It is just over a month since our very first lesson in trench-beds, when the seeds were sown in this bed, and see how they've grown!! By God's grace they've survived gale force winds, blistering heat, drenching rains and thunderstorms, all of which have happened here over the last month!
We are learning that any type of container is OK to grow veges in, as you can see from these pics. The mini-incubator on the left is cut from a plastic bottle, and is used to protect newly transplanted seedlings for up to 3 days, when it is removed. This gives the seedling a chance to recover after the shock of being transplanted!
To make a compost stack we layer newspaper, cardboard, dry leaves, wet organic waste, straw & manure and soil. The layers are repeated until you have a 1sq.meter stack. The whole thing is covered with an old blanket and a metal pole is inserted in the middle. This will indicate the temperature at the bottom of the stack, which should be warm and over a period of 3 months will begin to cool. The compost must be turned each month.
We learn how to make a potato patch this week as Michael from Soil For Life demonstrates here. Layers of dry materials, straw, manure and soil are repeated in 1 sq.meter space. The seed potatoes are placed in deep holes and filled with compost. Looking forward to a pocket of potatoes in a few months time!
This week our lesson from Soil for Life is how to plant vegetable seedlings. Earlier in the week, the home-gardeners got together to dig and prepare this trench bed at one of the resident's houses. Our motto (bringing the Community together) is really happening... we are getting to know (and help) our neighbours!
It's the last day of the short school holiday, so we treat the children of the Circle to an outing at Zandvlei Environmental Nature Reserve. The weather is perfect, in fact it's 30 deg.C today! Here Mark, a conservationist, talks about the tortoise, one of the creatures they find on their tour. After the tour the children are shown how to propagate plants from cuttings. They are each given the opportunity to do it and will be able to collect their plants in 2 month's time.
Sandi, from Soil for Life, teaches us how to make a deep trench bed, using layers of dry and wet organic matter. Here she demonstrates how to sow the seeds and gives each runner bean a small twig to climb on. Note the cardboard which we are holding up as a wind-shield. The south-easter is blowing, which means summer is coming! Yippee!
Our very dear friend Leeart uses his gift with children to play some games with them. It's school holidays this week and all the children are excited to be on the Circle every day, and be part of the changes happening here.
Sarah has come all the way from Denmark to be with us for a whole month, just to help us with the Children's Garden! She brought some volunteer-friends along too, and they immediately start digging and shaping the hill.
This is our multi-purpose court, which needs a covering so that the children can play on it. Tar is the cheapest option, and we have had a wonderful offer from a friend who owns a tarring company. He is willing to tar the court for R7,500 which is equivalent to 600 British pounds or 900 US Dollars roughly. This is a quarter of the original quotes we received! If anyone is able to help us raise this amount, or would like to contribute towards it, please contact us urgently at ivanandamy@telkomsa.net. Thank you!
The area for the Food Garden is measured out. We are so happy that Soil For Life has agreed to teach us how to do it organically! 10 Residents have signed up for the 3-month course, which will be demonstrated on the Circle and put into practice in our home gardens.
This is the view from the central court towards the entrance. Looks neat, huh?
The idea is to have stones on either side of the main pathway leading into the Gardens, with attractive plants on either side. We're thinking of aloes, but where will we get them?
After Planting Day, some of the children got together to make a poster at our house under the guidance of our 13 year old daughter, Sarah. They enjoyed it so much that it looks like this will become a regular event! 
Posts
All Comments
