vision / dream / obsession

Hi, I'm Charlotte-Rose.

Pleased to met you! Take off your boots and hang in the garden with us. 

Dog watches Teva blanket the first super long seaweed bed in compost

We moved into our Mt Roskill home on the 31st of December 2018. This 1960s weatherboard house represents a huge source of security for Teva and myself and we are grateful to be living here now. Having the space to compost and grow veg means the world after apartment living and cohabiting in one of the chilliest flats in Tāmaki Makaurau.

I've had an interest in gardening and eco-living going back many years. Always flirting around the edges of my curiosities, never quite finding the opportunity to dig deeper or sustain action. I would describe myself as an adventurous but fair-weather gardener. Completely intoxicated by the potential of Spring's arrival, I'm at Kings Plant Barn twice in one weekend and happily show up for my plants until late in the evening once daylight savings is here. For years I've been procrastinating growing my own garlic. My winter garden is like a path paved with many a good intention. Sadly, I do not identify as a four season gardener just yet.

My partner Teva has been another story. Let's say he was late to the party. But boy has he shown up in the last year! His commitment to understanding natural systems and their interdependence is a powerful influence. He's future-focused, sees the big picture and is a practical, where-is-north-from-here? kind of person. I admire the focus he has with reading on topic most evenings. I admire his dedication to volunteering at OMG working bees.  And most of all I admire him choosing radical change that would see us moving towards less fossil fuel consumption, community dependence, health & longevity and a sustaining permaculture garden of our own. 

In the first few years living here we've been observing and making plans. Making mistakes too. We've changed course from initial plans to plant a massive jungle essentially screening out traffic noise and gaining privacy. But over time we've been inspired by great people doing great things in their gardens. Raising our own awareness of health, sustainability, food security, organics, regenerative agriculture and permaculture has meant that our vision has settled on a project with greater purpose. Reading the work of Kay Baxter, David Holmgren and other fair food champions has lead to the realisation that resilience is where it's at. And, if afforded the privilege, is entirely achievable once you decide you will no longer be largely dependent on the supermarket and pharmacy for nourishment.

                       

Fortunately, the section already supported mature lemon, lime, peach, nectarine and banana trees as well as grapes and a strange little kiwiberry vine. There is a dwarf navel orange and mandarin tree too. In our first year here we planted 3 feijoa, an avocado tree and a young macadamia sapling. Our potted fig went into the soil along with a blood orange tree. We also started planting that jungle. In went a Queensland umbrella tree, pukka, protea, kohekohe and various other leafy shrubs that we are now beginning to rethink.

In year two we haphazardly added more edibles, excited to have more food-producing plants but still lacking knowledge about soil conditions and shade/sun requirements. In went blueberry bushes, an apple tree, elderflower, yacón, guavas, a tamarillo, passionfruit vine and pineapple sage. Composting has been a more regular practice as I've been seeking to understand more about this dark art/science. Currently we're having compost delivered and paying for that quality, organic dark matter. I can't help but feel there's a lot more I could be doing with my heap to get it right - and I'm determined to master the art of making it.

For now we've settled on everything we plant having a stronger purpose. Be it fruit, vegetable, medicine, herb, pollinator-friendly, soil-enhancing, shelter providing. In many cases doing double duty. Find us here writing about our obsession to shape this place into a four season permaculture dream garden. These days I'm thankful to have detoured from growing the massive jungle that would have shut everything out. We think our new vision is going to be the making of a secure future.

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