"It is often easier to ask for forgiveness, than to ask for permission..."
From memory, that very fitting quote comes from a famous computer programmer who's name I used to know, and will add in if I remember.But most importantly, the extended version of that went along the lines of "If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It's much easier to apologise than it is to ask permission."
*Edit* I googled, and was blown away by what this amazing lady achieved - Grace Hopper, check out some of this!
Wikipedia - Grace Hopper
And so it goes with verge gardens... In particular, productive verge gardens. They are an amazingly good idea. One day in the not too distant future, they will be ubiquitous enough that dancing in you mum-jeans and gumboots in the front garden at your first perfect zucchini will be so commonplace as to be boring. For now however, I definitely run the risk of being THAT lady in the street. Two streets in fact. Corner block - yay!
For anyone who makes it past the front door I probably hit THAT lady status pretty quickly anyway. Apart from the possibility of stray neighborhood children or foster dogs bowling you over as you come through the door, the constant supply of mini greenhouses sheltering vulnerable seedlings - in my dining and lounge rooms - on the floor next to the windows, alludes to my attitude to life in general. Less is not more. MORE is more!
Outside the house, the first Aquaponic system, dubbed the "Prettyponics" system, is ticking along nicely with its big fat koi and goldfish and the in-between season vegetables. Rainbow Trout and more Silver Perch are definitely on the agenda very soon, and once they make their way to the pond I'll dedicate a post to the journey so far on that project too. It is the absolute pride of my garden, and is the most peaceful way to garden that I can imagine.
The garden beds in the backyard are filled to bursting at any time of year with a mix of annuals, perennials and vegetables, plus a dedicated veggie bed in the back corner.
Chooks have had a run too, but working full-time saw me give them up for a while until a more accessible and efficient set up can be created. I am toying with a few ideas presently, but a rare bout of patience means that it will hopefully be incorporated properly when I get there.
But I have a secret shame...
...Lawn.
I like lawn. I grew up with several acres of lawn on our otherwise bush block, and with kids and dogs running rampant, I've found that they like lawn too. So I have lawn. Lush, verdant green lawn. Village Green kikuyu, which has been an absolute dream. I love it. And... I'm not prepared to part with it, at least not yet.
Because I also have another, not-so-secret shame...
For the last 5 years, the very vast majority of both my front and side verges has been sand. Unchanged from the day we moved in, and undoubtedly the bane of my neighbours' house-selling activities in any direction.
Part of the reason I've been loathe to put any effort into it has been
a) continuing roadworks and water leaks which resulted in tonnes of sand being dug out and replaced over the years, and
b) the rather cumbersome restrictions of both the council, and the estate-developers (who's covenants have now expired, muahahaha) with regard to what you can actually do with them!
I have added a fig tree already, a $20 bargain that I just couldn't pass up.
With that in the ground for a few months now, and coming into the much cooler weather, I'm itching to do more.
What better way to use this massive, otherwise wasted space, than to fill it with other delicious things?
Unfortunately, the local council doesn't share my enthusiasm according to their website, so I am taking Ms Hopper's advice, and doing it anyway.
Welcome to the birth of the Ask Forgiveness Garden!
There is a footpath on the other side verge, and I understand the need to allow pedestrian and doggy walking access so the plans will incorporate a pretty pathway through the garden.
In Perth's temperate-verging-on-arid-sometimes climate, this also needs to be a waterwise garden.
You may or may not realise, that starts with the soil. My suburb near the coast, in a new development full of builders' sand, does not have soil as such. We have sand. A mix of black and yellow sand with major hydrophobic (water repellent) qualities.
So tomorrow, I will fill you in on how I plan to turn the sandy verge wasteland into a nutrient rich, hydrophilic (water loving) soil oasis for a pretty and productive fruit and vegetable garden for years to come.
Much love,
Kat
