I didn't expect to be putting up a post in celebration of growth at this time of the year, but after my weekend at Earthtalk, I've returned with many images of amazing productivity from a block of well-loved and well-tilled land. Everything has been done with such care, and it's all organically grown. Here is the heritage flax collection, planted for the muka, the silky fibre inside that is used by Maori for weaving. The silver green leaves set off the autumn leaves beautifully.
I stayed in 'Banana Bungalow', which was situated in the citrus orchard, and ate many of these delicious mandarins while I was there.
The grapefruit are ripening nicely.
I saw pomegranates growing, for the first time.
And pawpaws.
And bananas! This bunch was growing upside down because its branch had sagged, but it's now been tied up again.
Two women have worked hard since 1992 to transform bare paddocks on a sand dune into a fertile block of land, filled with diverse species of native and exotic plants. What they have achieved is remarkable. I am filled with admiration, and the immense pleasure that comes from seeing the good earth happy and productive.
