The History of Our Garden

Dear Family & Friends

In 2011 we were so fed up renting a city apartment...I felt like prison bound out there. Then, a village property caught our interest, it was within our budget...but it meant a property that needs a lot of work. The house needed a toilet, a kitchen, heating system amongst others. There were some rennovation work started but wasn't completed. The garden...well, it's all brambles..we actually couldn't see what's out there, except for a messy barn as you can see in the first photo. SOLD! We took courage and went for it:)

The existing barn when we first saw it.

We worked on the little house first. Made it liveable and from there we started with the garden make over next. Fortunately, we have good neighbours. We seeked their help and we learned to live with them in this village.

The barn is temporarily cleared, good enough to use and the space before it is now the vegetable garden.

We got some grass seeds down to stop overwhelming attack of weeds while we try to sort out what and how we want the garden to be. Slowly, we sectioned the garden to work on.

The early beginnings, when we slowly prepared and worked on sectioning our garden

To be honest, the soil is so poor...we got a long way to go. But we started anyway...whatever we could do. Everywhere seems dry and brown.

My first food garden, closest to the house and I call it my kitchen garden

My kitchen garden was the first start. I want to grow food for our family. The garden plot nearest to the house was a good starting place...and I started a small rectangular plot as a motivation.

Temporary plastic tunnels where we try growing seedlings

We grew seeds under a temporary plastic tunnel...we saw neighbours doing it and we copy and learn. We try everything we could get our hands to.

Some very old unproductive trees had to go...it's a lot of hard work and.manual strength

There were old and diseased fruit trees we need to dig out...some we kept and nurtured. We knew nothing much about fruit trees...the growing and pruning aspects of it all.

Everything was so dry and bare...but the beginning is usually like that...work is needed

 Nonetheless, we carry on growing, working...trial and error most of it!

After lots of work, we started to see a good area for future gardening

After a while, the garden is looking all prepared, cleared and is given a new slate to start with. We started to see that we actually got good solid walls all around our property. Thank goodness for that!

Fruit trees were planted and the vision of a veggie garden is taking place

We bought a few bareroot trees, neighbour helped and showed us how to plant them. Slowly, we filled almost all edges of the property with various fruit trees and are doing it with confidence. 

Now, the veggie garden is giving us lots of good, clean food for our health benefit

A big area of the garden was set and is now called our vegetable garden, where we plant rows and beds of good food. To date, we never buy any veggies from market nor supermarkets.

We are so encouraged to see what we could grow and harvest...and it's not difficult

As for the kitchen garden, the very first garden plot we worked on with, well, I plant a mixture of this and that...somedays it is easier to just gather food nearest to the kitchen...yes, sometime I want convinience...a few more steps further seems far when I get my lazy day.

All the work put in is not in vain...pleasure is the reward and exercise makes one stronger

After a few years...the garden is getting more established with self seeding flowers..and most perennial plants we planted are just growing and taking off themselves. The fruit trees are now bearing sweet snacks which the two girls enjoy the most. We employed a few working animals that helps us in the garden: our chickens, ducks, bees and worms in wormery. We realized the importance of good soil...and we carry on working with it.

Now, The old messy barn and garden is just a memory of the past.

Whatever attracted us to get this property...probably the frustrations in life that we were facing. Overcoming what's before us...we did and still are...we live a simple life...working our way..and our effort is rewarded with small sweet success:) Be encouraged always...and don't give up easily.

Yours