Nov 10, 2015

Crop failures and almost giving up! (But not quite)



25th - 9th November

What a battle I've had over the last couple of weeks. Snails destroyed my peas, cats dug up my broccoli and my lavenders were dying from dampening off. I just felt like throwing it all in. But when you start something like I've started, giving up is admitting challenges can beat me. I'm not a quitter. A lot of challenges have arisen for myself and my two girls over the last few weeks. Between struggles with school work, uncertain futures and financial worries it hasn't been easy. All I have is what is there to work with. Crappy clay soil, minimal finance along with a wing and a prayer. I have to keep going. Above doesn't look like much but it's only part of the bigger area I've been working on.


What you see here was once a solid wall of blackberry bush. I've managed to clear a fairly large area using nothing but a pair of loppers. I just destroy any new growth that comes up from the canes and graudally the blackberry is being eradicated. The tyres are going to dug into the soil for erosion control. I have a Council drain that runs down near the house area it has caused me no end of problems for years. The Council won't fix it - it's basically put up and shut up.  I went looking for alternative solutions and found a brilliant idea that ill help prevent the soil being eroded away by the water over winter.  In the gully I'll be planting lots of flax and other natives to filter the water and help hold the soil together. It may seem bleak all these challenges, but I'm taking them on anyway. My eldest daughter said to me I have grit. I appreciated it and it made me smile. I'll keep on going. This will work I just know it deep down.