A very proud day indeed! We constructed our greenhouse. It only took two weeks days, 20 pieces of bamboo, hours and hours of hoeing and digging and a whole lot of mesh- but we did it! Sourcing the bamboo was a challenge but we had 15 pieces donated by Iris (cousin) and found our neighbor sells both green and dry. And to think we were looking as far away as Bocas! when all the while it's right in our backyard. Buena suerte! We used a model we found locally and fit it to our specifications 20 x 30 with overhangs for herbs. We already have thyme, mint (yerba buena), basil (albaca), culantro (cilantro's cousin), coffee, sweet and hot peppers, mountain tomato, onion, garlic, ginger and green onion. We hope to transplant the avocados, citrus, papayas and mangos we have inside to save them from the torrential downpours and fierce winds that come in February. I hope to have much more planted in the near future!
We used the excess bamboo to set up a shelter with our tarp and bamboo mats and now we have a nice little tent to sit out the rain or take a break from the sun. We also built an underground storage compartment for our tools etc so we don't have to transport stuff everyday with our bikes. The grass is as tall as the trees Augustine planted, over a hundred, and they're all about knee high- some are taller than both of us. The grass that took over in his absence is fierce and
eradicating it is some of the hardest work I've ever done. One shovel or hoe full at a time. But I've cleared the entire area for the greenhouse so we can build our raised beds and make paths.
The first night we left the greenhouse the wind was so fierce it ripped the roof plastic and caught on the ends of the bamboo. We had to spend the whole next day lowering the wind-bearing side by a foot to help with rain pooling and wind. Now it's stronger than ever and we have a double layer on the worst parts. The mesh works well as a wall and allows breeze and water to trickle down and water the herbs inside. Shiva is the worst gardener ever and crushed my tomato seedlings...so we attached the bottom of the walls to bamboo posts and now no humans or dogs or birds can sneak in.
With our new structure we started camping on the land during the week to build the fence as much as possible. up with the sun at 6- sunrise on the volcano is amazing...start digging, cutting etc usually the rain comes afternoon or by 4 everyday.
The fence is almost finished and although we had a few minor setbacks- mainly the rain...but we built the whole damn thing ourselves. We went with the more labor intensive method and refused to cave in and hire someone to build it. I think I filled the wheelbarrow with sand and rocks a thousand times. We cut our 25' long pieces of green bamboo into 9' lengths and dug
out a 2' trench all the way around underneath the existing fence. We stood up all the bamboo and used u-shaped nails to attach it to the existing barbed wire. We used "ripio" gravel and pounded it down level to compact it and make it structurally sound. We layered river rocks throughout and capped the bottom of the circa on both sides. Many people walking by have said it's very beautiful and it's the only fence like it in all of Panama. Not a single bag of concrete used, no carbon emitted and it will serve as a living trellis for us to grown beans, squash, berries and floral vines. Shiva is just loving the land- a true wolf at home and seeing progress is the greatest thing since pie! Any ideas why my eucalyptus have brown spots on the leaves?
The best news however is we made friends with our neighbors, a young couple who lives in the city, and they need someone to live in and watch their house for them- so starting next month
we'll have our own little house right next door to our property.
People have asked how we prepare for projects. Kent does a lot of math and I make a lot of lists- We both sketch and change our minds a lot. Pretty much as organic as it gets.
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