There was an impressive garden when we moved into the Red Shed.
It still had vegetables growing, and I remember picking kale for our morning juice.
We couldn’t believe our luck. I was thrilled to be living in a home with an abundant veggie garden and nature at our back door.
I kept the garden going for a while. We found a local supplier of seedlings and each weekend found me pottering in the dirt.
But life happened, and as we settled into our new home and life, we found ourselves exploring on the weekends, visiting family when we could and sadly, the garden became more and more neglected.
We managed to grow an abundance of herbs, and I occasionally succeeded in producing a few vegetables. Tomatoes and Pumpkins come up on their own each year, but more often than not they would rot due to neglect.
Last year while I was gone for two months walking the Camino, I arrived back to find Australia had turned into a fiery inferno. And the drought had finally taken a toll on the yard and garden.
All our energy went to the threat of fire. We were constantly on edge, fearing evacuation, and the garden was the last thing on our minds.
And when the fires were finally out, it rained. And rained. And rained.
During that time, I was processing my Camino experience. It had such a profound effect on me. There were many lessons I learned while walking so far.
And I kept thinking about a garden and how it could be a place to share with others.
What if I could create a beautiful, productive garden where my family and friends could spend time. If they wanted, they could help with the harvest, preserve the food and then share in the bounty?
I knew I could do it, but I also knew it would mean a full-time commitment. Not a half-hearted effort like in the past.
And so the creation of our new garden began.
I started planning, drawing, reading and watching YouTube videos.
My first goal is to become self-sufficient with vegetables. To cut down our grocery bill. Anything after that will be a bonus.
Getting Started
I was a little overwhelmed, I must say, so I spent time cleaning up the existing garden beds, getting them ready for new plantings.
They had become overrun with grass. I topped them with new soil and got to planting, mulching with a good layer of hay.
The garlic has already shot up. The lettuce is doing ok with only a few casualties. I have onions planted as well as seeds I am trying to raise. Stubborn little things will not come up!
Does anyone know what I’m doing wrong?
There are a stack more seeds I am growing in trays. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. There’s so much to learn!
And I don’t have much of an idea what will grow this time of the year. I have a vague list drawn up but I figure the best way to learn is through trial and error.
That’s a hard thing to do for a control freak.
Sharing my Plans
Dan had always wanted to turn the spare block into a garden. We rent our home, but the owner is happy for us to do what we like with the yard.
Once we started sharing our plans, things started to happen.
We were so lucky we were given an old water tank cut into thirds to use as raised garden beds. Thanks, Tony x
And thanks to Chris for picking them up for us. We all kept our distance, I promise!
Our neighbour offered us a mulcher! Thanks, Barry and Lynne x
Dan went into organisation mode and set out to find cardboard, newspaper and garden waste to turn into mulch.
Friends who own restaurants, cafes and shops provided us with so many boxes.
One friend has kindly given me coffee grounds as well as boxes from her cafe. Thanks, Sue x.
And our lawn mowing guy has happily dumped a load of garden waste for us to turn into mulch.
We have retrieved logs and tree waste from our neighbours across the road and in a time when we are all isolating we have been lucky to get our local nursery to deliver loads of soil and wood chips.
It feels like we are not only helping ourselves but others as well by getting rid of their waste.
Now, all we need is a stack of palettes. Know anyone who wants to get rid of some? They would be great for our new compost bays.
Creating a Garden Plan
What plan? I tried to create one and failed and here’s why.
This is all new to me.
Every time I think I am going to plant something in a particular bed, I either haven’t created the bed yet, or the seedlings aren’t ready.
Or I found seedlings (they were as rare as toilet paper for a while) and frantically shoved them in any spot I could find before they died.
So, I have given up the planting plan for this year and will concentrate on the design plan. Although, that’s gone out the window too as I learn about the destructive nature of weather. Let’s not even talk about the half-built potato patch and the 90 kph winds!
For now, I will take note of what I planted where, and how well it does, and next year try and create a plan.
I have created a vegetable staples list – all the vegetables we like. No point growing things for the sake of it.
And I have a new obsession. Seeds.
The garden so far
The existing garden consists of two garden tiers the length of our house with stairs in between plus two raised beds.
I have created two hügelkultur beds (not sure if I have done this correctly, but I guess we’ll see).
I have broad beans coming up so far and am waiting to see if the fennel seeds come up.
One raised bed has been planted with onions and carrots. It’s iffy if they will survive.
I also created this bed using hügelkultur principles, and I am currently working on filling the other two raised beds.
One of the beds was placed as per a sketch we drew up, and the other one is now sitting beside it, replacing the potato patch that took off piece by piece in the fierce winds we experienced over the weekend.
That was a fun experience! Apologies to anyone that found a random cardboard box in their yard.
Then we will fill in the middle of the yard bit by bit, pretending to follow a plan, but really just winging it. After all, I want it to look organic and natural – my way of saying that nothing has gone to plan, but we are pretending that it has.
Materials for the Garden
I am trying to reuse, recycle, repurpose and compost everything I can.
Even though we have bought wood chips and soil to get started, it is our hope in the future to create most of our compost for the garden, and mulch for the paths.
The cardboard boxes, stripped of all their tape and staples, are used as weed suppressants under the garden beds and all pathways.
We are desperately trying to get our hands on pallets but have realised our car is not big enough to pick any up.
I will have to wait for the lockdown to be over and enlist the help of my kids with their vans and utes.
I’m tired and sore. Shovelling endless wheelbarrows of dirt and wood chips is exhausting. Good cardio workout too. But I’m excited and happy to be playing in the dirt and creating something of value.
I am no longer working in my business Travel Charm, although the website is still current with all the resources still available. It has been a massive part of my life, and I’m not ready to let it go altogether.
Many might think the garden project is a reflection of the times. It’s not. It just coincided with it.
If I ever needed a sign I was going in the right direction, this is it!
So many childhood memories of my dad are coming up. He had the ultimate green thumb. It’s nice to feel a connection to him. He passed away 13 years ago. He would have loved it all – where we live, my plans for the garden.
The garden is more than a garden. It’s a way to contribute to the household, it’s a way for me to be creative, and I have missed that so much. I love cooking and preserving. I love designing and creating something from nothing.
I love the idea of sustainability, reusing, recycling and repurposing.
From Travel Planner to Gardener.
Oh, and I was thinking about having a Garden Party when it’s all done. Want to come? I’ll be in need of a glass of wine (or 5) by then.