Quinta das Abelhas, Permaculture in Central Portugal
Inga has made some new beds for herbs outside the pixie yurt which are looking lovely. Plus there is a new hammock on the terrace which makes it a perfect spot for a person who wants to get away from it all (and there are 11 of us on the quinta at that moment!)
Inga outside the Pixie Yurt with its new beds
A perfect spot
Just a few photos of the baby tomatoes and courgettes. We have loads of tomato plants in this year, of many different colours and varieties. Its exciting to see what shaped and coloured fruits appear.
We also have about 25 courgette plants, at various stages of development, hopefully giving us plenty over a long period of abundance.
Good things about Horse Manure
Maurice and Daan
Maurice and Daan certainly do their job here on the quinta by providing us with their manure.
Composted Horse Manure
Animal dung has been used for centuries as a fertiliser, as it improves the soil structure so that it holds more nutrients and water, and becomes more fertile. It encourages soil microbial activity which promotes the soil’s trace mineral supply, improving plant nutrition. It also contains some nitrogen and other nutrients itself which assist the growth of plants.
It also helps keep us fit as we have to dig it up and push it up the hill to the gardens!
Last night we had borage flowers in our salad which is a first for me.
Borage can be used as a fresh vegetable or a dried herb. The flower has a sweet honey-like taste and is one of a few blue-coloured edible things. (Although maybe you shouldn’t eat tons of them as they contain a tiny amount of a chemical that could harm your liver) Eating the plant apparently tastes like cucumber but I have yet to try it.
It has many medicinal uses including for the regulation of metabolism and the hormonal system including for PMS and menopause side effects. It’s also used to help colds and respiratory infections and for it’s general anti-inflammatory properties (please note I have no specific skills for using this herb it is just general information!)
According to the internet…use of borage is common in Germany and in Italian Liguria, borage is commonly used as filling of the traditional pasta ravioli and pansoti. The leaves and flowers were originally used in Pimms before it was replaced by mint. And it is used to flavour pickled gherkins in Poland.
Borage is used in companion planting and if planted near tomato plants is said to improve their growth and make them taste better. It is also thought to protect spinach and brassica and strawberries.
Borage Plant in the garden
If I’ve missed anything about this plant let me know!
We’ve all been busy the last couple of days bringing up wheelbarrows full of rotted horse muck up to the gardens. And today we’ve been working on the new kitchen garden at the side of Andy and Sophie’s house. The first stage is to clear the land of the rubble the builders left, and move it over to the other side of the land for Matt to use under the new concrete steps going up to the Mongolian Yurt. Phew it is hard work, but I’m getting stronger by the hour. We have to look out for the scolopendra centipedes though as they like hiding under old tiles and rocks, we’ve narrowly missed a few.
Muscle Power on the quinta for the new kitchen garden
I’m looking forward to planting stuff next to the side of the house where it will be easily accessible to eat and I can look after it at the same time as looking after Poppy. There’s a lot of heavy work to do though so maybe we will get the help of a small digger to speed it all up so we have more food growing soon. Also I’ve got a lot to learn about what will grow here and when, as previously I’ve had stuff in pots in my backyard in the UK and only a half-hearted allotment. Happy wheelbarrowing 
