Current state of the garden. The cardboard is to keep the mint from making a comeback. Click on the picture for a bigger view.

Slowly but surely a garden is emerging. The boys have been having a great time helping daddy, using big tools, digging, finding mice and interesting bugs, and making the connection between food and soil.

So far the total expenditure is nil. Everything we've used has been recycled or scrounged from about the garden. Even the compost bin was dug up from the depths of a bush and repaired using a branch coppiced from the big tree.

Now we can start to think about what to put in our garden: we can still grow some things before winter if we're quick about it, and there are some hardy crops we can sow for next year. Aside from this, the back fence will probably become home to a climbing plant, partly to discourage the boys from going too close and partly to encourage more insects to help to pollinate the plants. We plan to encourage wildlife as much as possible: Stephan has already made a bird box as an activity at church, and we have found some wood to make an insect house. There are some thoughts of a bat box as well as I've seen bats flying about in the dusk. This will help the local wildlife, and has the added advantage that it will also entertain the boys for hours. Free and better than television.