Appendix
Journal extracts
March 20th
The weather has been unseasonably warm many trees have blossomed early including my peach tree. This will only be a problem if we have air frosts I will cover with netting to give protection. The ground on both the garden and allotment is dry due to the lack of rain.
March 28th
Richard my tutor asked me to expand on why the garden so special to me, I had no vocabulary to explain what I feel this has lead me to explore other avenues of permaculture namely the people aspect. One aspect I was asked to explore was spiral dynamics, which explained some human behavior, which in turn lead me to the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and the book
The Power of Now ………………………………… he talks of the struggle of the human spirit with the mind and ego. Many of his observations made sense of the feelings I have had at times of intense physical effort and dangerous activities like kayaking white water rivers or the natural beauty of a sunset which connected me to the world on a different more intense level. This connection humans could have with the world at all times being in the present moment, giving the task you are under taking your full attention whilst being to you inner spirit. When I am in the garden time means nothing because future and past don’t exist in the present moment, which allows my mind to be is still. Feelings on a spiritual level are new and scary for me however and I will continue to explore them as the insights I have already gained have changed the way I view of the world. April 1st The hose pipe ban does not apply to the midlands area however it has focused the mind I have plans for garden rain water harvesting but no time for a complete overhaul as an interim measure several new water butts have been joined with siphoning pipes. 2 new 1000 litre tanks will be connected to the shed on the allotment site.
April 20th
1400 litres of water in the allotment water tank in 3 days great news, the weather has turned cold and the lack of insects is affecting the plants that came into flower early with the warmer weather.
May 1st
Trying to get project report ready looks like it will go to the wire again working up until the 7th as I have more time next week.
March 20th
The weather has been unseasonably warm many trees have blossomed early including my peach tree. This will only be a problem if we have air frosts I will cover with netting to give protection. The ground on both the garden and allotment is dry due to the lack of rain.
March 28th
Richard my tutor asked me to expand on why the garden so special to me, I had no vocabulary to explain what I feel this has lead me to explore other avenues of permaculture namely the people aspect. One aspect I was asked to explore was spiral dynamics, which explained some human behavior, which in turn lead me to the teachings of Eckhart Tolle and the book
The Power of Now ………………………………… he talks of the struggle of the human spirit with the mind and ego. Many of his observations made sense of the feelings I have had at times of intense physical effort and dangerous activities like kayaking white water rivers or the natural beauty of a sunset which connected me to the world on a different more intense level. This connection humans could have with the world at all times being in the present moment, giving the task you are under taking your full attention whilst being to you inner spirit. When I am in the garden time means nothing because future and past don’t exist in the present moment, which allows my mind to be is still. Feelings on a spiritual level are new and scary for me however and I will continue to explore them as the insights I have already gained have changed the way I view of the world. April 1st The hose pipe ban does not apply to the midlands area however it has focused the mind I have plans for garden rain water harvesting but no time for a complete overhaul as an interim measure several new water butts have been joined with siphoning pipes. 2 new 1000 litre tanks will be connected to the shed on the allotment site.
April 20th
1400 litres of water in the allotment water tank in 3 days great news, the weather has turned cold and the lack of insects is affecting the plants that came into flower early with the warmer weather.
May 1st
Trying to get project report ready looks like it will go to the wire again working up until the 7th as I have more time next week.