Battling the wilderness
Under his attentive care, nature has indeed demonstrated its magical ability to recover, providing many surprises.
At present, around 250 kinds of plants are grown on the farm; about half were planted by Xu, and the others are wild. They include araguaney (Ta-be-buia chrysantha) and tropical hydrangea, which are the two birthday trees planted for his daughters' birthdays. There is a climbing Entada whose fruit can be made into a scraping plate for a type of traditional massage, a sago palm-the second generation of a palm that was mistakenly cut down, but was saved by Xu-and a lemon eucalyptus that originally grew on the balcony of his Shuili home. A number of the trees have been damaged by typhoons, and some are misshapen with enormous branches and only a thin trunk, but they survive and grow even after storms break off some of their branches. Taking a stroll around the farm, every plant is a valued member of the family with its own story.
Though the farm is blooming in its own natural, organic way, it is facing a new challenge. Because of the shortage of labor and abundant summer rainfall, giant sensitive plant (Mimosa diplotricha) has spread all over the land, mile-a-minute weeds (Mikania micrantha) have reached the treetops, plants are tangled with vines, and the walking paths are covered by tenacious weeds. Unfortunately he may have to use an excavator to save the farm.
Xu says that for him managing the farm is more like an experiment in adapting to nature. If the farm eventually became overrun by weeds, then it would be just returning the land to nature. People would lose the pleasure of being close to the land and benefiting from its use. But the land belongs to nature, and the goal is always to discover harmony in the relationship. Maintaining a balance between human needs and what nature can comfortably provide is forever a challenge.
Xu has written the detailed story of his "Radish Pit" on his blog: Starting from Nothing-The Song of the Land. The story has twice been selected for the Global Chinese Blog Award, and a publisher has offered to publish the work under a title taken from Xu's address: 10/11 Melon Road. If you are still pondering whether you would enjoy communing with nature, living a carefree existence in the beautiful countryside, Xu's story will be worth the read.
Xu says that his children enjoy playing pirates, climbing the stairs and looking far into the distance over wild, imaginary seas from the dormer window.
"The Radish Pit" is a fun playground for Xu's two princesses, Xinping and Xintian.
"The Radish Pit" is a fun playground for Xu's two princesses, Xinping and Xintian.
This is what "The Radish Pit" looked like originally: a barren, ruined landscape destroyed by pesticides and chemical fertilizers.