Moonriver Lodge, Sigar Highlands
FOR OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDRENArchive for Permalogue
Feed your soil and see them grow..
Have you ever seen Papaya like this?
I was at a friend’s farm in Sungkai and all I saw were rolls and rolls of highly productive papaya growing on well fed and super bouncy soil.
Did you know that Christopher Columbus once called papaya “fruit of the angels”? Now I know why.
The only place to throw your papaya seeds is into your garden. Ifyou don’t have a garden, throw your seeds into your neighbour’s garden.
Roses and grapes; chili, four beans and banana root
Although Permaculture is based on scientific principles and research, it also draws on traditional and indigenous folk wisdom.
Mollison: Well, if I go to an old Greek lady sitting in a vineyard and ask, “Why have you planted roses among your grapes?” she will say to me, “Because the rose is the doctor of the grape. If you don’t plant roses, the grapes get ill.” That doesn’t do me a lot of good. But if I can find out that the rose exudes a certain root chemical that is taken up by the grape root which in turn repels the white fly (which is the scientific way of saying the same thing), then I have something very useful.
Traditional knowledge is always of that nature. I know a Filipino man who always plants a chili and four beans in the same hole as the banana root. I asked him, “Why do you plant a chili with the banana?” And he said, “Don’t you know that you must always plant these things together.” Well, I worked out that the beans fix the nitrogen and the chili prevents beetles from attacking the banana root. And that works very well.
(Source: Extracted from an interview adapted from the radio series Insight & Outlook, hosted by Scott London)
I am a versatile herb with two names. What am I?
Coriander is so versatile it bears two names – cilantro for the roots and leaves and coriander for the seeds. Be sure to harvest the young tender leaves before plants send up flower stalks. Once it sets seed, the plant uses all its energy to produce the seeds and stop producing new foliage. Seeds can be harvested when seed heads turn brown but before they scatter.
Rosemary at the top
The short-needle like leaves of the Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) gives off a distinctive aroma which would go well in a roast or stew; its dried leaves for culinary or to scent rooms or linens. This is one of the herbs on the Herb Spiral, placed on top to benefit from the best sunlight and well-drained soil.
” An Egg A Day Keeps the Doctor Away “
We started the construction of our Chicken Coop two days ago and will be introducing chicken into our farm system in the next few days. If all goes as planned, we should be self sufficient in poutry and eggs very soon. I just can’t imagine a farm without chicken.
Merbau seeds from Wild Asia
Dr Reza Azmi, Founding Director of Wild Asia, gifted a box of merbau seeds for the forest seedling nursery. This are first steps in our joint endeavour for forest regeneration and diversity.
Bamboo Dirt-Catcher
Using bamboo from the surroundings, dirt-catchers were constructed to remove grit and mud from your garden/hiking boots prior to entering the lodge.
First Worm Bin
This is a very effective closed looped system to manage our fruit and vegetable wastes from the kitchen. These are fed to the worms which in return produces worm-casts and worm tea to be used as natural fertilisers for the garden.
Who’s Grass Is Greener?
Lumpy: Thats funny. Your grass doesnt look any greener than ours. Roo: What do you mean? Lumpy: Rabbit says the grass on your side is greener, but Tigger says ours is. I think hes right. Yes, definitely. Ours is greener. Roo: I dont know. I think maybe Rabbit is right. Ours is greener. A little, anyway.Source: Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too (2009)
Dragonfly at Watercress Pond
I was happy to spot a dragonfly drinking water at the watercress pond at the based of the Herb Spiral. Dragonflies are good predators that eat mosquitoes. 
