Ravyk's Journey to Self Sustainability

[Ravyk]

I have decided to get my act together and get cracking on a decent sized veggie garden to hopefully get us on our feet to being self-sustainable in the fruit and veg department. It’s going to be an interesting learning experience. 😀

Over the last year I’ve been putting it off, wanting to wait until we have our own place, but that’s not going to happen any time soon. I asked myself what was stopping me, and apart from being lazy, there really isn’t anything else.

I have unofficially taken over a section of the yard [the house belongs to my partner’s parents] to build my new beds, as my other veggie bed doesn’t get much sun, and there is only TWO outdoor taps on the whole 1/4 acre, and neither are near the existing bed. So naturally I forget to water it. I’m going to turn it into a place to dump clippings, weeds, scraps, manure, etc to break down to a usable state on the new beds, once my new beds are in. Plus I’ll continue growing my potatoes there, as they seem to be happy there. 😆

This is the space I’ve taken over [East-ish is just over the back fence in the photos]. The main house is on the left and the room on the right is where me and my partner live.

I’m going to get on the roof shortly to get an ‘aerial’ shot, so I can start visually planning my beds. Currently my plan is to have a bed that runs along the path next to the main house and do a right turn and run along the fence [I’ve already started that part of the bed and planted peas and beans] and then have an ‘H’ shaped bed taking up the rest of the room [the storm water pipe sticking up in the centre will end up in the cross bar of the ‘H’ shape].

The apricot tree finally carked it this year, hence the tree stump in the photo, which my OH had great delight in knocking over with our 4wd [boys and their toys :lol:]. Stupid people who put it there didn’t take it out the pot, so it ended up mainly root bound with a few roots that managed to escape the pot. :p Not that the fruit were any good last year anyway. Gives me an excuse to get more fruit trees now! 😆

[Jeanie]

GOOD LUCK:tup:

[geminisc]

can’t wait to see how it goes!

[Ravyk]

Well I survived a trip up onto the roof of our room to get photos from above. And I spent a bit of time fiddling with them, and plotting out my current idea for the beds [not really to scale yet though].

[Kasalia]

Looks very practical for weeding and planting, if you make the paths wide so they are accessible for a wheelbarrow maybe, mulch ,soil, weeds.:) We use a small wheelie bin for carting stuff as its much narrower than a wheelbarrow as our paths are narrow.;) Bunnings about $14:tup:

[Ravyk]

Well not much has been happening…still waiting for the monthly pay to come through.

The seedlings are coming along nicely, going to have enough tomato plants to sink a battleship!

But in other news OH has finally caved in and is letting me get chickens!! :metal: So I am now on the hunt for some Barnvelders and Wyandottes. 😆 Plus something to keep them safe from my dogs and foxes.

[sue e]

very well thought out Ravyk. i wish we had been a bit more systematic when we first started out.:tup:

[debby-lee]

Looks like fun 🙂 Doesn’t seem to be too much of a jungle of weeds to fight with either. And you have cement and buildings to act as edging so you have lots of things working in your favor. Both of those things I have working against me 🙂

[Ravyk]

debby-lee wrote:

Looks like fun 🙂 Doesn’t seem to be too much of a jungle of weeds to fight with either. And you have cement and buildings to act as edging so you have lots of things working in your favor. Both of those things I have working against me 🙂

😆 This photo was taken after I spent 2 hours mowing the jungle of weeds from around our yard. The grass in this section was above my knee! 😆

Well OH is buying me an incubator on Friday, since he borrowed my tax return money for fuel money. :p And then I’m getting myself a dozen each of silver laced and gold laced wyandotte eggs from two local breeders. :metal: I can’t wait for my chickies!! 😆

[geminisc]

that’s a pretty fancy garden layout! it looks all 3d and such!

[Ravyk]

Well it looks like I’m getting my incubator for almost a 1/3 of what I was going to pay. OH found someone at his work selling one. 😀 That means I can get some eggs this weekend. :metal:

Been ringing around chasing Besser Blocks for my veg patch walls. Cheapest I can find is $2.50 a block…that’s brand new seconds. Will have to chat to OH whether its worth doing the retaining walls out of them now.

[Ravyk]

I now have 24 eggs in my incubator. 😀 9 Gold Laced Wyandotte, 9 Silver Laced Wyandotte and 6 Silver Laced Wyandotte from show quality birds.

[debby-lee]

Wow thats exciting, how fun to have little chickies on the way. You are powering along.

[geminisc]

so exciting!

[Herbman]

The plans look fabulous! Can’t wait to see it grow. :tup:

[Author]

Posts