Ask Jamie to do anything, and he'll do it properly, in the style of old school DIY'ers that know how to do things. He's a Jim of all trades, and master of many. Fences, for example. He's built a lot of fences and gates for me. This one is designed not so much as keeping things out or in, like chickens or possums, but to demarcate two areas - the main vegetable beds and citrus wall (more on that later) with the rest of the garden, which will be a mix of herbs, natives and cottage plants like lavender, and irises and espalier fruit walls.
We were lucky to have been left hundreds of dollars worth of cypress posts leftover from their deck build under the house. Jamie put a string line from the deck to the fence to make sure it was straight, and we followed the plan we actually drew instead of doing it by sight and feel like usual, although there was a bit of that too.
My contribution was to sit in the deck chair and offer advice, an overseer of sorts, and just chat to him when he felt like it. My hip is fucked - it's gone beyond a simple strain, perhaps, to a full on ligament teres tear. I can walk, but it hurts, and if I do anything, like walk, swim, or sit in the car for too long, I'm in agony. Yesterday I was in floods of tears balanced by a gritty stoicism and forced cheerfulness fuelled by tiny specks of hope and knowledge this too shall pass. Wisdom does come from age and experience, after all. I keep telling myself equanimity is the best way forward.
I'm actually much better with a project to focus on. Whilst I can only do things like hold the pole straight whilst he's pouring in concrete, I can plan like a mofo ready to order him about. I see myself post surgery in the bedroom with a walkie talkie directing him in the garden below: 'can you pick some beans? can you let the chooks out? when are you digging that bed?' - poor fella. We have thought about getting Hello Fresh food orders just to make life easier. I'm still waiting for the ortho to triage his referrals and get back to me with an appointment. Sigh. Patience is not a virtue, it's merely sitting round waiting and trying not to scream.
So, I plan. Since citrus do well here and are deciduous, I'm liking the idea of a green wall against that fence - apparently you can espalier lemon trees! It'll be a focal point and use less space. I bought a dwarf imperial mandarin the other day, ready to go in. The soil is quite sandy so I've been covering the area with straw and seaweed and soon compost, and will dig in manure and compost into the holes as well. I'll also add a kaffir lime - perhaps in a pot? - and maybe a tangelo, and a key lime. Did you know key limes aren't from Florida, but originated in places like India and Oman? They were just called that because of key lime pie. Live and learn.
I'm pretty excited about being able to grow ginger and turmeric here as well, and lemongrass. I've moved from cool temperate to warm temperate, as well as having the microclimate of a north facing back yard protected from the wind. Next door even has a banana tree! Side note, we have great neighbours all around that have similar values to us.
However, a little bit of sinful pride came into play today when I did a quick tour of the neighbours garden - he has a great raspberry patch, a huge apricot, some raspberries, pears and apples, but in six months, I already have tomato, cucumber, zucchini and beans and lettuce growing. Mind you, he's busy cycling and fly fishing and I can't move without chronic pain so .... I'd probably raze my veggie patch for the body of me at 40.
This too shall pass, this too shall pass. When life gives you lemons, plant another lemon tree. I think of my Dad again, and the cancer lemon. Fuck that, he said. I'm going to live. And he did - another seven years. He never succumbed to a lack of hope. Even a week before he died he was talking about a trip to the Cook Islands. This hip thing is nothing, right??
The more I sat and watched Jamie build the fence (I've stopped shouting at the chooks for getting into the vegetable garden, because if I sit with a bucket of seed I occasionally throw at them, they hang close to me because they get seed fomo) the more I can see, in my mind's eye, the garden take shape.
Even if this year is an immobile one, by this time next year I'll have an amazing garden. And that, my Hive gardener friends, is something super great to look forward to.
With Love,
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