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Networking with other businesses, PR, media interviews, marketing etc as well as the nicer activities of motherly and grandmotherly obligations take me away from my home 50% of the time. Then, when I am at home, I am usually flat out entertaining and spending time with friends, not to mention the boring day to day chores of cleaning and cooking and generally keeping a house.
The structure – a greenhouse – which encloses my vegie garden is quite large and takes up around 25 square metres of my back yard. Suffice to say it has been totally neglected for the last 18 months or so.
I have a greenhouse rather than a regular vegie garden for two reasons firstly to prevent the possums and wildlife from eating the produce and secondly because of my tendency to forget to water things. I am constantly amazed and impressed how little water is needed to keep things growing. It seems to me that this greenhouse of mine seems to create its own water cycling eco system and the plants survive albeit poorly.
It was a nice surprise though when my lovely neighbour Chris (who feeds my cat and keeps an eye on things when I am away) arrived at my front door last week with a vine ripened tomato in one hand and the capsicum equivalent in the other.
Smiling she declared,“I thought you might want these. I just picked them from the greenhouse”
“My greenhouse?” I said incredulously
“Yes. I thought I better pick them before they fell off and rotted”
I looked mournfully at the produce – remembering the bumper crops of years gone by. These two little pieces of fruit were so undersized although perfect in every other way.
“I knew I had some herbs growing there” I confessed to Chris, “They are like weeds Rosemary and Parsley and Mint – but I haven’t planted anything else in over a year”
“Well I also noticed two large passionfruit growing on a vine and some strawberries and some spinach”
Passionfruit? Strawberries? Spinach? I put on a pair of shoes and went down to my backyard greenhouse to investigate.
Sure enough once you moved aside the weeds there were vegetables and fruit.
“I love gardening” said Chris, “Would it be okay with you if I were to plant some seedlings in here – I haven’t got a backyard that I can grow veggies in”
“Sure – go for your life”
“I was thinking about getting some cherry tomatoes and beans all kinds of stuff. We could share whatever grows”
“Sounds like a great idea to me”
“The soil is obviously good – it must be for things to grow with so much neglect – but I’ll do the weeding and plant things out”
It was then that the thought occurred to me that there must be many such gardens in similar need. As well as neighbours who wanted to garden but didn’t have the room or the right conditions.
My greenhouse could become our streets Backyard Community Garden.
Chris and I will spread the word and I am sure there will be other neighbours interested in joining in for a share of crops. There are quite a few young children in our street too. I think that they might also want to plant out their own small plot within the greenhouse and would like to get them involved too. Even if there is no room left for them in the main garden part then I am sure we can find room for a Styrofoam box or two in which they can plant some fast growing radishes or strawberries.
I spoke to Chris about this and she is happy to get the ball rolling using the wintertime to do most of the preparation – like weeding and mulching and planting a few winter crops. We will leave some space for others and they can come and go freely and help with the fertilizing and the maintenance and share in the crops come the warmer months.
Who knows – if this is backyard community garden is a success perhaps I will pull up the front lawn and put in an orchard in its place.
“Many hands make light work”
It is an apt saying and far better than letting a perfectly good greenhouse lie dormant for years on end because I don’t have the time to look after it.
Community Gardens are nothing new – but I haven’t heard of anyone having one in their own backyard. Usually they are council run for a small fee. If you know of anyone else who is doing this could you please let me know – I would love some tips on making it work.
By Bryony
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