BIODYNAMIC TREE PASTE

I have just found and tested a new fragrance, made not only in Australia but in my beloved Dandenongs. It is very affordable and lasts a long time, seems to be water proof and soap proof. So for those of you on a budget, it may be the new “parfum” you can purchase for your WAGS (for those older readers, not familiar with social media jargon, that means Wives and girlfriends).

It has a strong earthy Base Note, (The heaviest scent that lingers the longest), reminiscent of a green paddock in spring, the scent of moist earth with woody undertones, with a powerful sillage (the trail of scent left behind by a perfume). I would not qualify it as floral, nor fresh, nor oriental but definitely woody or earthy.

It is made by a new parfumeur on the Australian market, a company appropriately called Moo’s scents ...another name for it is biodynamic cow manure tree paste, wonderful to apply to the trunk of your fruit trees to protect them against fungal issues, seal a wound, repel pear and cherry slugs and keep rats and possums away…might keep men and women away too…stay tuned for latest developments as I do further tests on this "fragrance".

Joke apart, I am very impressed with this biodynamic tree paste made of green sloppy cow manure from lactating cows mixed with bentonite clay, diatomaceous earth,lime and water. The whole mixture needs to be stirred for quite a while in a specific way to create a vortex of energy...

When applied to the trunks of fruit trees, it nourishes the tree, seals any wounds causing entry points for fungal diseases, lichen and scale, suffocates small critters like cherry slugs and borers as they climb up the trunk and the smell deters possums and rats...the smell is not obvious to humans once dried on the trunk but picked up by rodents.

The biodynamic tutor who made this mix also recommended a book by E.Pfeiffer titled

"Biodynamic treatment of trees with paste"

Love Springtime and the gorgeous bulbs in the garden. 

FIND HAPPINESS IN EVERY MOMENT

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Taught a permaculture class last Sunday and the weather was just perfect for a tour of the garden. The topic was on "animals as part of a permaculture system" as well as "survival gardens" so we checked the chooks and their pen as well as the perennial veggies.
I have a variety of heirloom chooks such as Australorp, Wellsummer, silver and golden laced Wyandottes which are good layers and entertaining companions. I enjoy sitting among them in the afternoon and listening to their gossips or complaints.

Doing the tour of the garden to list the perennials and edible weeds, I realised that i live in a salad bowl and that wherever I look, there is food galore despite a harsh and wet winter.

Find happiness in every minute of your day

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What a gorgeous spring day in Monbulk, blue sky, sunshine, birds tweeting in their nests, garden fairies actively pushing plants out of the ground, saying "come on, wake up, it is time to grow towards the sunlight". Globe artichokes are growing a healthy "head", asparagus is amazingly tender and tasty, the spears never make it to the kitchen, they get eaten on the spot. Blueberries are in bloom as well as all plums in white and peaches and apricots in pink, such a delight to the eyes.
One of my golden laced Wyandotte chookie knows it is spring and is heralding the call of Nature by sitting on the nest, hoping to nurture her babies but without a rooster, no chance of that happening, so she gets kicked out of the nest all day and put in quarantine until she can join the family again. Not much fun for her nor for me but otherwise she gets quite possessive of the nesting box and the other hens can't lay their eggs.

Last week i went to one of my favourite nurseries in the outer east, owned by John Ferris, a very knowledgeable man who specialises in perennial edible vegetables. If it can be grown and is edible, good chance John will have it.
https://www.facebook.com/edibleforestgardensoz
I realised that out of the 42 plants he talked about, I already had 36 growing in my garden....so i am well on my way to have a not only productive food garden but also a perennial one, meaning that I plant these once and they keep growing for years without disturbing the soil, without hard work on my part and without further expense.
I still love my annuals of course and will soon have tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis and pumpkins growing in the spring beds but they only last one season whilst the perennials are there for a long time.
This is a list of perennials in my garden

 Alexander,   Arrowroot (Canna Edulis),    Artichoke Globe, Artichoke chinese or Crosne,   Asparagus,   Beans Seven Year  or Scarlet Runner Beans,   Berries such as raspberries, blueberries and goji berry bushes, Buckwheat perennial,         Chicory,  Choko,  Comfrey,  land cress, Garlic Chives, Russian garlic, society garlic,  Ginger, Good King Henry or Lamb’s quarters, Horseradish,  Tree Kale, Leek perennial, Mint,  Mushroom plant,  Oca, NZ yam,  Onions Bunching, Egyptian, Welsh, potato onions, shallots, Parsley,   Radicchio,  Rainbow Chard Five Colour Mix,  Rhubarb,  Rock Samphire or sea fennel,  Rocket Turkish, Spinach Perpetual, Skirret or wild parsnips, Sorrel,  Sunchokes or Jerusalem artichokes, Sweet potato,Taro,Turmeric,  Warrigal Greens or Warrigal Spinach, Yacon, as well as herbs such as oregano, rosemary, sage, marjoram, calendula etc

Wishing you happiness every minute of your day.