We are well into another Maltese summer, with daytime temperatures regularly in the low 30’s. Spring seems like a lifetime away and it hasn’t rained since I don’t know when. The fields have that parched, burnt out look to them and the only green to be seen are from those tough plant survivors – Prickly Pear, Carob, Olives, Fennel, Pomegranate, Naspli (loquat), Plum and Almond trees along with shrubs like Wolfbane and Tamarisk.
The wild asparagus are also still putting in an appearance round our plot and the surrounding fields are full of fennel. (there’s a nice blog post about this important nectar- rich plant and food source for Maltese Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars here)
https://leslievella.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/a-golden-fennel-infused-sunset-at-ras-il-qammieh/
On our own plot, we have no direct supply of water, so we harvested and then cooked/bottled/froze the earlier “glut crops” such as broad beans, courgettes, garlic, purple climbing french beans and lots of tomatoes – some of which are safely in the freezer in sauce form. Our salted lemons and capers are rather nice and go very well with locally produced peppered sheep cheese or home-made ratatouille.
It’s probably best to view the summer here as our “winter” with little to sow or grow in such tough conditions. It still seems strange to see straw and hay bales appearing in neighbouring fields at the beginning (rather than the end) of summer. Plants here need regular watering, shade and also protection from the intense sun and strong northerly / southerly winds. Despite our use of spring water and grey water it’s very difficult to keep things going without a lot of early morning or late evening watering stints. I am focusing my efforts on looking after the newly planted fruit trees and vines and so far, they seem to be coping reasonably well with the hot conditions.
I’ve just dug up the last of the beetroot and will be making these up into a large batch of chilled soup using our previously harvested tomatoes and garlic. We should have a good crop of sweet peppers, which whenroasted and added to soups or couscous will make for a tasty meal.
In an effort to escape the heat for a little while and enjoy some rain, I returned to the UK for several days. Since it was just as hot as Malta in both Essex and Yorkshire – I felt a little cheated! Still it was good to see old friends and allotments (Cardoonistan revisited), SEEOG gardens, look at trees and explore some inspiring green projects. If you get the chance do take a walk out to Wallasea Island and the new wetland site being developed by the RSPB and partners https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/wallasea-island-wild-coast-project/
We also enjoyed the tour of John Little’s living roof / brownfield gardens at Hilldrop https://livingroofs.org/essex-property-small-green-roof-guide/ and a visit to the Dunton Plotlands site (suggested reading – “Arcadia for All – the legacy of a makeshift landscape” by Dennis Hardy and Colin Ward). Back up in Yorkshire to see relatives in Giggleswick, the River Ribble was more like a dribble. The very fine Council-managed walled kitchen gardens and Parklands at Temple Newsam Estate in Leeds were a treat (and not just because they had a beer and brewing Exhibition on at the time with a fine a selection of guest ales). https://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/templenewsamhouse/gardens
I finally got to see another “bucket list” garden – the visually stunning Arts and Crafts inspired York Gate Gardens at nearby Adel – well worth your time if you are ever in “The North” https://perennial.org.uk/garden/york-gate-garden/
Back on Gozo it’s all about staying out of the heat, enjoying the many village Feasts and outdoor events on offer, reading Permaculture books and magazines by (or in!) the pool, cooking up our spring harvest produce and waiting for the summer storms, cooler days and autumn rains (hopefully) to put in an appearance. Two more mini-raised beds have been created, straw bales have been delivered and put in situ. It also looks like we might get our first pomegranates and the olives might also give us some sort of harvest this year. We rescued a chameleon, have seen some skinks and the cicadas are belting out their own distinctive theme tune.
Enjoy the summer (if you can) and see you on the other side of the heat wave. I’ve included a few spring-time photos and a typical Gozitan sunset – enjoy the images.
Simon & Mary Wallace
Qala, Gozo
