Orchard Design.

I went to a workshop at Koanga Gardens on Saturday. It was an Orchard Design Workshop. It was exciting, motivating and I've come back so enthusiastic that I was planning to rip up of some of our driveway just to plant more fruit trees!

It also made me realise that my research is paying off - I knew quite a lot of what our tutor was saying. I'd already read it/heard it/learnt it elsewhere and that really galvanised my feelings that I'm ready to actually do this, and to do it well.

Yikes, reading that you'd think I was embarking on an exploration of Mars or something. But this place is so big and is such a blank canvas, that it's very daunting for a fairly novice gardener like me.

Our land when we first bought it - a truly blank canvas.

I felt overwhelmed when I was first presented with my ready-to-dig vege garden site. But in the four months that I've had that, I've learnt that if I stuff up, it's ok. There are a few beds that I need to renovate (the edges are falling down, they are on too much of a slope for watering) but the veges don't care about things like that. Some of the plants haven't grown well, but I can move them, or plant them somewhere else next time.

The main thing I've learnt: If I don't START, I will never LEARN.

So I'm diving in, making a site plan, defining my permaculture zones, noting the features of each area and the best bit, perusing the tree catalogues!

The other thing I did on Saturday was pick up these two girlie's. They are only seven weeks so they haven't met their beau, Riley, as he might not observe proper protocol as to underage 'dating'. Unfortunately the little grey one (named Little One, by my daughter) seems to have a slight runny nose, which I didn't notice when I was picking her out. Lesson learnt. Lets hope she comes right. Her appetite is fine and she is lively so all good at the moment. The wee black one was named by my son as Fluffy.

Oh yes, and it's Monday, time for Independence Day Challenge but to be honest, I'm a little pooped. You'll just have to accept the Orchard Design Workshop synopsis as my contribution towards my food independence goals.

And this one photo of our first potatoes. It's amazing how keen he was to help wash and eat these after digging them up himself!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

xx