Lists of things to do

While we were away, I did do a lot of thinking about what needs to be done to get the garden ready for the spring.  I have a fixed vision in my head of how I want it to be and it is shaping up nicely.  But things were also happening behind the scenes.  I’m not all that great with my spatial awareness as shown by when I needed to do a quick readjustment to my plans once I was able to fully assess the space in person.  But that was easily sorted.

Not so easily sorted was where I had asked for the 6 loads of good earth from up near Froggies to be put.  How was I to know it would be in the way?  It seemed like it was tucked up away in a corner.  Only once the bulldozer began levelling the garden that the problem became apparent and I could only build half the garden.  There just wasn’t enough manoeuvre room in the far end to sort it all out in one go.

So, while I was away the bulldozer got back to work – with help of a tractor with a scoop and the soil was moved to a more sensible place and the rest of the garden was levelled out enough for me to continue with the building of the beds.  It was lovely to come home to some progress that occurred in my absence.  They even managed to roughly fill most of the beds already constructed.

The garden is now segmented into various stages – some excitingly require the planting of plants and sowing of seeds, others in hard construction and the rest require extracting from my head and into reality.

The best way forward from this point is to write some lists and if I put them here then there is a degree of public accountability to keep me on track. Having said that the motivation to get the garden ready for the spring doesn’t need much of a push.  Especially if I’m to be planting out tomatoes in 13 weeks.

First list:  Building rest of the beds

• Paint the brackets with an anti-rust paint on the edges so they don’t rust in our salty air.
• Check how much wood I have left – I suspect someone (possibly me) transposed the numbers when making the order and at a glance it looks like I have an excess of 1m lengths and significant lack of 2m lengths. Possibly order more.
• Assemble the beds
• Fill the beds.

A simple list.

Next list:  The existing beds.

• Continue levelling them so they line up and look pretty.
• Enrich the beds with compost, blood and bone, and some Dynamic Lifter. This should allow the nutrients to incorporate with the new soil and form some kind of microbial community and soil structure long before needed.
• Except in the beds that need onions and asparagus planting in them sooner rather than later. Plant asparagus and onion seedlings.
• All beds – already and soon-to-be constructed need irrigation. This is always easier to do before planting but some plants are already in situ, but it will be fine.
• Speaking of irrigation, I need to sort out a water tank for the garden so I don’t ‘accidently’ drain the house dry. All our water needs are met by the heavens above.
• I need to find and order a load of bark for between the beds.

Another list:

• I need to finalise my under glass growing solution – it is in progress and close to being assembled, but I really want to do a grand reveal for this one so I’ll keep you guessing. But all I can say is it is under control and I’m super excited.
• Sort out the seeds and get things started so there will be things to plant when the time is right.
• I need a shed… and an office to write from. This is on another master list awaiting a next stage fiscal injection. It’s like they don’t trust you when building – or maybe they like to keep you on edge… I have chosen the ones I want and can already see myself working in them.
• Fruit cage. This is more pressing – I have strawberries and raspberries that have been languishing in pots for about a year now.  I’m surprised I haven’t killed them.  This fact alone makes them deserving of a grand home where they won’t be harried by birds stealing their fruit.  I can see it in my head but haven’t managed to clarify the details as yet.
• Plant an orchard. I want to fill the place with fruit trees, but I need to choose, source and acquire them with haste as there is only 4 – 5 weeks remaining as the ideal time to plant trees for this season.  I had over thirty trees in my old orchard and find the new wish list has not been compromised in any way.   Holes need to be dug!
• Once the whole thing is created I want to wrap a rabbit, chicken and deer proof fence around the lot with some kind of barrier to prevent the encroachment of the kikuyu grass that thrives in this spot.
• Compost heap – I’m going to need one of these too – a lovely three bin one.

I think that’s it.  There are probably lists within the lists and things I haven’t thought of but I’m on the right track and full of enthusiasm.

Come again soon – I wonder where I’ll start.

Sarah the Gardener  : o)