G-dog grows

True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are ever united.

Wilhelm von Humboldt

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Over the last few weeks I've embarked on a new gardening journey; vegetable gardening.

I say new but in truth I've done it before, just not as an adult and completely autonomously. I'm not without some knowledge of gardening in general, no expert sure, but I know a thing or two however vegetable-gardening is somewhat foreign territory to me; I'm at stage two of competence - Consciously incompetant.

Enjoyment

Taking pleasure in the things around me, and that I'm exposed to, is an activity I work hard to foster and is one of the factors that underpinned my decision, plan and actions around vegetable gardening.

It's the enjoyment I seek, not so much the produce, although one is intrinsically linked to the other in truth. Throw in the journey and I feel it's a legit path to travel. You can look at the pictures in my last three posts on the process by following the links here part one, part two and part three if you can be bothered.

Over the last few days I've managed to get my vegetable selections planted out and I'm happy to report they're all going well. The images in this post were taken just after planting so they look a little limp after having been torn from their comfortable potted resting places and transplanted into my garden beds. They all handled it pretty well though, no complaining...Well, there was a few complaints from the strawberry plants but they're known to be problematic so I ignored it; they're happy enough now though.

Getting wet

The raised garden beds I have, called VegePods, have an irrigation system included and that was the last element I needed to get working before I planted out.

It wasn't a complicated task. I just wanted to plumb them both in together to the one water inlet so I butchered some garden hose and used a few hose connectors to run them in-line and then to the tap - A single three-quarter turn of the tap and...Perfect spray sprinkles down like watery goodness from the heavens. Angel tears.

I buried the hose that links the two VegePods, as tripping over a hose and cracking my noggin on something could destroy what little sense I have left at my disposal, and all in all I think it came out pretty well. I could have done the irrigation set up differently, using black irrigation pipe and burying the entire thing but I decided to use what I had to hand just to save cost.

It's been a few days since the plants went in and they all look really healthy and have begun to gain height. These pods are located to the side of my house and I think the position is totally perfect. I may need to provide some additional shade on the hottest of days, we get to 47 degrees Celsius here, but I'm confident I got the placement right.

I'll admit to going out there and looking at them more than I should but will not admit to talking to them, telling bedtime stories and playing music to them to create a beautiful environment for them to grow into...Ah screw it, yes I will!

They love it too! Although...

...Those strawberry plants have incited some trouble and almost caused a riot when I got the music selection wrong. I saved the day with this legit song though - I love my little plants so figured a legit rock-ballad would be just the thing for them. It seemed to work.

Here's that trouble-making strawberry plant. I showed it what's going to happen to it and said eventually I'll add vanilla ice cream and eat it; an attempt to scare it into submission - I'm not sure it worked...But I'll add the ice cream at some stage and eat it nonetheless.

G-dog grows

It would be easy to see my vegetable gardening in a simple way; the production of food for consumption; it's that of course but it's so much more than just growing something.

The basic act of working with my hands, bending my back to a task, brings a deep contentment and connection with the places I've been - I mean from caveman through every human-evolution from day dot to the man I am today. The process of planting, tending and harvesting is something our kind have been doing for a long time and I am completely enjoying the connection with the planet through my garden. It feels right.

This deep-seated emotion, combined with having to think things through and the physical activity, has brought me so much satisfaction in the last few weeks and I believe will do so moving forward...Although at some stage I'll consume my vegetable-friends which won't go so well for them, but I think they'll not mind too much....It's the circle of life.