Porch Garden Renovation: New Year, old trout, at five-star Mt. Baw Baw B & B

photo: Toorongo River Sanctuary

In my typical extreme flexi-resourceful way, two days before New Year's Eve I started to plan the best way to spend it. I lucked upon River Sanctuary's luxury B & B, arranged some balcony garden creation WWOOFing in exchange, then turned up with the gang.

The first thing I saw on awakening to the New Decade was a clear-bottomed, trout-filled stream outside my window, calling me for a dip. After drying off, and a celebratory breakfast, the three of us logged in to start work. Our first task from Boss Bevan: Put on our hiking boots, and design a treasure hunt on the heavenly hiking trail for tomorrow's guests and their children.

'Find a river rock shaped like a cat'
or
'Most imaginative name for a constellation of daisies

(a constellation named....?)

"Man, this WWOOFing gig is tough" teased my friend Kallika, who had just joined our Willing Workers On Organic Farms club, not anticipating party games.


We happened upon some well-equipped fishermen who catch trout.
Just catch them, then send them home again.
Sometimes catch the same guy twice. In the words of the immortal Mitch Headburg 'They don't want to eat it, they just want to make it late for something".
Trout 1 "Where were you, brother?"
Trout 2 "I got caught"
Trout 1 "No you didn't. Show me your lip".

But for such a weird hobby, they were lovely guys, very, very intimate with their trout, even giving me a cuddle.
How? Wet your hands first. Hold lightly and it won't resist.

I try to get the more white-collar wwoofing tasks, one was putting together this map for treasure hunting.
Walk down from the peak. You will see:

The Hut on the Hill.
This place makes you feel you could get an oil lamp, solar panel for the laptop, and live happily ever after.
Looking down on this all day, watching the cows go by

Vagabond village from above. How did I get myself up this high?


No residents right now.


A brief dance on the stage of the old wagon.
Then over the rickey bridge, and home to start work making a Veranda Garden.


You probably wonder why a property as vast as this one needs an edible balcony garden.
The answer is, everyone who likes joy and eating needs a balcony (or edge) garden. A garden that is just a hand's reach away from where you spend time. Where you just happen to keep watch daily, defend from pests, delight in blossomings and perfumes, and get intimate with a microworld of your own creation.

Veranda Garden Creation, with Kyra and french WWOOFers.

We did this:

• Cleared weeds, composted the non-seedy ones (no hot compost yet, just moved in)

• Got rid of most of the pots - with earth this close to where you are sitting, potplants are just bothersome dependents. They don't add to the 'landscape', and and busy B&B owners have better things to do.

• Dug terraces, so the rainwater soaks in, rather than rolls down.

• Went to the river for shoring-up rocks. Too small. So had a swim instead.

• Went harvesting the flaky soft mudstone from hills in the buggy. Scary, going though the river.

• Postitioned the rocks along in Curves drawn with vines

• Attempted an asymetrical Japanese, rather than pearls-and-twinset even look.. Plants spilling over the medium-sized rocks will help.
  

• Popped a few waiting seedings in, after giving them a days revivifying soak.

Once the WWOOFer boys feel up to it, we will get some cow contributions to fertilize, and collect some mulch to keep things snug. After we've gone, Nichole and Bevan can put in their new pet plants. I reccommended blue and yellow flowering edibles: hanging rosemary, chives, chamomile, blue-flowering borage for both bees and pretty salads, and hey, more flowers: alysim, violas, whatever buoys your spirit. Of course, lettuce and rocket, useful old faithfuls. Snail traps will complete the picture.

"My New Years Resolutions?" drawled the Young French WWOOFer, as we carried rocks to terrace the front garden. "More Girls. More Money". The simple life.

Thank-you Bevan, Nichole and Kyra. You gave us a perfectly Happy New Year.