Kaleidoscope

Lots of different colours zooming in and out like the acid trip I never took.
Last weekend I was bathed in medical white, jungle green, jamaican coffee and the brilliant crystal hues of effortless conversation with like minds. I can't get over how stupidly pleased I was to converse with others about the delights of vegetable gardening. It sounds silly, but it is such a rush when random party-goers share this particular fetish of mine. My feet were frozen while I chatted about the mysteries of men with the inimitable Slamma, my tastebuds were delighted with Cam's first vegan cheesecake, my mind was tickled by a small but impressive medical posse.
The rest of the weekend was green, brown and straw. Mainly due to my early xmas presents from Brett. 5 bags of Cow poo, 5 bags of mushroom compost, 3 bags of bark-chips and 2 bales of fine straw. Best christmas present ever.
I donned old trackies,a light shirt, tons of sunscreen and wandered through the herbs to my vegetable beds. I hoed in manure, compost and straw til the soil was a light and friable delight. The back of the top bed was planted with scarlet runner beans. In front of them lebanese and apple cucumbers, in front of that 3 different tomato varieties and broccoli.
Next bed down has oodles of celery seedlings and a seedless watermelon mound.
Across the path is my 3rd bed that looks a lot like I've buried 10 cats. This is my mexican experiment. According to traditional mexican planting, the best yield and most eco-friendlymanner of planting is to cultivate 'the three sisters'. Corn, beans and squash. You prepare your soil and then create hills (hence the ten cat graves...I have mounds...). The first sister to be planted is corn. When she is 5 inches high you pop beans at her base. They fix nitrogen into the soil and of course, climb up the corn. When the beans have a decent leg-up you plant squash at the base. This effectively provides a mulching effect for the soil and the large leaves encourage water retention. Planting in this way gives you maximum yield for minimum space but cannot be used commercially because apparently no clever mexican has yet invented a machine that can harvest all three crops. It must be done the old-fashioned way.-by hand. I shall relish this immensely I assure you!
Below this bed is the currently fallow nightshade bed. Next weekend it will be hoed and pooed and planted with capsicum, chilli, basil, more tomato and eggplant.

My only issue now is that I have no beds left for onion, garlic, potato and zucchini and I have completely forgotten to set aside space for a salad bed. Brett won't love me very much if I ask him to build me two new beds. Perhaps I will have to revert to my chaotic planting instincts and just slot them in wherever there's space.
When the house-warming party happens (mid to late January I hope), everything should be verdant and juicy and gorgeous and heart-warming. I shall lead people through my eden in a large straw hat and flowing whites and wach their hearts warm at the sight of organic abundance. People who don't think veges are beautiful needn't attend.

Off to Doyle's tonight for a 'Symphony' dinner. I'm not sure why I'm going to a seafood restaurant. My brother's idea. I guess I will try to be gracious and not gag into my salad while fellow humans rip heads and intestines from various sea-creatures and stuff them into their gaping maws. Many cigarette breaks may be necessary just to escape the smell. -Yes, I'm aware of how ridiculous that sounds.