The new Duck Garden, just inside the West Pasture. I recycled a relatively new redundant spite fence from previous owners on one end of the house lawn – posts, metal fence and all – and set it up here. Finished it off with bamboo top rail, built and installed the gate from leftover lumber and then Ma (Sharon) set up straw-modified raised beds (holds more moisture) and enriched rows for greens and vegetables. She hand-painted the sign and I adhered the three hollow ceramic cuties with expanding foam over screws. In the garden are tatsoi, climbing and bush beans, nasturtiums, watermelon, canteloupe, beets, carrots, collard greens, radish, pigeon peas, raspberry, blackberry, false roselle, tomato and two grape vines. The sand live oak trees are great for protecting plants from brutal sun while not harming yield. We were motoring on this project the week the Pandemic kicked into high gear.
James V. Freeman is an established visual artist (oil painting) with a deep interest in natural history, plants and farming. He has had numerous solo shows, a solo museum show, an upcoming museum show and his work has been featured in many publications to date. He currently has a studio in Williston, Fl at the family farm and homestead, "Cactus Island", and as a farmer, specializes in growing columnar cacti of the Caribbean and Gulf countries as well as the aquatic Madegascar Lace Plant. James and his mom Sharon manage and develop the permaculture homestead.
Cactus Island Nursery
2 Comments
Sharon Passero
Love this, Jim!
jvfreeman
Thanks, Ma!