Gobblers post of last Wednesday was most timely for me, as I had jumped on the K & D bandwagon a few weeks back when they were advertising 2 x half wine barrels for $99. I bought two for my deck so I have my little kitchen garden right there. Now there is absolutely no excuse for not being able to produce the freshest of salad ingredients over the coming summer.
But this economical and healthy step comes at a great price. Just the 8 bags of potting mix I required to fill the barrels with soil, a bottle of Seasol to feed the plants with, two tomato plants and a punnet of lettuce seedlings cost $80! Add to this the $99 for the barrels, then the rest of the vegies which I will be buying to plant out within the next few months and it makes it quite expensive for your ordinary person in the street.
If I were a pensioner of any kind I simply wouldn't be able to afford this luxury.
I have always tried to live the "Good Life" lifestyle, as seen on the TV series of the 70's. I firmly believe that it's everyones duty to be as self-sufficient as possible, but today it really does cost a lot.
I'm lucky that my habits in that area are well ingrained now, and if push came to shove, would be more than happy to bake my weekly bread, make my own butter etc. But the majority of the community don't share those values, and why should they?
I love the fact that my Nellie has 4 chooks in her West Hobart backyard. She gets 4 eggs every day from these beautiful creatures. They are friendly, productive and useful members of the family. The kids step into the garden daily to collect their brekky eggs. In the evening, they go out and give the food scraps to the chooks. To me, that's how life should be. A natural cycle.
I love the thought that I'm the master (or mistress) of my salad intake for this year, yet again, even though I live in a relatively small dwelling, with neighbours all round. It's do-able. And if it's do-able for me, it's do-able for most!
So come all you budding Peter Cundalls - get out the gardening gear, invest a small fortune, then boast to all your workmates that you're living totally out of your own garden.
Sunday, 30 September 2007
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8 comments:
I tried a simple basil, parsley and garlic garden, but it all went to seed :(
It amuses me that your complaining about the cost, I could have got a similar end result for around $20, Though I admit I like the look of the wine barrels.
Back in the day when people had to be self sufficient there were no spare wine barrels and commercial potting mixtures to burden peoples pockets.
Try foam produce containers, they take much less potting mix and will be much easier to move about than the fully loaded wine barrels.
Ted - I'm hearing you there! Unfortunately I have a Body Corporate to account to for what I have on my deck, and they are pretty severe! I have in the past done exactly as you suggested - used the white foam containers. It worked a treat, but didn't pass muster with the local style police!
Lonie - my herbs are flourishing well from last year, so I'm quite proud of them now. The parsley self-seeded & is kick-arse parsley now!
I have just spent the majority of my weekend planting out my newly acquired terracotta Herb pot, equipt to house up to 10 herbs. I'm feeling rather industrious and extreemly satisfied at my efforts to some self sufficiency. My past Green finger efforts ALL went to seed, so this time I've really done my homework. Aparently (for Lonie's interests) Basil is a no-go at this time of year; November is the time........ I"m just hoping/preying that they dont blow away with this dreadful wind. I'm feeling quite the protective parent and as though I need to wheel the giant pot indoors and put a blanket over it!
Oh rita I liked the "good life" and laughed at their struggles and cheered when they succeeded (with anything)and now know why my parents were so enamoured with them....and moved to the country....I was horrified thinking what has got into my folks...i moved out of home then and did "my" thing (you know growing up and all that)20 years later and GUES WHAT...i have moved to the country(well a couple of years ago)...and do the veggie garden and chook thing and love it(am I getting older and wiser?)
I used to love The Good Life at the time. However, when I see it nowadays, Tom and his cutesy missus seem like a couple of pains in the arse. And so Holier Than Thou.
I'd like to drive a big combine harvester through their backyard and tell them to get real.
(But it was just a TV show, Sir Grumpy, settle down old boy. Have a glass of port, you'll be right.)
Sir Grumpy but not self sufficient.
Rita - know the feeling with body corporates, Can't stand them !
If you get anymore wine barrels, try putting a heap of the broken up produce containers in the bottom, cover with weedmat and then top with 4-6 inches of the potting mix, should save a few bucks and the pain of carting all that dirt.
I haven't seen the "Good Life" series since it was originally on in the 70's. I suppose I would think the way you do, Sir G, if I saw it now. But I really enjoyed it at the time, and wanted everyone to do the self sufficient, hippy thing of those days!
Ted - wish I'd thought of that idea of yours earlier. It would have been way simpler! Thanks anyway.
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