Garden Tour #2: Take Advantage of Opportunities

 Yesterday we went to a neighbor’s birthday party.  It was a fun afternoon of laughter, food, and of course lots of cold beer.  My neighbor, Tarraya, was busy cleaning a crate of radishes, or rábanos in Spanish.  I asked him where he got them and why would anyone want a crate of them.  He began to tell me a story that only seems normal for here.

He said he got a call from a ship’s captain.  The ship was headed for Hawaii but was sidelined due to a hurricane or poor weather, I don’t exactly recall which.  The ship was full of produce that was spoiling and the captain asked Tarraya if they wanted to make a trade.  I’m not exactly sure of the details but it involved cases of beer in exchange for the produce and diesel fuel.  I guess late at night the exchange was made. 

I noticed about five crates of produce in the back of Tarraya’s truck.  It was spoiled and he was going to take it to the dump.  I suggested I would take it off his hands.  He agreed in disbelief.  This morning, at the crack of dawn, he came overdropped it off.  I went outside with my cup of coffee and started digging a hole.

Up until now, we have been making dirt on the other side of the house.  We have been very successful making productive dirt and the plants have been happy.  We combine seaweed, cow dung, dirt that we get from under mesquite trees, paper and cardboard, along with spent grains and hops from our brewing.  We mix in water and let it sit for a few days before turning again.  When we plant, we get some of this dirt and mix in worm compost.  The major downside comes from an increase in flies.  But we figure a little inconvenience now will pay for itself down the road with a bountiful garden.

But with the amount of rotten food we now had, I decided to dig a compost hole on the opposite side of the house.  We put down a layer of the tomatoes and tomatillos and covered with cardboard and dirt.  Then a layer of rotten green beans and carrots with another layer of dirt and paper.  We finished up by watering it down a bit and covering with some old wire from lobster traps to keep any animals out.  We’ll turn the dirt in a few days and let it cook some more.

I get the feeling we’re pioneering composting here as many of our neighbors roll their eyes as they see me turning dirt.  But I think some of them are coming around as our garden grows.  In fact, we have noticed some neighbors planting some new trees and plants.  We plan on giving out seedlings soon to our neighbors.  My goal is to have a small community of gardeners here.  I would love to trade our bounty and share seeds and ideas of things to grow.  Gardening is relatively a new hobby for me but one that gives me great peace of mind.  Tracy says I have a green thumb but I don’t know.  I find it both relaxing and rewarding and a great way to enjoy my morning coffee.  Here’s to the next adventure…..