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Sad news from this Ain’t the Rosedale Library.
Framing the Garden – Loam soft as fine moss passes through my fingers squeezed tight to a fist
It may be a tad ambitious, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I am building a raised vegetable garden using the leftovers from the house construction. The pile of earth was delivered a few months ago, during which time weeds have taken root. It’s sandy loam and comes from a forest not too far away. The grizzled old guy who owns the company that takes care of finding and delivering the soil apologized for not screening it, but said that screening would be an extra expense. We agreed the soil is in excellent condition with very few rocks.
I had to lead the dump truck through the trees in order to get the soil dumped in a convenient spot. Now the frame is up and I have placed a special fabric on the ground to prevent weeds from coming through. It looks simple enough — spread the soil from the pile into the boxes — but each wheelbarrowful is like a drop in the bucket.
Rain Barrel – The still of morning as musty scents of red wine seep over the rim
Between my trip to the Writers Union AGM in Ottawa, and Vancouver to read, we visited a local cooperage and bought an old wine barrel to catch water. There are predictions of a dry summer and we are on a well, so it doesn’t make sense drenching the garden. A big barrel-maker of a guy delivered the barrel and asked me where I wanted it… In the following days I drilled a hole in the top and then sawed enough to then smash the top in with my prized pick-axe. The inside smelled strongly of red wine and the insides were a deep red colour.
In the following days I bought a faucet and a drill bit the size of the faucet screw, and the following morning was up early to drill a hole in the lower section. “Apply goo,” said the barrel maker, which I did. The brass faucet is now intact. I was afraid with all of the sawing, hacking, and drilling that I would unlock some crucial point of tension and the whole thing would explode. (The barrel maker had explained how he makes new barrels, with all the gear and the rings etc, and shaping the wood. It seemed like a large uncomplicated bomb waiting to explode.)
Now, by the edge of our house, where I sawed the drainpipe and guided it towards the barrel, it seems happy enough. However, I am now wondering how to get the water in the barrel–fill it with the hose? We still haven’t had a big downpour.
Andrew Binks 