My hands smell of rue. Caution- wear gloves unless you want a rash. I've been strewing it amongst my green veges as the silverbeet, pak choi, spinach are being eaten and there are little flying insects around. I'm also adding cut up pieces of wormwood and lemongrass, as they are good insect repellents too. I hope it works. I can't afford chemicals.
Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but the Bible says no servile work on the sabbath (which back then was actually Saturday) however gardening on the weekend is kind of different from gardening during the week. It's more relaxed, and I don't need to get things done on time, and its really only for me and God not anyone else. But if other people appreciate it, it's a bonus. Also, I don't get paid.
Well I won't be paid for my 40 hour gardening week until the following week, it turns out, so, I'm kind of broke.
Mum saw me cutting up cardboard for the MBGP beds and asked me what I was doing, and then said there was no room for garden beds and I'd gardened enough. She threatened to remove it, so I had to tell Brent I couldn't have them, I would get in trouble. But, in a brainwave I said maybe St Giles will like them. So I asked Annette the pastor's wife and she seemed keen even to have one at the manse. Hallelujah!
I will just go there on my weekends if I can't garden on Sunday at home. There was really no reasoning with mum. Many of my friends cannot have garden beds because of their parents saying no or mean and stingy landlords. There's actually PLENTY of room, so that answer doesn't wash with me.
But you know how some people insist black is white? It's kind of like that.
There were some other things I managed to fit in - leaf mulch around Mt Asher magnolia which has some blooming grape hyacinth now, dividing the astelias which has now solved the problem of what to put under the maple tree, as they are tough as boots.
Les helped me with the corner St Giles bed which has a plaque dedicated to those who we are going to see in heaven and I added a love carnation as a feature because the people at St Giles are lovely.
Mum will rue the day that she said no to free vege beds. She's all for harvesting at Woodside without lifting a finger though and telling me to get things for her but growing our own veges in the backyard is somehow anathema for her. We won't ever get a decent crop if I have only one bed! You can't do a crop rotation on one bed. I don't get it, and probably never will.
