"Constructing" a garden: exchange time for money?

Hi Mary,
I was also interested by balcony garden, as it is better than nothing.
I know some old people that are so happy with raised beds.

Apart from special situations, what would you say about your approach for people having their ground as low as it is and prefer to see as little modern stuff as possible in their garden?
(I am even so upset by my hen project as it will mean iron fences!)

I also think that each situation is different, and that we here in permies advocate for systems that are anyway far better than producing nothing and eating junk food! ...but I am upset by our way of depending more and more from the outside for gardening. We need pipes, iron, plastic, even straw bales can come from far. Anyway, we do not produce all this. Just have a look at a lot of on-line catalogs and all what you can BUY for gardening.

Less time and more easy to get a garden, but doesn't it mean money money money instead?

one way I got a lot started when I was first married was a "friendship" type garden..where I got starts and cuttings and seeds from friends..later I was happy to pass on my extra starts and cuttings and seeds to other people..

If you visit a gardener, several times a year, they probably will offer you seeds or cuttings at each visit, and in spring you might find they have extra baby plants started..they might dig you a baby plant or roots as well...we do that here for people often

We do it here too, and I was not thinking about this type of investment, but about the structure of the garden.
We seem to need more and more sophisticated and manufactured stuff to do some organic gardening.

Hi, Xisca and Brenda,

Yes, it's unfortunate that we must expend some funds for structuring the garden, but it also is an opportunity to repurpose things as much as possible.

One of my main reasons for constructing the waist-high raised bed was because it actually conserves straw and soil by not allowing either to slough off and just become mulch. That way, I don't have to add as much fresh straw and soil the following year in order to get things growing. There's already a good compost base that encourages deep roots and health plant growth. Also, as I mention, one can use old livestock watering tubs, domestic bathtubs, sinks, and other "containers" just fine, as long as there is adequate drainage. Straw-bale gardening can be done in those, or they can be used for more traditional container gardening. Either way, you save the expense of buying lumber and containers!

Bartering is one of the greatest things humanity ever came up with! One can see this kind of communal cooperation in many animal species, too. The group of master gardeners I'm in at the extension service is really into exchanging plants and materials. All we have to do is put out the word about what we need and someone usually comes through with the desired stuff. The more diverse one's environment (and range of friends and colleagues) is, the more this kind of thing is possible.

One thing I think is crucial, as we all try to transition to a more sustainable environment, whether on a public or private scale, is to always be conscientious but not beat ourselves up if we make a mistake or get stumped. Doing everything perfectly isn't humanly possible, but not trying, even in some small way, is kind of inexcusable . . . establishing a central "clearinghouse," such as this Website offers, is highly laudable and a wonderful way to solve problems!

--Mary

Mary,
I have changed balcony gardening for terrace gardening , but I was very interested by your answering...
thanks for some sentences that are really great:

Mary Moss-Sprague wrote:
Yes, it's unfortunate that we must expend some funds for structuring the garden, but it also is an opportunity to repurpose things as much as possible.
always be conscientious but not beat ourselves up if we make a mistake or get stumped.

Doing everything perfectly isn't humanly possible, but not trying, even in some small way, is kind of inexcusable . . .

This quote is even more important to me:

All we have to do is put out the word about what we need and someone usually comes through with the desired stuff.

I have seen a lot of lists of "what do I have", and people ask for it.
I can see less people making lists of what they need.

Ho if we could only go out of "think 1st about "others" and "what to give" reflex! "
Jesus said to love others as much as oneself, not more!
Love yourself, say what you need, and then let the world function!
Give the opportunity to someone to get the pleasure to give you something.

I do not want to list what I have, even only to propose it.
If I see that I can give something because someone ask for it, then I am happy.

Let's behave the way that allow people to get the pleasure of freely offering.
This way of behaving is by telling our NEEDS, and we are not used to do this.

One can see this kind of communal cooperation in many animal species, too.

Well, in plant species too...
Only in xerophytic species. They need it, so they developed the concept too!
The fungus grid in the soil allow them to barter
They swap nutrients and water through the grid.
That is why those soils must not be dug when dry, because the grid can recover only when the soil is wet.

Usual vegetables do not practice bartering.
They grow and make seed in a more self-centered way.
Only NEED is the center of adaptations and decisions.
But let's say that "obligations" is not the kind of stuff a lot of people fancy, as we say we want to be "free"...
(I also hate obligations from despots, but I love to obey nature's obligations)
I believe that when there is no "obligation", the other way of acting is by "addiction", like positive reinforcement.
This has good reputation, but this is based on addiction's principles!!!
(you can take dogs' training as an exemple. If you do not punish or threaten (even gently), then you need clicker training and get the dog mad at something. It works as gambling addiction...)
Actually, I believe in a mix of the two methods, either for plants, animals and the standing animal we are.

Sorry for such a concentrated answer... It was not forecast and came out like this.