Latest Update:
The main focus of the next trip will be to check spring progress of work at the groves, including:
Annual undergrowth clearing at all groves,
Fertilising at all groves, including the Lemon Grove which has been neglected in past years.
Trimming of the borders and a special clearance project at Petra, to clear the track around its perimeter.
Bamboo has been cut at the Trigono grove but growth is rampant and we must look into more frequent cutting or removal.
Routine strimming at Trigono, carried out in January, March and May-June has helped to retain ground-cover herbal plants, while restricting others. There is always an issue of what level of wildlife can be sustained without making the sites look derelect and uncared for.
The 2011 olive oil yield was low, providing only sufficient funds to fertilise the Lamda grove, if that. Work will therefore be funded from the UK.
As always, finance continues to be a challenge.
Success in 2011
- Triangle: Direct Road access - finally achieved after 4 years: a flat, sensible access parallel to the one used prior to 2007. New gate so that the fence may not be broken down
- Triangle: Regular strimming completed and removal of bamboo to allow sun to reach the olive trees by the bank. The bank remaining wild.
- Lamda & Delta Groves, Pruned, fertilised and mown. Wild area by the stream cleaerd in March.
- lamda and Delta Borders: Upper borders trimmed, stream borders need to be cleared of bamboo.
- Olive crop 2011: Small crop, not taken to UK.
- Ithaki: Cleared on all sides close to the building, in March and December.
- Lemon Grove: Some clearing in March, Mown/tilled in may-June. Some areas need additional work and trees need fertilising and pruning in 2012.
- Petra (upper land): Partial clearing to redefine the bordering track - to be arranged for 2012. - Now urgent - to be arranged
- Trigono UK: Minor decoration through year .
- Website - streamlined for less time-comsuming maintenance.
- Shop - Launched Dec 22nd 2009, with 16 = designs. No income - need to re-think product range.
- BLOG - Introduced in July 2010 as an easier vehicle for travel and tourist information, leaving the website for business at the Groves.
Long term plans include restoration of Ithaki Summer house and the area around it. We also need to secure funding for the groves by maximising the use of the land and by increasing the income from the crops. This does not change the aim of protecting wildlife and the traditions of the area.
Approximate Annual Running Costs of Groves(€)
Costs of work were stable after 2010 rises.
- Lamd/Delta Groves total care : €1,000
- Lemon Grove Clearing trees and mowing but not borders, fertilising or buildings: €500
- Petra: mechanised clearing of borders and path, estimated €200
- Trigono Grove total care : €300
- Total 2,000
Photo by Romano Pedetti
It was interesting to take a bus trip through the villages between Methoni and Foinikounda in March 2011. The hour long trip showed increased development compared with a similar trip in 2010. Land is for sale on the main road directly opposite the Triangle and a new small house has been built nearby. There is a row of houses on a hillside about 1 km away. Building on the hills opposite the lemon Grove continues very slowly but elsewhere around Foiniki there is steady expansion. The direct road access through the lemon Grove valley, with water and electricity to follow, has not yet arrived but still seems inevitable. A road through the valley, following the path of the stream, would give easier access to the Lemon Grove and surrounding plots which are only 1-2 kilometres from the sea at Lambes Bay.
View Trigono-Lamda Designs:
online store
Sells merchandise decorated with images from the Trigono Groves.