Around
Gecko
Block
In the beginning there was an 'empty' block of land, purchased by a small family back in 2008. Mum dad and one daughter, another on the way, leaped on the economy crash bail outs that their local govt offered and made moves towards moving into their own place. With another daughter on the way and their current residence being too small anything bigger seemed like heaven.
After daughter number two was born and time passed the house seemed small, particularly with mum out of work and dad working from home. The girls had to share a room to make way for an office, and there seemed to be no hint of that dreamed of library in the near future. But when the topic of moving to a bigger place was raised one thing came to light that made me, the mum, decide that staying where they were was the best option.
"We'd have to start again with the fruit trees."
It's a bizarre story but it's mine and there are a number of facts involved in me choosing to forgo a bigger more roomy house, to stay here and build up the resources we can on what property we have. We live on a suburban block on what i call a small block, although i have seen people put two houses on a block our size, to my mind it's still small particularly when you have children. Nevertheless, there does, with some careful planning seem to have worked out to be enough space on our black for me to build what i hope will one day be a mini homestead.
"Homestead: noun, a house, especially a farmhouse, and outbuildings."
OK i can't have a farm, i guess thats why the 'mini' is important to note. However i can do what i can to provide what i can for my husband children in the most economical manner. I don't have a job, and while i'm not 'bludging' off the government, this social status of stay at home mother begins to wear thin once both the kids are in full time school which is next year.
So, what am i going to do to make life easier for my family, financially, seeing as i'm not contributing to its financial health by adding to it?
So far we have, a peach tree, nectarine tree, golden delicious tree, granny smith tree, strawberry bushes, rhubarb plants, mint, and a massive rosemary bush.
I've attempted to establish some aloe but i think in an over zealous attempt to rescue it i may have drowned it, and i have roses, which on their own might not seem terribly helpful but they produce a lovely quantity of rose hips every year. Newly planted is a lavender plant from which i plan on propagating more.
I've decided to keep a record of how things go from this point on, the different projects we embark on, the trials and tribulations of what i'm affectionately calling gecko block.
