Building a Food Forest in Eastern Spain

What’s happening in the garden this month?

September 2024

We had rain! Quite a lot of rain! And it’s due to rain again today! (I feel this news deserves multiple exclamation marks)

We still haven’t sorted out our guttering (it’s on the list) but the trugs have been catching a lot of the roof run off, so I’ve been able to add in the region of 500 litres to the IBC tank so far this month. More importantly, the heavy chop and drop mulch has been holding the moisture in the soil, rather than allowing it to run off, and the plants are responding by putting on growth, sending out fruits, flowers and leaves, and generally looking a whole lot healthier.

I’ve finished gravelling the main pathways, which has made a big difference to how accessible the planted areas are… which means I’m able to move myself and my garden tools around much more efficiently.

The almond, along with all the others in the area, is looking sad and thirsty. There are some green leaves in evidence near the main trunk, so my plan is to cut it back drastically to where there are signs of happy growth, and add the wood to our wood-burner next winter (permaculture principle; no waste). The carob had a serious haircut two years ago and look at it now! Hopefully the same will occur with the almond.

The ponds are not as teeming with life as they have been in past years, but I think the rainfall might help because there will be more space for everyone (we have been on water restrictions so we haven’t been able to keep the ponds topped up except with stored rainwater). There have been fewer dragonflies in particular, but again, I have seen two or three in the last couple of days, so perhaps they were just waiting for the right time/temperature/humidity.

We have some huge yucca plants in another area of the garden, so I’ve taken my trusty pruning saw, and taken off several ‘babies’ to replant in the food forest. I don’t want them to take over, but equally, they grow extremely well in these harsh, hot, arid conditions, and can add valuable shade and some biomass from the old leaves dropping, so I’m hoping they will become valuable additions. Around the base of each, I’m adding seeds or divided plants from elsewhere to form a ‘guild’.

The mornings are feeling autumnal now, and it’s only a month until the clocks change, so I’m making the most of being able to work outside in more comfortable temperatures.

Happy September Gardening!

The mornings are feeling autumnal now.
My poorly jacaranda seems to have been rejuvinated by the recent rains!
The Mexican Petunia are such a valuable addition to the garden, and flower profusely, even in challenging conditions.
The ground cover layer in the food forest is starting to mesh together in many places; mint, oregano, marjoram, lavender, rosemary, sage... all thriving under the protection of the chop and drop mulch.
Flowers play an important part in the food forest; whether they are insect attractors, or good for filling awkward spaces, or even just a joy to look at!
Aeoniums are glorious plants. Architectural, glossy leaved, bright coloured and tolerant of almost all weathers (although not keen on frost!). And if a piece snaps off, I plonk it into an empty space, and within no time, it's dividing and sending ou
Getting used to growing things in Autumn and Spring, that used to only be summer crops in the uk, can take some getting used to! This tiny cucumber was a response to the early September rains.
This pink was a gift from a dear friend, so it has had tiny rations of water to keep it alive all summer. A quick chop back of all the dead flower heads, and now it seems happy to start all over again!
I'm lead to believe that one name for this beauty is a pink rain lily. Isn't that lovely? And it lives up to its name, as it emerged in the days following our much hoped for rain event.
Every year I think the moringa has died. And each year it proves me wrong! What a stunner! And the leaves at a delicious peppery flavour to salads, whilst simultaneously adding superfood health benefits (look it up, it's an amazing tree!)
The structure of the garden is now really taking shape with the addition of the new paths. The beds are more defined, and I'm able to wheel my barrow around easily, making my work outside much more efficient.
The lily has started to spread in the front pond, but I need to add a wider variety of plants, to increase biodiversity even further.
We had a walnut planted in the middle of this bed, but I wasn't ever sure about having it there; the substances it exudes can impact growth around it, and it would probably become too big for the space it had available. The extreme drought has taken
This weird, wonky yet wonderful gateway has been built from the oleander hedge remains. Oleander is known to be toxic, but interestingly, locally it used to be used to make curtains, and I've also read research about the toxins reducing drastically
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