Since my new project is also something of an experiment I thought I should brain web out from the central project and see what my goals were, what obstacles I may encounter and what design features/elements I should keep in mind. I also have to collaborate with my upstairs neighbour Jez because the garden was started by her before I got here. Okay, here it goes:
Ultimate Goal: To build and tend a backyard garden that could sustain all of my food needs for one year-->Most of my food needs-->A goodly amount of my food needs
Major Considerations:
>Soil quality, I've heard sheet composting works well, but how long does that take? Will it work for crummy clay soils?
>Location of plants
>Types of plants to grow
>How much should I realistically add (amount of dirt to work) to existing cultivated soil
>Raised beds? This requires an influx of soil
>Composter, bin, system of bins, rotating drum (are these really considered "batch" composters or can you continually add material)
>Rain barrel(s), can I install them?
>Existing grass removal, what is the best way? Can I till it in? Use it for compost?
>Cost of materials. Trying to keep this as low as possible, existing, recycled or found would be best.
-->I should keep track of how many car miles it takes to import material
>Chickens?
-->How much is too much to handle?
This is just a starting point, I've also started a garden journal in a small notebook to keep with me so that whenever I mention this project to someone, I can jot their contribution (everyone has one, some more helpful than others) down. I've gotten some good tidbits this way, I've also gotten some, shall we say, colorful critiques.
What could be bad about this?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Lawn No More
Here I go again, a new project, bigger and better than the last one. Not that the last one was finished anyways but I would say it has been finished to the best of my attention span. Besides, I like the continuing challenge of juggling many projects at once, I can never really stop doing something because there is always a half finished/just started project to complete.
This new project is the backyard, which is sizable. Lately, I have been reading and listening to some new ideas that have changed the way I look at the simple everyday tasks and chores that I basically have to do in addition to work and any polo, mountain biking, reading, you get the picture. One of those things that I am required by life to complete is cooking or preparing food. More and more I am becoming aware of food safety issues, factory farming issues in regards to the economy and the environment, health issues regarding animal based foods versus plant based foods, energy arguments about the fuel required for us to be able to eat what we do. It became overwhelming and I sort of shut off to the specifics and said to myself, "I am going to eat the best food whenever I can" Best meaning least processed, most nutritious, best tasting, most local food I could find.
Kind of sounds like home grown produce from a backyard garden.
I also just picked up this book, "Living In the Village" by Ryan C. Mack about financial planning in our new economic environment and another book, "Eaarth" by Bill McKibben. Both are very recently published and both reference "strengthing the local community" through various means, one of which was a backyard garden (or community plots).
Then, just the other day on KEXP in the early Saturday morning hours, I heard a speaker who is currently farming many acres in California where some people had given up hope that the soils would ever produce quality produce, and where this farmer has some of the highest quality organic produce currently growing. He spoke of composting techniques, the benefit of backyard gardens to the biosphere and also the economy. He proposed the "Garden Party" as a new political party in the United States the only prerequisite is a garden plot in your yard, window or on your rooftop.
All these ideas are fluttering around my head, combine that with my love of building, creating, growing, temper the excitement with a bit of research, throw in a healthy dose of creativity and critical thinking and I think this backyard garden will come together for me. More to follow...
This new project is the backyard, which is sizable. Lately, I have been reading and listening to some new ideas that have changed the way I look at the simple everyday tasks and chores that I basically have to do in addition to work and any polo, mountain biking, reading, you get the picture. One of those things that I am required by life to complete is cooking or preparing food. More and more I am becoming aware of food safety issues, factory farming issues in regards to the economy and the environment, health issues regarding animal based foods versus plant based foods, energy arguments about the fuel required for us to be able to eat what we do. It became overwhelming and I sort of shut off to the specifics and said to myself, "I am going to eat the best food whenever I can" Best meaning least processed, most nutritious, best tasting, most local food I could find.
Kind of sounds like home grown produce from a backyard garden.
I also just picked up this book, "Living In the Village" by Ryan C. Mack about financial planning in our new economic environment and another book, "Eaarth" by Bill McKibben. Both are very recently published and both reference "strengthing the local community" through various means, one of which was a backyard garden (or community plots).
Then, just the other day on KEXP in the early Saturday morning hours, I heard a speaker who is currently farming many acres in California where some people had given up hope that the soils would ever produce quality produce, and where this farmer has some of the highest quality organic produce currently growing. He spoke of composting techniques, the benefit of backyard gardens to the biosphere and also the economy. He proposed the "Garden Party" as a new political party in the United States the only prerequisite is a garden plot in your yard, window or on your rooftop.
All these ideas are fluttering around my head, combine that with my love of building, creating, growing, temper the excitement with a bit of research, throw in a healthy dose of creativity and critical thinking and I think this backyard garden will come together for me. More to follow...
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