It's been a pretty busy month in the garden, and a lot of changes have happened, although not all of them have been surprising changes.
Firstly, the weather! That has been surprising, it has continued atrocious since forever it seems - rain, cold gusty howling gales, bleak, grey, and miserable for the longest time. We had a very short autumn, and a harsh winter, and it seems to be continuing on into 'spring'. There have been a few sunny days, about four or five in the last eight months! For a sunshiney person like myself, this has been very hard to live with, especially in a place which is completely exposed to the weather, with no shelter whatsoever.
The wind has been a real problem too, howling and excessively strong, all day every day, with no let-up, and most of the nights too, since April. It upsets my personal equilibrium, and I feel like I'm being picked up and shaken vigorously all the time, which is not great. The house physically shakes! It's a wonder it hasn't flown off down the hillside yet.
Such excessive wind makes working outside much much harder, and much more unpleasant, than working in a sheltered spot. Wind affects the house by making it colder, for longer, because of the wind chill factor. It also affects the plants, damaging their leaves, battering them about and weakening stems, and often breaking off plant heads, which means that they don't grow, and they are miserable too. I haven't been able to put much spring planting outside, because it just won't survive in this weather, so that has greatly slowed down progress of the vege garden.
And finally, the biggest change of all - we are going to be on the road again! No surprises here: The landlady is putting up the rent on the property, to more than I can afford, and way more than the property is worth, so I am moving myself, the cat, the dog, the 6 chickens, and the garden, to somewhere that we can stay for a long time, and call home. We will all be gone from here by 29th January 2012 at the latest.
Most of the garden has gone already, to friends, and to a new community garden being built at Peacemakers, in Parakai. I am happy that the plants have a chance to find a stable permanent home, to put roots in the ground, and grow to their full potential. They will help to feed the wider community from there, as part of that community garden project. As above, so below - I am looking for the same for me too. The garden looks very bare and bleak, and reminds me of how it looked when I first came here. This gives me hope, as I can see how much more beautiful the place was, with colourful plants around, and veges growing, and a sense of new life becoming possible. It's obviously not possible here, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.
I have learnt, throughout my time at the garden, and throughout this process of getting ready to move, that often change is challenging; but it is possible, and essential, to see it as a blessing, a time of determining what it is that I truly want, and how I want to live, and a time of thankfully receiving and living that vision. I have grown and gained so many treasures, from being at this place - I still have cuttings of all my precious plants, and new treasures such as macadamia trees, new herbs, and lemon trees grown from seed during my time here. When I moved in, I came with a good selection of plants in pots, and a cat. I leave with a cat, a dog, 6 chickens, and a whole bigger trailer load of old and new plants, a whole lot more knowledge, equipment and tools to set up a new more efficient garden, and an orchard! I also have a solid confidence in myself, my abilities, and the rightness of growing food and edible flowers.
I have no doubt that it is good for my health, and therefore the global health, to grow food and a garden. I have no doubt that it is do-able, and that I can do it. I have no doubt that this move is a godsend and a goddess-send; and that my household and I will connect with the place which will shelter, nourish, and support us, so that we may grow, thrive, and reach our full potential. Bring it on! and watch this space.....
