I've been reading a memoir called Foraging Life by Helen Lehndorf, from the 'Naki. She doesn't mention a word about the famous Rhododendron Garden Festival or even the con-current fringe garden festival although it seems people from around her parts are also permaculture nerds like me.
Her book has several recipes made from weeds and fruits foraged in the wild places that are just the norm for those who live in the Wild West.
My mum is a forager too. When inorganic collection day comes around, she'd be the first to pick things up from the side of the road, and we frequent Henderson's dozen op shops, looking for that elusive serendiptious item that cannot be bought for love or money online. This also applies to wild chestnuts, feijoas, dandelions, onion weed, kawakawa, pinecones and anything else nature gives us for free.
My neighbour goes one better, she dumpster dives, and sometimes I have to stop her from rescuing food from rubbish bins and on Fridays when it's rubbish day I make myself scarce because I know she'd be tempted to look in everyone's bins to see what they are throwing out, there might be something edible.
Initially it was something to be ashamed of that we were gleaners and picked things off the ground and ate them that others have discarded and dropped, but now it has become a badge of honour, to say we are saving planet from potential imploding from all the things we keep putting into the landfill and down the drain.
This has given me a perverse idea, to dig a giant hole in the backyard and encourage people to drop their excess money they don't want in it. After all they can't eat it. It's a bit useless. When its full I will just put dirt on the top and level it again with some turf, and then in maybe 30 years time (I plan to still be around) when I do need some extra cash, I can just dig it up.
Or I could just plant potatoes.
Actually, I have been hoping for a break in the weather so I can sow sunflowers, and the snow peas (a bit late) and the packet of wildflower seeds from Gardenpost. Although, good news, I have found a new school library AND it will now receive some plant love too. So maybe I can just put my money plants by the doors. It looks like this school doesn't receive free school lunches either so I have my work cut out for me, unless we do a deal with the another school which DOES receive school lunches and eat their leftovers?
I am counting on Countdown, or maybe Fresh Choice or even New World to provide us with some donations that we can somehow convert into books and materials for the library. Times are tough and I don't want to beg. I can sing for my supper though. Though looking at the field, it too looks like a potential rice paddy/shrimp farm though I must ignore such silly notions and buy my lunch from the nearest KFC/bakery like everyone else.
My brothers recent drama ($4000 worth of garden tool equipment, gone, after his garden shed got broken into) has left him a bit reeling and I am also a bit sad because actually I was wanting to borrow the waterblaster and hedgetrimmer one weekend for New Gardenland. 'Borrow' not 'steal and never return it'. My brother did not operate a garden tool lending library though and failed to barcode and stamp his tools so, I guess nothing can be done about that...
