, creeping jasmine, night flowering Jessamyn and a whole bunch more.

Cuttings are simple really. Fill a little black plant bag with some river sand, strip the cutting of the last two or three leaves and place in the wet sand. You can use hormone powder but I have not found it necessary. Keep the sand damp for a couple of weeks and the bags in the shade. When they have taken root you can plant them in bigger bags and move them to a sunnier spot for a while and then to the area where you want to plant them. Let them get used to their new home for a few days and then plant them out in to a hole that has some welcoming food, some good compost.

Here at home we have clumps of garlic chives waiting to be planted around the new roses. This repels aphids. Wormwood is not a favourite in the animal kingdom, so I shall be planting it around my chook domes. (Chicken tractors - a great invention for a garden! Find a chook dome in this wonderful book, Permaculture Home Garden by Linda Woodrow. You won't regret getting it if you are into sustainability and growing your own veggies. If you would like some companion charts , go to my website www.marloescottwilson.co.za for herb and vegetable companion charts.)

At the moment I am looking into growing herbs for essential oils. While looking up some info on the net, I came across a company to whom I wrote and they have already helped me with some answers and suggestions. It is exciting to plan and dream and I can certainly do that! Not all the plans come to fruition, but then as we all know, while we are planning ~ life happens.

Mint and organic geranium are high on the list and I am fortunate in that rose geranium grows well on the farm, in the summer. It doesn't like the frost in the winter but she puts on a good face when summer comes around. I believe snakes don't like geranium so that is another good reason to plant it on the borders of the house! Mint grows like a weed and often has to be contained in pots. It must have a field day with a whole lot of space to play in:) I shall plant some and see how she runs!

Rosemary grows very well in the mountains and loves the sloping ground (they don't like soggy feet). On the farm they grow huge and it would be great if it is the right strain for essential oils. We make very successul rosemary cuttings.

Of course organic vegetables, free range chickens, ducks and grass fed cows will be grown and reared on the farm, but that is a way off yet. Right now I have three horses about to come and graze on my small farmling - 4 hectares - because I need them as lawnmowers. "The grass is as high as an elephants eye..." and it is impossible to go for a walk. I will give them a couple of weeks and the horses will make some trails for me. Then I'll need a good pair of wellies.

Time to go and eat a salad from the garden. So delicious!