My session covered a range of bits and pieces you could collect from around the home/in the bin/on the kerbside throw-out to make gardening cheaper and more sustainable. I went through different options for growing containers like olive oil tins, small tins, yoghurt containers etc., and making your own pots out of newspaper, toilet rolls or egg cartons. Then I discussed making labels for your pots out of recycled food containers (like milk bottles and yoghurt tubs again) as well as old venetian blinds you find on council kerbside recycling days.
I spoke about saving seeds and my general motto of 'give it a go, you never know'. Some seeds are easier to save and grow than others but you'll never know until you stick some in the ground. Remember to try the pantry and your spice rack.
We also covered protecting your garden from bush turkeys and possums. I absolutely love bird netting for this purpose. I had little success with my veggie beds until I covered the whole garden in netting. Now I only have to fight caterpillars and grasshoppers; much nicer than the total annihilation you get from the possums and turkeys! The stuff is very cheap at your local hardware store or nursery. You do have to keep it quite low and watch no birds get tangled in it though.
All in all it was a lovely, inspiring day. I went home and planted some seeds, made some bliss balls (recipe to come in a later post) and generally felt like I'd accomplished something.
I read your post on feeling trapped and didn't know what to say without sounding annoying. I guess I'm one of those people who've escaped. The truth is, I was just lucky enough to find rural living by chance and like it. I'd recommend that if you can move, try to find an affordable rental house with a little yard, maybe with a couple roommates to make it work financially. (That's what we've done.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you are doing EXACTLY what I'd like to be doing with this skill-cycle thing and I commend you. This is hard to do in the country, so take advantage of your time in the city to get accomplish such an awesome feat. This is your period of research. I sort of wish I had had one of those and then there wouldn't have been so many mistakes!
ps. I think it's funny that you have to combat bush turkeys and possums. Here it's rabbits and deer.
Thanks mckenzie, so lovely to hear your supportive words! I hadn't thought about seeing this as research, that's a great angle to focus on.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, your blog is one of the inspiring blogs I was thinking about while writing that trapped post! I've followed your blog for awhile and I had to squeal a little when I saw you commenting :)