Blitz 137: Carnegie
The last blitz of Summer heralded the first chill of Autumn – and occasional breaks due to showers! This day down in the South-Eastern suburbs saw a grassy, run-down and neglected alley…
…transformed in to a beautiful and productive garden, with a sunken wicking bed, sinuous pathways and edible plants galore!
As is usually the case, there was a nice mix of first-time blitzers and experienced hands, including a few familiar faces from the Eltham blitz. A shower of rain arrived at the perfect time to wet the cardboard for the sheet mulch base, and that exemplified the easy-going nature of the day; everything just seemed to slide in to place at the right time. Everyone had something to do, nobody was rushed, and an awful lot was done!
The narrowness of the space presented interesting challenges both in the design, and in the planning of the day. Great use was made of edges and curves in the design, with some of the detail being worked out on the ground on the day. The keyholes in to the beds along the house are a great example, being worked out in consultation by the practical experience of “Well, here would be great because this is how far I can reach, and see how the wheelbarrow passes along that part?” A Permaculture design is always sensitive not just to the space, but also the people who will be using that space!
After another delicious lunch (everyone wanted the fritata recipe!) the group was treated to an impromptu lesson on beekeeping before it was back to the digging and, to everyone’s delight, the planting! It’s always fantastic to get to the ‘soft’ landscaping after all the digging and sculpting; once the seedlings start going in, the progress that’s been made through the day becomes so much more palpable. The feeling of joy that follows the work, especially when it’s mirrored in the host’s face, is one of the things that brings people back again and again to Permablitz after Pemablitz – and we hope to see you at the next one!
Unfortunately there are no official photos of the day itself (I left my camera on the train on the way home, never to be seen again…) but Natasha has sent the above photos through, along with some words:
I still get immense pleasure in having a look at my garden every morning to see how it’s travelling… I also got inspired to add a beehive to the scheme… Stage 2 is getting a chook house and the chooks and I also plan to build a compost bay for faster composting.
