rainy season is not over yet...

 We are once again experiencing loads of rain, with more to come. 

Our road that just started to dry out, is a mud pool once again....

we now have a dalo plantation as well...

hard work....back breaking....

always time for relaxing and a picnic......

What is Dalo/ Taro?

 Taro is native to southeast Asia. It is a perennial, tropical plant primarily grown as a root vegetable for its edible starchy corm and as a leaf vegetable and is considered a staple in African, Oceanic and Asian cultures.

  It is known by many local names and often referred to as 'elephant ears' when grown as an ornamental plant.

 

 Taro, talo, dalo, dago, aba, angel, aro, ma – these are all names for the plant that has helped provide good nutrition to South Pacific Islanders for hundreds of years.

with the horses on the beach...

 

no words  needed.....

 

 

planting kumala - sweet potato

 

This is the area that we have allocated to plant sweet potato ( kumala).  We bought cuttings from the Agriculture department and we got some from the Research station, Suva.

the work carries on...

 

here are a few photos of  things we did the last few weeks....

Claude made an entrance to the farm....

the inevitable chain and lock.....

We filled the mud holes with sea sand . 

the dreaded mud hole!

Rochelle and I 'discovered' a plant cave....

Trees overgrown by vines....
forming a dense cave of vegetation.

Rochelle having fun...

Inside this vine cave was no sunshine!

We cleared vaivai trees , replanted some trees and generally started to make fields and driveways....

vanillery !

 She : 'There are 100 cuttings of vanilla here'

He : ' yes....and so? '

She : 'Well, it needs supports.....

it needs to be planted.....'

What do we have...?

Bush (again!)

So, after clearing....it looks as if we have our supports....

and then  it is time to till the land, make the beds and....start planting!

The first vanilla planted....awesome moment for me!

I will be lying if I say there were no hard moments....times I felt like....screaming!

But a few minutes of thought gathering, rest.....

Back to work I go.....

I think the nicest part of the day, is to water the plants that you took all day to get into the soil.

and then to watch them grow...and thrive....

early morning sunlight in the vanillery.....