Footprint 35: One of the thieves

I finally managed to get a picture of one of the thieves.  The pigeons who come into my bedroom to help themselves to dog biscuits are becoming quite tame.  They no longer leave when I go into my room, which is amusing, but a bit disturbing:

Pigeon perched on bedroom door

I am starting to wonder at what point I am going to have to move out to make way for them :)

Footprint 34: Experiments

Nowhere can I find anyone in South Africa who is growing shallots.  Shallots are onions which grow like garlic.  In other words, they are a group of bulbs produced by the same plant, rather than a root.  Their flavour is more subtle than root onion, more delicate, more like a spring onion.  Shallots are highly prized in Europe.  Thanks to a very kind friend of mine, who got export permission for the bulbs, I now have some shallots growing in a tub in my back garden and they are sprouting!

two shallot sprouts

The bulbs that I have planted to date have been most interesting.  The veggies that are growing from seed are very fragile.  The bulbs, when they sprout are vigorous from the time they emerge from the soil.

What I am learning about gardening, is how very important it is to observe.  Each type of plant has its own idiosyncrasies, growth rates, site preferences, soil preferences.  A classic example of this is the carrots that I have planted.  Almost my first planting more than two months ago were carrots.  Those that I planted first, into good quality, well composted soil, in pots that were only just deep enough, have grown very, very slowly.  Carrots that I planted about a month ago, in poorer soil, in a much larger and deeper pot, and in a less sunny position, have leapt forward, and are now larger than their older peers:

Carrots in large planter

The difference is a small one, the lesson learnt quite large.  I now know better to pay careful attention to advice on each crop type.

Footprint 33: Painting the Square Foot Gardens: Waterproofing 101

Yesterday was sunny.  So I put on the first coat of bitumen:  

Boxes with first bitumen coat

 I am using a bitumen that is used for koi ponds, and which cannot poison the plants growing in the boxes.  There is a 2 - 3 hour delay between this coat and the next coat.  Today it is raining, so coat 2 will have to wait for better weather.  At least with the first coat, the wood will have some protection from the rain.

Footprint 32: Wwoofing

Today is wet and rainy.  So today is a research day.  I am very excited.  I have joined WWOOF [World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms].  You can find my profile on World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms  Thanks, Dani... I joined :).

If I had not begun my journey into growing food, gardening, organic gardening, permaculture, I would not have been introduced to this organisation, which may just prove to be one of the most exciting things that I have ever done.

However, it remains baby steps.  One day at a time, one step at a time.  Each day brings new insights, new ideas, new growth, both in me, in my tiny garden, and in my ability to make a contribution.

It is true.  God cannot hand one anything new until one has let go of what one is holding.  Nature abhors a vacuum.  Having lived the corporate life for so many, many years, and having experienced all the fear that locks one into what one knows, I have finally take that big step, and let go of what I have clutched for so long.  And now, life is pouring in new experiences and new opportunities.  Without letting go, I could not possibly know, through experience, the incredible wonders, and options, which life so abundantly offers.

Footprint 31: Painting the square foot gardens: Primer

Here are the tools that I will be using for painting the square foot gardens:

Tools for painting

In no particular order, above are: 

a)  A tin for mixing bitumen and water for primer;

b)  Bitumen;

c)  Paint;

d)  Membrane;

e)  Brush soaking in water;

f)  Watering can for water.

Nothing happens without water.  The first coat is a 1/2 mixture of bitumen and water.  This is to get the bitumen to soak into the wood.  Here are the boxes painted with primer:

Boxes coated with primer

This is going to be a slow process.  The primer needs to dry for upwards of three hours.  Subsequent coats need longer.  I will give the drying times as I post each coat.

There were some casualties along the way:

Shorts with primer splatter

One of my favourite pairs of shorts for the beach are now re-assigned to painting and home shorts.  I very much doubt that those stains are going to come out.

Paint bespattered feet

Hopefully these will come right with a long, well-deserved soak in a nice hot bath, with loads of bubbly stuff, with the bubbly stuff being shop bought gifts from family.

Footprint 30: More plot clearing

Once the boxes were complete, Comfort and Alex 'trimmed' the brazilian pepper so that it no longer interferes with the overhead electrical cabling:

Here is what the pepper looks like now

Trimmed pepper tree

I thought I had a problem last weekend with the syringa that had to be removed.  I think I have a bigger task now:

Pepper trimmings

This is going to be a long task.  The greenery needs to be removed for inclusion in the compost heap.  The smaller branches need to be cut into tiny pieces for compost and mulch.  The larger wood pieces that cannot be reduced with a secateur will need to be lugged to the municipal dump.  I figure there are more than 10 trips in that pile!

Footprint 29: Building the square foot gardens

Today was an exciting day.  A lot of preparation has gone into this.  We are building two gardens.  We started by fitting the pieces together to make sure that everything fitted correctly:

Pieces loosely put together to ensure fitting

This was follows by screwing the pieces together:

Screwing the pieces together

Here is a close-up of one of the corners:

A corner join

 Note that the inner piece is longer than the two outer sides.  This is so that things can be attached to the box.  Things that might be attached include frames for staking, net for climbing, shade cloth, wind protection fabrics.

Here is a picture of the inside of the box where the soil will ultimate be placed:

Completed box except for drainage holes

Drainage holes in the base of the box

Once the boxes were complete, we transferred them to the sunniest part of the garden, which happens to be my front lawn.  I figure it is a worthy sacrifice.  Besides, the lawn needs to be completely re-established anyway, so should I want lawn back in due course, I will start it again:

Boxes on front lawn

The boxes are currently upside down in preparation for painting.  They are extremely heavy, largely owing to the shutterply base.  I may have to rethink bases if I build more boxes in future.  It is not possible for one person to carry one box.  It takes at least two people, preferably nice strong men.

It occurred to me quite late, that it would be a good idea to put primer onto the boxes in case it rains tomorrow.  So there was this crazy lady, already decked out for bed, painting boxes in the dark.  And it is jolly cold too.  There is an icy wind swirling around.  My poor neighbours must wonder whether alzheimer's has set in.  If it is not raining tomorrow, then I will complete the primer, then add the first coat of bitumen and onwards from then.  I will blog progress on this so that anyone who may be interested in building their own boxes know what needs to be done.