Our first assignment, as fresh blooded volunteers, was to work in the community garden that both provides food to the hungry surfers and a education to kids who attend the nature school. We donned the factor 50, sun hats and our greenest fingers to give a hand to Astriel, who curates this pretty garden.
Astriel had saved up some long bean seedlings and tomato plants for us to plant, and selected some of the delightfully stinky compost made from all organic waste from our plates.
All was going to plan, until Millie (aka Emily) went bright red and nearly expired, Charlotte fainted on standing up and I started seeing stars. “How can anyone do anything in this heat?” was our resounding cry.
Never one for the conventional, Rob put his best teaching practise to use, to cajole the little Year 1 year seedlings into line.
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- Mr Nice Teacher
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- Have you been skipping growing?
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- Oi you little scrotbag …
Though we know in our hearts that this is arguably not the best use of Charlotte and my time, it was good to work as a family, and learn about how to garden together. It transpired that over the next few days the girls has been discussing between themselves about “What really is the point. Mum and Dad?,” so we explained that the garden provides some food to the resort, reducing costs, and that money from the resort funds the turtle conservation program on Bangkaru. The girls nodded … they got this.
3 thoughts on “Community Gardening”
Grandpa Suffolk
Ouch, this one raised some deep questions. Is delicious and nutritious food worth working for in such heat? Is the excitement of seeing what apparently is a dead seed turn into an amazing plant (And yes, I’m sure a good lecture from Rob got them to line up properly and “do their thing”!). Charlotte, without doubt, looks the part properly on her knees and possibly praying that her plants would grow while, at the same time, the girls have most appropriately been set to do the hard work with spades etc. Well done all of you.
charlottemonico
I think you are probably too generous for my motivations…….with a bad back the only way to garden is to kneel!! xxx
Matteo Marzano
You are so good ! Gardening is a very hard job. But the joy that gives us a garden amply compensates for this effort !