Today we built a garden bed! Yes, it was exciting because we've - meaning I've - talked about doing so for a LONG TIME. And now we've - meaning I've - done it! I had some help from the girls, but when they got sick of layering and layering I let them leap into the pool! BRRR!
First of all, we sent Tayla's mum a text message to say you know we don't actually plan much, but today we're building our garden bed, which we've planned, and we'd love Tayla to join us if she had no other plans for the day.
HOT TIP: Invite for a play date, a little friend with good manners and a big smile, who is enthusiastic, joyful, fun and hard-working.
Luckily for Poppy (she was a little concerned about the HARD WORK part of "building" a garden, which I'd mentioned earlier), Tayla was able to join us. After hot chocolates with the local theatrical crew at Your Place Espresso, we raced off to pick up Tayla and get some hay and mulch and stuff from Tracie at Tanawha Hay Shed. She was about to shut up shop (we'd taken our time getting hot chocolates and Tayla), and she was happy to stay and find what we needed for a lot less than we would have parted with if we'd bought everything from Bunnings. This is what we got from Tracie:
- lucerne
- sugar cane mulch
- compost
- clippings
N.B. The clippings come from the lawn and the floor of the shed, and they may contain bits of the string that tie the bags of stock feed so if you have animals in your yard you are well advised to avoid using the clippings. I was looking for the least expensive way to get my materials together, and in the least amount of time. I expected to make one or two more stops after Tanawha Hay Shed.
We went for a lovely country drive, through Eudlo and Palmwoods and bought manure from a property with a fancy gate. Clearly, they sell lots of manure. Although it was an honesty system with a sign that instructed us to put $2.50 in the letterbox in exchange for a bag, the bags of manure were on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL. Maybe their business is so good they don't need to trade on Sundays. I respect this notion but WE NEEDED THE MANURE MORE THAN THEY DID. I discovered, while the girls said hello to the horses, that I could reach over the wall and lift two bags over it before I thought my arms would actually drop off, so we left $5 in the letterbox for those. As we were leaving we spotted the kids, three of them, doing the work, shovelling manure into a wheelbarrow. We waved and they didn't wave back. Clearly, manure can't buy happiness.
On the way out of Palmwoods we saw another place selling bags of manure for ONE DOLLAR. So because Poppy likes a bargain, I stopped and picked up two. At once. They were half-full. Like, one dollar's worth. When we got home they were the bags the girls were able to lift and carry from the car to the back yard so well worth the additional gold coin.
So we'd gathered our materials first. That is unusually organised for me. I'm the sort who bakes a flourless chocolate cake not for any reason other than that I open the pantry to see that I HAVE NO FLOUR.
ONE MORE STOP. Everyone was getting hungry. It was well past 1pm.
HOT TIP: Feed the workers.
We stopped at Bunnings for mushroom compost, seed raising mix and seasol, and I enjoyed for a moment comparing the ridiculous prices of the very same sugar cane mulch and compost! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS, PEOPLE! It's the Sunshine Coast! It's all here, if only you are happy to drive more than 5 minutes to get it all from your neighbours! Except for liquid seaweed products, seed raising mix and mushroom compost. Nobody seems to have those. Oh, and molasses. There ain't no honesty boxes for molasses. And you won't find it at Bunnings. In fact, I completely forgot to find it at all, the secret ingredient to the no-dig organic vege garden.
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW WITHOUT IT?
I guess we'll see. Unless I cave and get some tomorrow. In which case, it's too late to pre-soak the sugar cane mulch and newspaper in the stuff! That baby's gonna' go right over the top, along with another lot of seasol! (Oh yes, there are worms and worm castings to come too. Remember, I'm on a budget!).
HOT TIP: Don't forget to buy your sugar cane mulch from Tanawha Hay Shed for a third of the commercial price, and a lovely chat with Tracie.
I lifted all the bags except the few that were manageable for the girls, and we stopped for lunch. It was 2 o'clock! Poppy's friends are always surprised when I don't bring out sandwiches (we do sandwiches for high tea, tiny cucumber sandwiches). No one is ever disappointed, just surprised. I served big bowls of vege soup with feta cheese crumbled on top, the sort of delicious dish I'm looking forward to making with our own fresh, organic veges, picked straight from the garden; good wholesome farm food!
We put Tayla to work, soaking the cardboard, which will stop the lawn and the weeds growing, and decompose during the whole process to eventually enrich the soil beneath. Then we layered up, as if we were makin' lasagne, just as Nicola Chatham, the organic no-dig vege garden queen likes to say. The girls thought this was hilarious. HORSE POO LASAGNE. WHO WOULD EAT THAT? HAHAHA. Seven year olds are fun.
HOT TIP: Give the kids gloves and boots. Bare hands and feet shouldn't really be messing about in compost and manure. Make sure they have a lovely shower and a cup of tea after the hard work is done. (A cup of tea served in pretty china is the BEST treat!).
The girls worked together to get the dirty work done! They invited the neighbour over to help and we gave her the hose...
HOT TIP: Give the hose to a known child!
It was fine. It was fun. They laughed and made rainbows, and stomped across the muddy cardboard to "help it sink into the ground to make good earth".
Then we got out THE MANURE. EWWW! But the girls were having so much fun that they didn't realise we were building our garden and that we were nearly done!
HOT TIP: Don't tell the kids "Awesome work, everybody! We're nearly done!"until you're done.
While the girls were in the pool (at whatever sub-zero temperature) this happened...
Ta-da! I finished layering and witnessed the universal light shining down on our little garden, blessing it in abundance and all things wonderful, natural, organic and good!
HOT TIP: Stop and smell the...compost. Seriously, take time to enjoy for a moment what you've achieved in just under 2 hours without the help of your significant other (who was in Brisbane emceeing the Guinness Book of World Records attempt for the biggest orchestra. And they smashed it!) Phew! Everyone happy!
I've been a bit obsessed for some time now about getting this garden started. It feels good to have begun a more sustainable way of living. It was time. We've been making gradual changes for years, adding in organic food, doing away with products containing palm oil, teaching our child to read and consider what is actually in the food she's eating, cutting out fast food, learning about organic gardening and permaculture, taking notice of what Dad and others are able to grow in the same region, seeking out like-minded people and community garden groups, buying seasonal fruit and veges, planning to grow our own... it's a good start and now the next phase begins. Tomorrow we're digging a pond, looking online for the native shrubs, vines and bushes that will encourage birds, bees and butterflies to the area, and ordering our Aerobin. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT ORDERING OUR AEROBIN. Actually, I'm still considering constructing a two-compartment or three-compartment compost system out of recycled timber, but I know that will take longer and I'M IMPATIENT DAMNIT!
I'm pretty happy with this start. I don't like this last photo - I'm trying to ignore the fact that my skin isn't flawless anymore, and more and more lines are appearing AND I often look much more tired than I feel - but I'm posting it anyway because quite often we - meaning I - stop for a selfie that is a selfie for selfie's sake. This moment was actually a glimmer of self-satisfaction at doing this thing myself. (I used to do a lot more by myself. We forget what we're capable of)... With some help from my little friends, of course. Thanks little friends, everybody did an awesome job! We're nearly done! (Come back tomorrow and help me dig the frog pond, yeah?)!
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