Hidden away, just off busy Mount Alexander Road there is a little community with a patch of lawn that dreamed of being something more.
The residents of Norfolk Terrace are coping with long-term serious mental illness and disability and we were asked to design a permaculture garden to engage them in growing their own fresh food. We hope as well as turning a bland patch of grass into an edible garden, this becomes a place to building connections and community.
The residents hadn’t slept well, what with the hot night and the storm, they might not be roused to show up, Greg, a staff member, informed us with an apologetic grimace. We’d heard it before, don’t expect too much, wandering enthusiasm, and the like, but in my honest heart a Permablitz without the residents would be disappointing. Oh well, our volunteers (those undeterred by rain) were pouring in and there was a promising crevasse in the clouds, we threw ourselves into the business of making a permaculture paradise!
It only took a few minutes for Tony to prove him wrong, rocking up to observe, joke and water when required despite his tricky heart. Then another shy smiling resident came to tuck our pile of turf into bed, our main man when it came to covering grass with hessian to stop it sprouting. Tony pointed out it looked like the grave of someone with a loooong body, a boa constrictor a volunteer suggested.
Lunch was ready just in time as hard working bellies began to growl. Sausages went down a treat with the omnivores who were also pleasantly suprised by the vegetarian fare of beetroot burgers and delicious quinoa salad with grilled mushrooms. The work had been going along well so volunteers, residents and staff relaxed for a chat while everything digested.
After the last crumbs were brushed from beards and raincoats Dylan ran a wicking bed workshop, which I will paraphrase in a future post. Sand and compost went in and then those who had been pushing wheelbarrows for most of the day had a chance to finish it off with some onions and eggplant seedlings.
The sun started to halo our workers as the afternoon wore on just as the finishing touches were going into the second brick no-dig garden. It was planted with adwarf manderine, buddha’s fingers, tea plant, maqui berry and artichokes which would form an edible evergreen hedge to the south of the raised vegetable gardens. As the sand was levelled in the second wicking bed it struck 5pm and Dylan could only usher everyone off by promising a second Permabee to finish off the two other wicking beds this Tuesday. Now if having to bribe your volunteers with another day of labouring isn’t a sign of a happy and successful Blitz, I don’t know what is! Thanks to everyone who came and a special thank you to Norfolk Terrace and the Flemington Neigbourhood Learning Centre for making this happen.
If anyone is interested in attenting the Permabee on Tuesday 4th November contact us at info@thedesertecho.com and to be involved as a volunteer at the Norfolk garden please contact pip@fsnlc.net 9376 9088, we will be running workshops for residents every Friday morning and welcome volunteers to help out.
P.S. You might like to our Community Food Forest Permablitz post
