Pot-in-the-pot plants

As I sit in the dark trying to figure out this technological business eating my soup by candlelight, I’m really wondering why my pot-in-the-pot fridge is not working properly… maybe I should go back a few weeks…

I moved up to the Nimbin region back in February to learn a little bit more about Permaculture, by studying at Djanbung Gardens. I wanted to give it a go living on my own to focus on my health and wellbeing, and found an amazing little spot to live. By looking online at the work exchange website- helpx.net (a phenomenon like wwoofing- you work in exchange for accommodation and in most cases food- who needs money??), I found a beautiful patch of land- 5 acres on a local community just outside of Nimbin. It needs a lot of loving as no one has lived here for 5 years- to begin with- no running water and no power… I’m still not up to the power phase yet, but enjoy candlelit dinners and early nights- going to bed not long after the sun and wakening with it too! It’s just a little caravan and awning- with a kitchen sink and a gas stove and old shed, an unfortunate flooded composting toilet, an old garden bed frame with poly pipe and lots of timber and old building materials around. It’s a do-it-yourself dream, with lots of potential on a northern slope surrounded by rainforest bushland.

I’ve spent the last few weeks here sweating, tearing and tearfully cutting down some small trees that had taken over the vegie patch- along with the tabocco bushes, lantana and bracken fern, as well as all the grasses and billy goats weed- which by the way have been fixing nitrogen into my new beloved patch. With the help of some bonita meninas we put up a fence and finally I threw, well, more like struggled for half a morning to put up some bird netting over the poly pipe frame- I have some dear little friends that also live around- wallabies, pademelons, and my favourite nemesis- the brush turkey- who on a number of occasions destroyed my seedlings that were peacefully growing just outside my front ‘door’. As I was planting out some of my new formed raised vegie beds yesterday- as it was the first day of the astrological planting calendar- great for planting leafy veg- I was hoping that the holes in the bird netting were big enough for my insect friends- wasps and bees to come and pollinate my patch.

So back to the pot-in-the-pot fridge. Why are you not working for me? I have just finished reading ‘No Impact Man…’ by Colin Beavan, who had the same dilemma with the Nigerian invention. Maybe not enough water between the pots? Or is there not enough draught for you? I have seen this work and helped put one together at Djanbung… so what am I doing wrong? The pot fridge works when the water between the two pots, mixed with sand is evaporated- resulting in a drop in temperature. The big problem for me is that all my leafy veg last at the most 2 days! And as I like to support the amazing local growers and farmers in this region- I like to shop at the Lismore organic market on Tuesday mornings and my local market at Blue Knob on Saturdays- So for 4 days of the week I’m sorted with food- but 3 days, I’m either picking through the slime of greens, or whipping up to the Nimbin Organic shop to get my veg. Which also sells local, organic produce, but I really do enjoy meeting all the amazing local growers. From tamarillos, to $1 kg bananas, to finger limes and sunflower sprouts… gotta love the fresh food! So the urgency for my vegie garden to get up and roaring is strong. No longer will I be picking through the slimes of spinach and coriander!

Meanwhile, making myself a pot of chamomile tea I got from the lady with all the herbs she grows herself at the Blue Knob market, and as I add some more water to my pot-in-the-pot fridge, the solution to my dilemma is to grow my own. But of course I was always going to!

Sweet dreams my beautiful earth. May we all pick fresh leaves from our vegie garden.