Last week, Lifecycle gazed upwards, so now let’s get down to ground level. This probably applies elsewhere, but is now prominent in Xianlin. The farmers have descended on the road verges and really advanced “farms” have appeared. Along one road, the plots are “fenced” off with meticulous structures. Half metre lengths of bamboo are speared into the ground in a line, and the tops are bound together in the style of the old wattle technique. Old vine stems are wound back and forth, alternating to lock the tops into a rigid structure. At the corners, and every few metres, a straight section of a tree branch is driven into the soil. The overall effect is of a very long term structure. Elsewhere, the garden beds have small frames of scrap wood erected, and clear plastic is spread over the frame and the bed. The edges of the plastic are held down with rocks and, voila, an instant greenhouse!
Read about trucking in China? It’s the buzz on NJX!
