Sus for Sustainability

I thought I would call this blog Sus, because the whole idea of living sustainably and my deep suspiscion that the world will find it as hard as I do and the idea of holding back the tide of change, will be a myth, a parable perhaps for future intelligence to muse over.

Just getting this web site together has been a constant balancing act between doing the many jobs needing to be done and getting a garden started, getting the chook pen built and the chooks installed, planting our dwarf fruit trees, ridning my bike as much as possible and eschewing the car.

Many times in my life I have tried to be a gardener. Many times I have fallen short and many times has my respect and admiration for successful gardeners been extended.

In our household we are embarking on a brand new garden and mini-orchard, with a few chooks and one lame goose.

The current block is finely matted with couch grass and I am sure this will be an ongoing battle against this invasive plant attempting to choke life out of everything we try to nurture.

Currently we have planted our row of dwarf fruit trees, which include heritage apples, pears, plums, apricots and cherries.

Before they were planted, old prunus species trees growing along the fenceline had to be removed. After labouring for some time with shovel, crowbar, wallaby jack and much sweat, we called in the backhoe. Half an hour later they were all out.

The chooks needed a yard to keep them out of the garden and they benefited from all the mulched tree branches as fine scratching material and a compost bin in motion as all the kitchen scraps get thrown on this litter daily.

Each garden bed involves a lot of digging and careful removal of all traces of couch. We have a large tub of water in which we place the couch till it is well rotted and can then be added to the compost and the "tea" in the tub can then be added to the garden and the next "brew" started.

So far only peas are showing their heads above the ground, but rhubarb and artichokes are also in being replanted from pots.

I hope throught this blog to keep adding to this story and I also hope that you add your comments and suggestions so that it becomes a valuable resource to others contemplating their own sustainable future.

Other items on the agenda are to install a solar electric system and a solar hot water system. I will add this story as it unfolds.