Field Trip: Edge Spaces

"Find: points of disconnection; interfaces, where one thing links to another; transitional spaces that are neither one thing nor another." Field Trip - 29/06/14, Easterbrooks, West Town Farm, Ide, Devon.

Field Trip: Light & Air

"Where is sun? Where is shadow? - Where is warmest? Where is coolest? - Where is still? Where is breezy? - Where is dry? Where is humid?"  Field Trip - 29/06/14, Easterbrooks, West Town Farm, Ide, Devon. (Maeve's notebook)

Field Trip: Movement

"Find: shears and joins, flows and breaks, routes and barriers, niches and hollows, accumulations and removals." Field Trip - 29/06/14, Easterbrooks, West Town Farm, Ide, Devon.

Field Trip: Inventory of things

"Throw a hoop to pick a random patch of ground. Log, describe and count everything you find there." Field Trip - 29/06/14, Easterbrooks, West Town Farm, Ide, Devon.

Pilot planting site

Easterbrooks, West Town Farm, looking NW - 11/06/14

We've picked a pilot site for potential banana planting at West Town Farm and will be carrying out a more detailed survey of the growing conditions with temperature sensors supplied by Exeter University's Environment & Sustainability Institute. There's the possibility of soil testing too. In addition, we're hoping participants on a walk on 29 June (led by Gabrielle Hoad) will share their observations of the site.

Devon banana plants going strong

Our stock of Musa Dwarf Cavendish is doing well.  Two are at West Town Farm in a polytunnel under the care of Andrew Sanders, the Community Garden Co-ordinator; five are at the University of Exeter in Penryn under the care of Dr Jonathan Bennie; and three are with Gabrielle Hoad in Exeter, living indoors (although they will go outside when the Devon weather improves).

This is one of the latter which, after a slow start, are now growing fast and have reached a height of approximately 22cm (42cm including pot). They have also started to show distinctive maroon markings on their leaves. Although these probably won't reach full height (2.4 metres) this summer, they should provide us with a supply of pups (suckers) for future planting.

Baby bananas

Ten Musa 'Dwarf Cavendish' (dessert bananas) arrived today for planting in Penryn and Exeter. Once they've grown a bit, they should be fairly happy outdoors, though they will need some protection in winter. The real challenge will be getting them to fruit.