Gardening

Back in December, I decided it was time to get my act together and start gardening. I chose to build a keyhole garden, which is a garden inside a circular stone enclosure about waist-high. These gardens were originally designed to help people living with HIV/AIDS grow nutritious foods without the strain of constantly bending down. With the help of some neighborhood kids, I built the stone enclosure and then filled it with the proper layers: crushed tin cans, chopped-up aloe, and then, repeating until full, ash, manure, and soil. My host father helped me to plant the seeds (I truly know nothing about gardening), and I have finally been reaping the rewards these past few weeks with fresh spinach in all of my meals.

I enjoy going out to water my garden in the mornings and evenings and, when the mood strikes me, loudly proclaiming to no one in particular, "Ah! But it is good to work with one's hands!" or "Can there be anything finer than tending one's garden?"

Look at that soil!

The cinderblock structure on the right is my rondavel, for reference.