Tropical Heritage Garden Diary:
December 2015:
December
01:
Ducks are maturing nicely
and a batch of chickens are nearly ready
for releasing
with more in reserve
While hens sit
...and Roosters roam
The hernia patients seem happy
The piglets too....
and fish swim in the pond
Work continues on improving the drainage and conservation
of water
December
02:
Fence chewed by piglets and attempts to
stop it by reinforcements
Hopefully, Piglets distracted by
reinforcements and extra forage
Extra drainage and light for Herb Garden
area
...and a Tuko falls from tree to
surprise ducks
December
03:
Waiting, Birth, Feeding and Plucking....
Dressing Duck for Dinner
Piglets Bogged down in Mud
Can Coconut Branches help?
Unruly Patch Trimmed
Piglets enjoying their new Foraging material
Preparing for the next re-planting
.......and work continues on the drainage
project
After the Rain comes the Sun....
December
04:
Anti-mud system seems to be working -but
reinforcement needed
Free, Open Pollinated, vegetable seeds from the Bohol
Provincial Government
December
05:
The Battle against the Quagmire
continues...
Another attempt to repair the Piglets' pen
Some living succulents -and a possibly dead Stevia
A start towards organizing the seed
collection
December
07:
Third drainage channel now completed
...but the Quagmire continues to fight
back!
December
09:
Under the house -a small
fattening pen for young ducklings
Constructed with string, wire mesh and bamboo
December
10:
Another Night Time Visitor
Speckled Hen takes her chicks on
Safari under the house
Penny and Terry build new protective pen
for ducklings expected to hatch soon
New Hanging Feeder saves wasted Chick Feed
Chicks cannot scratch food out onto floor so easily
December
11:
Drainage channel filled with organic
material to slow Flow and increase Absorption
More Drainage Channels around garden
plots
Northern Patch under Renovation
December
14:
Improvements to Compost Patches
Some Patches still need treatment
Local Government Seeds sorted and ready for planting
Nine types including beans, vegetables and edible gourds
December
16:
Native Patola (Luffa)
Collecting Rice Hull from the local Rice mill
Refuse collected from Rice Mill
The Piglets are given fresh bedding material
December
18:
Penny and Terri chopping coconut for
animal feed
Northern Patch Renovated
Northern Stump Patch enlarged
Western Stump patch under improvement
Four (southern) Renovated Patches
with One still to go
....and Five more waiting
Already a Few things Growing on newly extended patch
December
19:
Tropical Depression "Onyok"
brings more than 15 hours of rain
Bad Drainage
Too Fast -causes erosion
Good Drainage
Vegetation helps ground to absorb water
Some Patches seeded directly after rain stops
Some patches have rice husks applied as Mulch
partly as a decoy -distracting chickens from
newly sown patches
December
20:
Singkamas: From Garden to Table
December
24:
Netting removed from around patches in
Eastern garden
Emergency repair to Piglet's fence to prevent them
from eating their way out
December
25:
Born on Christmas Day!
Born, Abandoned, Escaped, Bullied and Rescued -all in one
day....
December
29:
A Tale of Two Mothers
Active Mother and Passive Mother
Active Mother insists on escaping -Passive mother takes
all
Ducklings prefer Passive Mother
December
30:
The Two Mothers seem to have
reached a compromise
Fattening Pen seems to be working
Depressed Rooster appears happy
Other Roosters and Ducks too
Caged and Free
Terri continues improving drainage ditches
around garden patches
Earlier seeded patch growing nicely
December
31:
....and Peaceful co-existence among ducks
and ducklings
Trevor Batten
<trevor at
tebatt dot net>
Baclayon 2015
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