So, back for a moment to Burma, which is where I was going when I last posted. A marvellous, curious, heartwarming country where the wonderful people deserve better than they've got. Interesting growing too. We took some time out of the blistering heat and universal dust of Yangon (though a fascinating brilliant city nonetheless, and wonderful flowers stalls, all home grown of course, nothing imported) and went to the slightly cooler climes of central Burma and Inle Lake, which I decided is a cross between Venice and Evesham. Watery, houses built on the water but more interesting for me the fact that the gardens are also on the water, captured pockets of land a metre deep that are anchored to the bottom of the lake with giant bamboos, compost is lakeweed and silt captured from the lake and taken back in boats to spread.This is where they grow the tomatoes for Burma, plus cucumbers, gourds, some flwoers.... tomatoes are the main crop, 3 months to grow and 3 months harvesting, then another crop.
And not just practical but also utterly picturesque. I m wondering if it could be a way forward for the Levels, with different plants, and using willows instead of bamboos as the staples?
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