So I got a new job. Yesterday was my first day. What was it?
Delivering vegetables! Ta-da!
but that's not very exciting. Actually, I anticipate it becoming rather boring. But these are organic vegetables and fruits (and coffee and yogourt and stuff), and although that in itself doesn't make it much more exciting, this does: the guy I'm working for is a permaculturist! He's planning on turning his own land into a permaculture education farm, and hopes to find a place for me as an apprentice permaculturist.
It's a bit scary, I'll admit, and right now I feel like running away, because it feels like responsibility and commitment, and for some reason I'm scared of that. My head is finding all sorts of reasons I shouldn't do this job.
But ultimately I think it'll take me in the direction I should be going, and really, how many people can say they have a paying job in the permaculture field?
23 March 2007
05 March 2007
tree pruning, seed swaps, and stolen leaves
I finally feel like something is happening with that ol' patch of land. I've received I-don't-know-how-many seed catalogues in the mail, and I've pored over those wondering what I should get. There are lot of exciting-sounding plants that are probably completely useless and uninteresting, and it's hard to tell which is which!
My friend Marçel, who is an orchardist, came and pruned my cherry tree for me last week. He explained a lot of the basics to me: what happens when you prune a tree in the winter, what happens when you prune above or below a certain spot, etc. It really is fascinating; you begin to appreciate the amazing intricate beauty of all the hormones and stuff that control how a tree grows.
Anyway, it's a fair bit more open, and a little bit shorter too, which will help the plants underneath get some sun.
I went to a seed swap on Saturday. Boy, was that fun! It's so cool to discover all these varieties of yer average plants that aren't sold in big catalogues because they're a secret family variety brought over from Siberia seventy years ago. I bought some seeds, chatted with my friend Thomas about mixing permaculture and theatre together, and talked with the worm-crap lady about how to amend my horrible soil (which doesn't even grow weeds). Lots of wonderfully unusual people there, all very excited to talk with you about growing.
And last night I stole the dead leaves from all my neighbours' yards, under the cover of darkness. I even wore a headlamp to make it feel more clandestine. So now I have about eight bags ready to dig into my soil. I was gonna just put down sheet mulch, but I don't have much time before spring, so I think I'm going to opt for heavy soilwork this year and a slower, more permaculture-style, process next year.
My friend Marçel, who is an orchardist, came and pruned my cherry tree for me last week. He explained a lot of the basics to me: what happens when you prune a tree in the winter, what happens when you prune above or below a certain spot, etc. It really is fascinating; you begin to appreciate the amazing intricate beauty of all the hormones and stuff that control how a tree grows.
Anyway, it's a fair bit more open, and a little bit shorter too, which will help the plants underneath get some sun.
I went to a seed swap on Saturday. Boy, was that fun! It's so cool to discover all these varieties of yer average plants that aren't sold in big catalogues because they're a secret family variety brought over from Siberia seventy years ago. I bought some seeds, chatted with my friend Thomas about mixing permaculture and theatre together, and talked with the worm-crap lady about how to amend my horrible soil (which doesn't even grow weeds). Lots of wonderfully unusual people there, all very excited to talk with you about growing.
And last night I stole the dead leaves from all my neighbours' yards, under the cover of darkness. I even wore a headlamp to make it feel more clandestine. So now I have about eight bags ready to dig into my soil. I was gonna just put down sheet mulch, but I don't have much time before spring, so I think I'm going to opt for heavy soilwork this year and a slower, more permaculture-style, process next year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)