On Sunday 25 November a great bunch of people gathered at Mel’s place for a permablitz. This was a permablitz with a difference in that it was also a gardening workshop about putting in a bio-intensive lasagne garden, now seemingly a Gold Coast Permaculture (GCP) specialty.
This permablitz follows on from the installation of two private vegetable gardens and mini-orchards installs at Sorrento and Tallai (Gold Coast suburbs) by the GCP crew. These two gardens were installed following direct approaches to us by the property owners.
Cardboard the First Layer Goes Down in Mel’s Less Than Large Yard
At Mel’s place we kicked off at 0900 following the arrival of Cathie with a load of horse manure and Kurt with a load of aquatic weed. Both these individuals are long-term supporters of GCP. Cathie had been to Tallebudgera Adjistment Centre, who kindly donated the horse manure and shovelled a ute load into the tray (assisted by Mel) for the required layer. Kurt, who runs Tapping Solutions Australia, regularly provides his truck and backhoe and everything else he owns plus his time to us and is just amazing. This guy is totally unselfish and philanthropic and we do very much appreciate his support. What we would do without him I dare not imagine. A GCP legend one might say.
Bagged Up and Perfectly Estimated by Our Quantity Surveyor
Justin, our GCP ‘quantity surveyor’, provided all the other materials required for the garden packed in bags for ease of use and this made the garden installation so much easier. How easy it was to just put the bags on the garden and lay it out. No shovelling or heavy back work required at all. This is a system that I think we might just copyright. Having that trusty steed (Merc Sprinter) to cart it all around is just magic. We can almost stack a full garden in the back of it when organised in this way. Thank you Justin for your most exceptional level of lateral thinking.
Lauren in Her Japanese Work Boots Spreading a Bit of Goodness
Installation was a treat and we combined that with a workshop explaining to the group of 11 participants the logic and underlying principles of putting a bio-intensive garden together. We finished it in no time at all.
Mel Getting Stuck In
Being a combination workshop and permablitz participants brought a plate of snacks for morning tea and Mel organised a sausage sizzle at the end of the job. We all decided that morning tea was enough and Mel got to keep all the bangers.
The Permablitz Crew
Mel’s yard is rather smallish and we just did not have enough room, let alone work, for all the people who wanted to attend. A workshop was a better outcome for all. Mel provided a magic spread as well and I think that everyone ended the morning somewhat satiated and reasonably happy with how it all panned out. Two gardens built and Mel as happy as a two bob watch.