A Vegetable Garden

I have wanted a small vegetable patch for sometime now.
I planned one for our own home when we were living in Perth, but it soon became obvious that a move to the Pilbara for my husbands’ work was more than likely on the cards. So I let the idea go.
But now, with my veggie patch loving, perma-culture trained, organic farming, bee hive keeping brother is here visiting, our own vegetable garden is now finally a reality.

 
The climate is less suited, the soil is average. Very average. We managed to find somebody selling sleepers here for the garden bed, and by chance we were also given a trailer load of top soil by a local resident. It wasn't the best top soil, certainly not the kind you might find in Tasmania, where my brother is used to living and working. But it is as good as it can get for here. We've chosen plants (and sunflowers), that can supposedly tolerate full to part sun, and added as many nutrients as we could possible to the soil.

The afternoon was fun, preparing the soil, digging and planting seeds. Both girls loved it. Much soil was consumed by my youngest in the process.

And my eldest planted the seeds, with some assistance.
No dirt allowed on the favourite orange tutu.

 

 

 I look forward to picking our first cherry tomatoes, sweet corn and cucumbers to eat. Locally grown produce is not readily available here. Neither is there much organic produce here to choose from. And no farmers markets. And fruit and vegetables can sometimes be a little wilted, before you've even had the chance to take them home. It will definetly be worth the effort to grow some of our own.

It was the last afternoon we had the chance to spend with my brother and his partner. And we spent it creating the vegetable garden. It was the perfect end to their holiday with us. It was followed by a dinner of homemade paella, and a bottle of 13 year old Portuguese red wine I had been babysitting for my brother. It was left here on his last visit to us, which I'd clearly forgotten about. Otherwise, it wouldn't have survived sitting in our wine rack for the last five years. 

Their leaving today, has left me feeling the most down that I have felt since moving here. We are ridiculously far away from everybody I care about. We've made some new friends since being here, but it just doesn't quite feel the same. Not yet anyway. I have a feeling, that it might not ever feel quite right for me here. It's all a bit too far from home. Too hot, too sunny. Everyday.

If nothing else, with or without flourishing vegetable plants, watering the vegetable garden everyday, will allow me to reminisce of my brother and the great afternoon we all spent planting it together.