Nature talk: Permaculture garden

Q. I want to try permaculture in my Islamabad garden and need to know what kind of plants I can put in to achieve this aim. A: As the term 'permaculture' implies, the principle is to plant perennial, that is 'permanent' plants which are productive over a number of years. Permaculture gardens primarily hinge on edible plants although pollinator attractant species can also be incorporated. Depending on the size of your garden you should start out by introducing as many species of fruit trees as possible. Suitable species for your location include: Banana, guava, apricot, plum, persimmon, oranges, lemons, grapefruit with grape and passion fruit vines being encouraged to grow up and amongst them. Then you can introduce some perennial vegetables like globe artichokes, cardoon, asparagus and Chinese yams with perennial herbs such as aniseed, thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, chives, garlic chives, etc. planted around. There are actually lots of highly productive perennial plants around if you look for them, like day lilies and hollyhocks for example, being very attractive. There is nothing wrong with having some seasonal vegetables, flowers and herbs in your permaculture garden, particularly those which self-seed freely but the basic idea is to work towards developing a 'self generating' garden which requires very little human interference to keep it balanced and in complete harmony with nature. Q: Please tell me about compost-making in Karachi. I would like to learn the different ways of doing this and the ingredients required. A: The most simple method of making compost at home is to construct a bin approximately four feet wide and high, having adequate drainage at the base. Throw all of your garden refuse, plus fruit and vegetable waste from the kitchen into this, mixing it up now and then if you can and keep the contents slightly moist by adding water in order to assist the compost procedure. Keep on going until the bin is full and then leave it to rot down until compost is formed. This can take anywhere from two to 12 months depending on what you have tossed into the mix. Do not add any diseased or otherwise infected plant material and if plant pieces are large, chop them up before adding them as small pieces rot down long before large, big ones. Q: How can I encourage butterflies to visit my garden? A: Plant lots of nectar rich flowering trees, shrubs, bedding plants and aromatic herbs to attract butterflies to visit your garden. Gardening in an organic, chemical-free way is also advisable. Q: I tried growing potatoes in my garden in Karachi but the one I planted only produced three potatoes and these were very small. What pampering does a potato plant need to produce lots of potatoes of a regular size? A: Potatoes need humus rich soil with some old, well rotted, organic manure worked in if they are to thrive. An adequate amount of water is also important. Plant your potatoes, preferably sprouted tubers, 8-10 inches deep and as soon as their leaves push through the ground, cover them up with more soil. This 'earthing up' process should be repeated at least four times by which time the plants will be well established under their mounds of earth. The depressions thus created around the plants can be filled up with a mulch of grass clippings and other plant material to keep the plant roots cool and help prevent the soil from drying out. After the potatoes have flowered they will eventually die back and the plants will dry up. It is only after this that you should dig them up to harvest your crop. Q: I disagree with your answer to a question some time ago in which you stated that olives trees need both male and female trees to fruit as this species is bisexual. A: You are perfectly correct and so am I. The majority of olive trees offered for sale in Pakistan are not bisexual and thus male and female plants are required in order for them to crop. More recently, however, bisexual olive trees have been introduced and I humbly apologise for omitting this important information from the column you refer to. Q: I am very interested in growing roses in my garden near the sea in Karachi. I understand that they are grown in winter. How should I go about doing this? A: So many questions about rose cultivation have come in recently that a forthcoming column will deal with this issue alone. I therefore ask you to be patient for another two to three weeks until it appears. If, after reading it, you still have unanswered questions then please do not hesitate to get back in touch. Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. Answers to selected questions will appear shortly in a future issue of the magazine. The writer will not respond directly by e-mail. E-mails with attachments will not be opened. The writer's garden is not open to public.