We are currently in the island’s ‘green and yellow ‘season, with cooler temperatures and welcome winter rains. It is also very much the growing time, and both our fields are giving us lots of nice veggies – kale, cabbage, chard, new potatoes, broad beans, and with garlic and broccoli on the way. The ‘yellow’ is provided by Crown Daisies, Field Marigold and the indestructible Bermuda Buttercup (aka Sour Sop) Oxalis pes-caprae (Bermuda Buttercup): MaltaWildPlants.com – the online Flora of the Maltese Islands. In Maltese, it is known as il-Ħaxixa Ingliża and tal-Ingliża which translates as ‘of the British’. It may be sour, but the chickens love it!
I’ve been busy planting some more trees on the field – a mixture of olives, fig, pomegranate and naspli (loquat) and late last year, some bird /bee friendly shrubs such as lentisk (known as ‘deru’ in Maltese – it provides evergreen cover for nesting Sardinian Warblers, and the autumn berries are welcomed by many migratory birds). Other plants (mainly herbs) planted recently include Spanish broom, Sea Squills, fennel, lavender and Mediterranean Thyme.
We had an issue with rats in the shed over on the field – they moved in and created a sort of foam popcorn mountain by destroying all the garden seating cushions, and they brought back home snails and almonds as after dinner snacks – so was a two day stinky job to get things sorted- a facemask and gloves on, with my socks tucked firmly in my trousers. The Geckos and Maltese Wall Lizards have now moved back in – though they’ve said they won’t trash the place!
The chickens are all good – happy in ‘Cluckingham Palace’ with young rooster, Timmy, now in a separate ‘West Wing’ with older chuck, Nephthys – they love kale and cockroaches, snails and any passing earwigs so are good pest controllers – and they work for their food by turning over all the compost we generate, in a new composting zone where they remove weed seeds. Vanilla Slice, the senior rooster has been teaching Timmy Junior how to crow – unfortunately his body clock is out of synch and he makes his presence known pretty much anytime, including 3.00am…. Mind you Vanilla’s twin brother and rebel rooster, Arkwright, somehow ended up in a first-floor bathroom…!
We’ve also been busy with a new environmental tree-planting charity called ‘Siġar’ (trees in Maltese) – a few of us got together to set up the e-NGO and so far we are doing OK – it’s small-scale tree planting in urban settings, on public land, and recently in local schools. We are using indigenous trees grown from seed or cutting on Gozo by the Ministry nursery team at Dawarra along with mulch, compost, and plant labels. We are all volunteers, and can also fund raise, and we have already started to work in partnership with Nature Trust Malta, local councils and schools particularly the eco-skola and LEAF groups. We also have invaluable help from a Gozitan tree expert, and are creating an island wide network of ‘ volunteer tree champions’ who agree to water the newly planted trees (20 liters per tree, per week, rising to 30 liters in the summer), for the first 2 years to ensure they cope with Gozo’s extreme summer heat – so quite a volunteering commitment!
Gozo.NewsLast year, I gave up my voluntary role as the custodian at Dwejra Tower, but am still involved with Din L-Art Helwa (Malta’s National Trust) and we are hosting an event next month at Ta’ Sopu Watch Tower, built by the Knights of St. John back in 1667. Nature Trust Malta will be offering free guided nature tours and an opportunity to explore the surrounding rocky, limestone garrigue area – with Tree Euphorbias, Maltese Heather, Cistus, Myrtle and Olive leaved Germander all in bloom – the wild orchids follow later.
Enjoy your time in the garden, on the allotment, or pottering in your shed.
Best wishes
Simon & Mary Wallace
