I’m not a regular blogger, but will compile all my lessons learned into sensible useful topics and post in a great block. My website is arranged more like a book.
Lessons learned
This website is a retrospective one, rather than an ongoing blow-by-blow what’s happening now blog. I look back at the growing year. I review what I’ve done, and what worked and what didn’t.
I find other gardening sites where experimentation has taken place, but results are difficult to find. I like to share my experiments, but also reveal the results, so hopefully others can learn from my efforts.
I live in a land down under
I live in Australia, so I spell upside down, and the seasons are all the wrong way around (but not back to front).
I use metric, quote temperature in Celsius, and drive on the left-hand side of the road (which is not particularly relevant, unless you want to visit me).
If you’re from elsewhere I’ll try to make things a bit easier for you, but you may have to convert to your own customs every now and again. I make no apologies for my spelling — you’ll just have to brave the wild and woolly world of the Queen’s English.
Chronic Fatigue
I often jokingly say I’m a lazy gardener, but that’s not really true.
I’m actually recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also commonly called Myalgic Encephomyelitis (ME), and Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS). I’ve been ill for almost 4 years, spent the first 6 months in bed, and the first 18 months like a zombie. I have limited energy, and I’m now operate at about 60-65% of my normal healthy energy levels.
I embarked on my Hugelkultur experiment as a way to decrease the amount of energy I needed to expend to keep my herbs and vegetables alive. Many of the tricks and techniques I use here are chosen because they require minimal effort and maintenance.