Permaculture Hero Trio

In preparation for our next meeting I thought I'd introduce you to the permaculture hero trio of plants - as they feature prominently in the DVD we have planned for June. These plants will be for sale at the next Permaculture Eudlo meeting on Tuesday June 7th at 7pm at the Eudlo Village Hall.

ABOVE - is Comfrey, which is a herb. Comfrey is a wonderful plant to have in the garden as it plays a vital role in replenishing soil in the subtropics. Its roots dig deep down into the ground bringing minerals up to the surface to break down and become incorporated into your garden topsoil. Not for the vegie garden, as its hard to remove once established, but instead plant your edges and pathways out with comfrey so you can harvest the leaves and use them where you need them in the garden. 

Incorporate comfrey into your composting area too, then you'll have it on hand to add to your compost when needed - yarrow and dandelion fit well around the compost too. Comfrey leaves are also popular for brewing up a tea to use as a fertiliser. A great all round plant that thrives in the subtropics, Comfrey is propagated by root division. Read more about comfrey on Isabell Shipards website.

Next up is Queensland Arrowroot - Canna Edulis - BELOW. This great plant is one of the most versatile you can have in your subtropical permaculture garden. Qld Arrowroot is the nutrient bank of your garden - absolutely vital in the subtropics where our nutrients are leached through heavy rain and strong sunlight. Plant this beauty on the slope and it will capture nutrient run off from the plants above. It will hold that goodness in its lush leaves and stalks (its biomass) ready for you to harvest to use as stock feed, mulch or in the compost. It dies off over winter just to let you know its time to chop it down and spread it round the garden and make compost for the next season. Leave the tubers in the ground and they will shoot again in spring. It can grow quite high and does go to flower too.

The tubers are edible, the leaves can be fed to chooks, worms and other animals. It grows quickly providing instant summer shade and wind protection to younger plants and fruit trees, it is hardy with few pest or disease problems and you'll find it provides habitat within its leaves for tiny green tree frogs too. The more of this you have in your garden, the more fertile the whole system will become. Don't let those nutrients run off into creeks causing pollution or onto your neighbour's land, capture them in Qld Arrowroot and set up a great energy cycling system. It doesn't spread and is easily moved and controlled.

And the last of the trio the fabulous Pigeon Pea. Being a pea, its a legume, so it brings all that nitrogen-fixing goodness to your garden, its quick growing with few pest or disease problems, and it looks beautiful too.

The seeds and flowers are both edible. Eat the seeds young as peas and if left to mature and dry they can be used in dahl as a substitute for lentils. Leaves can be fed to stock and they make the very best chop 'n' drop mulch in the garden too. Just chop it down and spread the leaves around your favourite fruit trees and watch them bloom. Pigeon Pea can be used like a green manure crop, but on a much larger scale to prepare soils for forest planting - especially good for preparing to plant out a permaculture food forest. 

These plants in your garden provide a huge range of services and will greatly improve the condition of your soil over time. Think about how you can best incorporate them into your permaculture design.

If  you're interested in learning more about permaculture and live nearby, you're welcome to join us on our permaculture journey on the first Tuesday of each month in the Eudlo Village Hall on Rosebed Street, Eudlo from 7pm. Gold coin donation for entry and also for supper.