Continuing with the rain/water theme, we are excited to finally have some guttering up on the front of the house. It will fall into a 210l tank, which will fill very quickly in some of the heavier rain events, but we intend to use hoses to transfer excess into the 1000-litre tank down the bottom, and to soak the various beds around the house (which are heavily mulched so should retain the water well).

The end of the month saw horrendous flooding in Valencia, just an hour up the road from us here. Our hearts go out to all those who lost someone, and to all those still trying to get back on their feet after losing their homes, cars, and possessions.

The garden has been in full bloom. So many flowers, of all varieties, enjoying the moisture, cooler temperatures, and layers of ‘chop and drop’ I’ve been attending to whenever I have a chance. The lemongrass is a brilliant source of biomass; when it starts to change colour and look straggly, I chop it back to the base, and within a week, fresh new shoots are growing again. The cut leaves smell divine and can be chopped small around plants to make a mosquito-deterring mulch, or kept in one piece, like a mat, and used to cover any empty areas of soil.

Between visitors and maintenance work on the house, the garden hasn’t had as much attention this month, but that’s actually exactly what I’m aiming for. A resilient, self-sustaining system, where my only role is to harvest; be that food crops or biomass to add to the soil.

Happy October gardening!