The new African Keyhole is built and ready for the next step. And that would be filling it with lots and lots of organic matter (rotting wood, sticks, compost, etc.) and good soil. I'm not in a hurry to do that however, because at the moment we have lambs quarter and cherry tomatoes growing happily in it.
I'll start filling in the low areas, taking care not to smother the plants. And I'll fill the built-in compost bin.
This feature is what makes the African design so clever and superior to the ones that simply have an alcove that enables the gardener to have a closer hand at planting and harvesting. The compost bin receives scraps and water, and once established, I find that my keyhole garden thrives better than my kitchen garden. And that, even though it's a raised bed, which I find don't do well in our climate because they dry out quickly in our hot dry summers.
So, that's a project checked off the to-do list. Anybody else making progress on their project lists?
16 comments:
So beautiful! Another super 'Dan build".
It is fabulous! May it bring you much joy!
Rosalea, I agree! :)
Daisy, thank you!
We’ve had non stop guests for the last five weeks and have one more week to go so unfortunately little progress has been made. But the company has been great so I can’t complain.
Ed, that's not a bad summer activity at all! The projects will still be there. :)
I love that keyhole garden. So well built, especially with the compost right there.
That keyhole garden is a keeper. I am trying to grow squash in very large pots this year without a lot of success. Because of the extreme heat and lack of rain, our plants are really lagging this year. Sugar snap peas were a bust too. 😩
We have two slider window replacements scheduled for later this month. One is a straight replacement. The second will be replaced with two windows and a half wall. Both doors are old and leak air like crazy on windy days. Windows are expensive. Once that’s done, I want to get the air ducts in the house cleaned. I’ve never done that before but this house is very dusty so I hope it helps.
I am curious because I made cheddar biscuits yesterday, can you get “cream” from goats milk? I used the recipe from the Budget Bytes blog which calls for a pint of heavy cream for the fat.
Take care, Katie C.
Nifty Leigh! Maybe I should know this from your other keyhole garden, but do you cover the compost section with anything to prevent critters from getting in?
I really do like your keyhole gardens; this is the only place I've and heard of them. So pretty they can be incorporated as landscape features!
Liz, it's an amazing concept. We have the old bricks, so were able to use them. In Africa, they often use yards of fabric! I saw one made with waddle too. So easy to make with what's available.
Katie, you absolutely can get cream from goats milk. I have a blog post about it here - https://www.5acresandadream.com/2012/09/goats-milk-butter-for-two.html (which later became the basis for an eBook.
The gist of it is that goat fat globules are smaller than those in cows milk (which makes it easier to digest). That means that the cream in goats milk is slower to rise. I let mine sit in the fridge for several days when I want to collect the cream. Goats don't make as much cream as cows, but it's there for the collecting (and enjoying!)
Breed plays a factor too. Some breeds produce milk with higher butterfat content (Nubians, Nigerian Dwarfs, and Kinders, for example).
TB, thanks! No, I don't cover the compost bin. There's really nothing put in it that would attract critters (the chickens get that in our main compost bins. I put a lot of cut grass and greens (no seeds!), dried leaves, and goat manure in it. Biggest problem is that it dries out fairly quickly, but a daily dumping in of water helps there.
Michelle, I'm actually surprised that they aren't more popular. I've mostly seen them on Permies.com.
Nice job! I like that you dated it. I did that as a threshold to the buck barn in Shasta county . Wondering if the people who purchased the property ever found it. Enjoy.
Goatldi, I'm glad Dan does that too. It's helpful because time seems to fly by sometimes. Markers are good to keep things in perspective!
Leigh, that is so cool! The notch is so you can get into the center easier? It didn't look too hard to build. Just lay out on the ground and use good building technique and you are good to go. Does the raised bed portion and teh bricks allow it to be cooler and hold moisture?
Kevin, that's exactly it. The notch makes it easy to fill and water the compost bin in the center. I think it took Dan three half days (or less) to build it. The hardest part is getting the first layer level. Height is kind of arbitrary, but this is a good height.
I don't find that these keep the soil cooler in summer, because the bricks heat up in the sun. But it does seem to help keep the soil warmer in winter. So that's a plus. It's a great way to garden.
I would have loved to have one of these to move my rhubarb. It is not something that would happen until my husband retires however. Very nice!
Kristina, I would love to have some rhubarb!
This would make a great retirement project. I'm sure you've got a list in the works to add it to. :)
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