Yesterday I enjoyed a sensational day in my garden. The sun was shining, there was a light breeze, the birds were singing and all was good in the land of Reg. At the moment I am preparing my garden beds for winter. There is lots of mulching and manure, pruning and trimming, weeding and feeding.
For the last few years one of the biggest and rottenest jobs has been mowing my lawns. I dislike this job so much that at times (a lot of the time) I leave it for months. It is not uncommon for me to hire a brush cutter to knock down the out of control ‘lawn’ before running the lawn mower over it. The last time I let the grass get out of control I hire a garden ‘hit man’ to come in and get it under control. Hit men do not come cheap and it cost me around $300 to get it down. Admittedly, I couldn’t see the dogs or chickens in the grass. And there is a possibility that a small village of pygmies had been set up in the backyard and I would never have seen them.
A few years ago I got the bright idea of buying one of those old fashioned mowers the push/pull lawn mowers – no engine things. However the lawn had big clumps of thick weeds and grass. And the lawn mower wasn’t tough enough to cut through them. So I put it in the shed and thought no more of it.
My petrol powered lawn mower has it’s own set of issues. As it is old it required yearly (and some times twice yearly) servicing, new blades, and the spark plugs....oh the spark plugs!! They were my problem child.
Now that I don’t have a car it is a lot more difficult to get the mower serviced. It is not easy to pop it on a bus and while I don’t mind walking the dog I am not too keen on taking the lawn mower for a walk. Plus there is the costs associated with the lawn mower including petrol and 2 stroke or 3 stroke or whatever the green stuff is that is added to the mix.
For some time I have had TW mowing my lawns, wiper sniping my edges and generally making my garden sparkle. TW runs ‘Fix My Garden’ and does a sterling job. He is efficient and hard working and without his help my garden would actually have a small pygmy tribe living in it.
However as I am trying to reduce my carbon footprint there is, as always, environmental considerations to take into account. Petrol, noise pollution, carbon pollution etc...
The big question is ‘Is a push/pull lawn cutter better than a petrol powered lawn mower?’
Pros
No petrol, no servicing, hardly any noise, no hard cords to pull, no myriad of bits that can go wrong. It is good physical exercise. I am sure my arms and legs got a pretty good work out. It is easy to start, ok there is no starting an engine or in fact an engine at all.
Cons
Grass can’t be too long, too fine or too thick and clumping. It doesn’t work well on uneven ground. It did jam a bit too. And to be honest I did use some unsavoury words (ok I did use a lot of words that rhyme with duck like mother ducker). The grass catcher at the back whilst easy to use did keep coming off. This mainly happened over uneven ground or when I went to too fast or too rough.
The Verdict
I will use it again. It works well now that my lawn is under control. If it is used similar to a paint roller (up and down, diagonal and horizontal) it cuts pretty well. The lawn looks pretty good. The chooks loved it and were not at all scared. Neither were the dogs or cats.
Attached are some photos of the lawn and the lawn mower so you have some idea of what I am talking about.
I think I like the romanticised idea of living a green sustainable and somewhat old fashioned lifestyle. The reality is quite different. And I often ask myself why I even bother and what is all this hard work for. Surely I must be an escapee from an insane asylum to go without a car, to make my own pet food, to use a lawn mower that’s main fuel source is me!
I am a little nuts but I am not insane. I like the quote “quirky but cute and adorable”. It hasn’t taken off but I am still hoping it will. But I digress. It is worth it. I do have to remind myself that this is a big picture long term project (life time). It is about preserving our resources for our life time and for future generations.
After Mr Rudd’s neck breaking turn around on our environment I have been thinking about his performance since taking office. I admired him for apologising to Aboriginals and their ancestors for our ancestors and our transgressions against them. But in a hundred years time my descendants saying sorry will not dissolve our transgressions against mother earth. I’d like my descendants to say that I did everything I possibly could to preserve the earth and ensure their future. My romantic side would like them to be proud of my actions not ashamed.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Some tips and suggestions for starting organic gardening
A friend of mine has retired recently and is looking to start an organic garden. Obviously I think this is fabulous news and I thought to help out RM I would write a few tips and suggestions for starting an organic garden.
I have been an organic gardener for some years now. My early attempts at garden design were poor and a mish mash of ideas thrown together. However I have learnt from my mistakes, increased my knowledge and skills and now have a rather good garden. There are still challenges though.
The best part of gardening is not just playing in the dirt or watching a seed grow into rock melon, carrots or potatoes etc or the satisfaction of growing my own food. It is not the therapeutic value of being outside or physically active. And it is not reducing my carbon footprint and reducing food miles, chemical usage and other damage to the environment. It is eating it!!! Oh, and sharing it with friends and family. Nothing is as delicious as home grown organic salads or roast vegetables or whatever your fancy is.
One of my favourite magazines is “Organic Gardener”. A bi-monthly magazine dedicated to...you guessed it, organic gardening. I love going through it many times over the two months, reading and re-reading articles. I have kept nearly all my copies and refer back articles over and over again.
Some other good mags are ‘Grass Roots’, ‘Warm Earth’ and ‘Earth Gardener’. Grass Roots has been around for over 20 years. These magazines not only cover gardening but also keeping livestock – chickens, goats, cows etc, making your own yoghurt, butter, jams, tools. They have also covered things like mud brick and are focussed on self sufficiency in general as opposed to organic gardening specifically.
Herronswood is fantastic for organic seeds, bulbs, plants and fruit trees. Their quarterly catalogue now also has a few articles on gardening, self sufficiency and the environment. I have been a member for years and have never had a problem with their seeds or trees being sent to me. I also like Eden Seeds and the Seed Saver network is well worth a look for seeds. All are organic and heritage seeds.
If you are after heritage fruit trees don’t forget the Collingwood Children’s Farm. Once a month they have a farmers market. A pretty good time to check out some of their stock and find some unique and rare heritage saplings.
And don’t forget that once your organic garden is up and running you can save your own seeds. Plus you can exchange seeds with other organic gardeners. Seeds can also be collected from organic fruit and vegetables purchased in your local supermarket.
Just a heads up too. When you go the local supermarket and buy fruit and vegetables that are not organic remember to wash them thoroughly. Not only are chemicals used to spray fruit and veg in the orchards and farms but they are also sprayed with more harmful chemicals to preserve them between the time they harvested and sold to you.
Personally, I have great reservations that washing regular fruit and vegetables is enough to make them safe to eat. Surely the chemicals must seep into the fruit and vegetables. Or is that just my scepticism?
Composting is one the most important aspects of organic gardening. Previously I have mentioned the fabulous Bokashi bin. It’s beautiful nectar is every bit as good as liquid seaweed or worm ‘juice’ (the liquid run off from the worm farm). I have all three - two active compost heaps, a worm farm and a Bokashi bin. All recycling my garden and kitchen scraps into lovely fertiliser for my garden.
Permaculture is now becoming a popular gardening method. It is a key component of the Transition Town initiatives that are popping up all over the place. Bill Mollison is considered not only the foremost authority on Permaculture but is also the founder. There are a number of courses available in Permaculture design. Permaculture Solutions in Heathmont is pretty good and offers a range of other services and advice. Their website is http://www.permaculturesolutions.com.au
I love my chickens. These little girls are a fantastic addition to my pet family and are very helpful in weeding the garden and tilling the soil. Their poo is fantastic for the garden. It adds wonderful nutrients to your garden beds. Plus there are the fresh eggs. Oh my goodness the golden yolked loveliness! My cakes are heaps better since I started using the organic eggs from my girls. And added advantage is that I have been selling my surplus eggs to friends and neighbours. The little bit of cash I get goes to buying their feed and bedding.
Apart from the magazines and websites I have suggested above I have listed below some of my favourite books. I am a big reader so I have collected a few books and as with my magazines they are well read and referred to often.
The Permaculture Home Garden by Linda Woodrow
A Slice of Organic Life by Sheherazade Goldsmith (with a foreword by Stephanie Alexander)
The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden by Clive Blazey and Jane Varkulevicius (from Herronswood)
Successful Organic Gardening by David R Murray
Garden Feast by Melissa King
I have been an organic gardener for some years now. My early attempts at garden design were poor and a mish mash of ideas thrown together. However I have learnt from my mistakes, increased my knowledge and skills and now have a rather good garden. There are still challenges though.
The best part of gardening is not just playing in the dirt or watching a seed grow into rock melon, carrots or potatoes etc or the satisfaction of growing my own food. It is not the therapeutic value of being outside or physically active. And it is not reducing my carbon footprint and reducing food miles, chemical usage and other damage to the environment. It is eating it!!! Oh, and sharing it with friends and family. Nothing is as delicious as home grown organic salads or roast vegetables or whatever your fancy is.
One of my favourite magazines is “Organic Gardener”. A bi-monthly magazine dedicated to...you guessed it, organic gardening. I love going through it many times over the two months, reading and re-reading articles. I have kept nearly all my copies and refer back articles over and over again.
Some other good mags are ‘Grass Roots’, ‘Warm Earth’ and ‘Earth Gardener’. Grass Roots has been around for over 20 years. These magazines not only cover gardening but also keeping livestock – chickens, goats, cows etc, making your own yoghurt, butter, jams, tools. They have also covered things like mud brick and are focussed on self sufficiency in general as opposed to organic gardening specifically.
Herronswood is fantastic for organic seeds, bulbs, plants and fruit trees. Their quarterly catalogue now also has a few articles on gardening, self sufficiency and the environment. I have been a member for years and have never had a problem with their seeds or trees being sent to me. I also like Eden Seeds and the Seed Saver network is well worth a look for seeds. All are organic and heritage seeds.
If you are after heritage fruit trees don’t forget the Collingwood Children’s Farm. Once a month they have a farmers market. A pretty good time to check out some of their stock and find some unique and rare heritage saplings.
And don’t forget that once your organic garden is up and running you can save your own seeds. Plus you can exchange seeds with other organic gardeners. Seeds can also be collected from organic fruit and vegetables purchased in your local supermarket.
Just a heads up too. When you go the local supermarket and buy fruit and vegetables that are not organic remember to wash them thoroughly. Not only are chemicals used to spray fruit and veg in the orchards and farms but they are also sprayed with more harmful chemicals to preserve them between the time they harvested and sold to you.
Personally, I have great reservations that washing regular fruit and vegetables is enough to make them safe to eat. Surely the chemicals must seep into the fruit and vegetables. Or is that just my scepticism?
Composting is one the most important aspects of organic gardening. Previously I have mentioned the fabulous Bokashi bin. It’s beautiful nectar is every bit as good as liquid seaweed or worm ‘juice’ (the liquid run off from the worm farm). I have all three - two active compost heaps, a worm farm and a Bokashi bin. All recycling my garden and kitchen scraps into lovely fertiliser for my garden.
Permaculture is now becoming a popular gardening method. It is a key component of the Transition Town initiatives that are popping up all over the place. Bill Mollison is considered not only the foremost authority on Permaculture but is also the founder. There are a number of courses available in Permaculture design. Permaculture Solutions in Heathmont is pretty good and offers a range of other services and advice. Their website is http://www.permaculturesolutions.com.au
I love my chickens. These little girls are a fantastic addition to my pet family and are very helpful in weeding the garden and tilling the soil. Their poo is fantastic for the garden. It adds wonderful nutrients to your garden beds. Plus there are the fresh eggs. Oh my goodness the golden yolked loveliness! My cakes are heaps better since I started using the organic eggs from my girls. And added advantage is that I have been selling my surplus eggs to friends and neighbours. The little bit of cash I get goes to buying their feed and bedding.
Apart from the magazines and websites I have suggested above I have listed below some of my favourite books. I am a big reader so I have collected a few books and as with my magazines they are well read and referred to often.
The Permaculture Home Garden by Linda Woodrow
A Slice of Organic Life by Sheherazade Goldsmith (with a foreword by Stephanie Alexander)
The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden by Clive Blazey and Jane Varkulevicius (from Herronswood)
Successful Organic Gardening by David R Murray
Garden Feast by Melissa King
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