It still seems strange to be planting tomatoes in December, but that what I’ve just finished doing on our field here on Gozo. After five years of trying to grow trees and plants with varying degrees of success, the growing seasons here still feel at times a little topsy turvy. My go-to reference guide to sowing the ‘right plant in the right season’ is this brilliant website and the helpful planting guide at http://www.cyprusgardener.co.uk/ A book I have found very useful is published by the RHS and entitled ‘Plants from Pips’ by Holly Farrell and I’ve also come across these two books which full of interesting ideas; https://www.gardenguy.com/shop/extreme-gardening/ and https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/desert-or-paradise/
Winter rains are currently bringing much needed water to the Maltese Islands, transforming the fields and Gozitan countryside, and this new look green landscape now looks less like Gozo and more like Galway. Over on the plot, annual weeds and wildflowers (sometimes one and the same plant!) are literally springing into life, filling any bare patches of earth beneath the old olive trees. Crown Daisies, Field Marigolds and Sweet Alison rub shoulders with the first leaves of Giant Fennel and Bristly Ox Tongue. In the shade, Wild Asparagus spears are emerging from the base of the rubble walls; between the stones, the indestructible Cape Sorrel is making a takeover bid for any spare gaps and getting ready to throw out the funnel shaped lemon-yellow flowers early next year. Nettles, which are germinating freely in the large heap of vintage donkey manure, have put on good growth – and these new leaves and stems will be harvested to make a smelly liquid feed for use later in the season.
I’m a fan of ‘beauty and bounty’, so weeds and vegetables co-exist on our plot. Some of the taller weeds provide welcome shelter for the broad beans, as they emerge and then try to cope with the strong north easterly winds. Our new potatoes should be ready to harvest around Christmas Day. Sunflowers here are germinating AND flowering all at the same time – the big yellow flower heads are very much appreciated by our neighbour’s honey bees in search of winter nectar. Another nice weed / vegetable combination right now is Borage and Swiss Chard. We are currently harvesting spinach, rocket, kale and cabbage and using our own delicious olive oil. Locally, organic citrus fruit such as sweet oranges, lemons and mandarins are now in season, along with things like beetroot, sprouts, flat green beans, chayotes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and leaf parsley.
Some other new additions on our plot include a Paw Paw, some Naspli (Loquat) and a dark red Mulberry tree. A friend gave me some Sweet Potato slips and these have been planted and are growing ok, despite some damage from snails. As a backup we are growing some more slips on our kitchen windowsill, which will be then planted out in the new year.
One of the more unusual ‘plants’ found on Gozo, is the so called ‘Maltese Fungus’, which grows on a tiny rock at Dwejra and which was apparently discovered at the time of the Knights Hospitaller. The fungus is in fact a parasitic plant, but physicians at the time believed that it had unique medicinal properties and was a cure many illnesses, including blood disorders and dysentery. The Knights so prized the plant, that they often gave gifts of the Fungus to distinguished noblemen and visitors to the Maltese islands. A recent BBC Radio 4 From Our Own Correspondent podcast about Malta and Gozo also featured Fungus Rock (link https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08xgbrv) “Malta is battling Covid-19 along with the rest of Europe. Quarantine, though, is nothing new to Malta, and its healthcare, good today, was once the envy of Europe. Juliet Rix takes us back to the days of the Knights of Malta, the Order of St John Hospitaller”.
We hope you have a fine festive season and wish you happy and successful growing season(s) in 2021 – whenever that may be!
Simon & Mary, Gozo
December 2020
