australia day barbie

It was a pleasure to join our friends, the Harvey’s, for an Australian Day celebration. I think Aussies have to be the best company to celebrate with because they don’t take themselves too seriously and all their jokes are about themselves. Any patriotism they might express comes in the form of parody and sarcasm. Yesterday we sat for hours and enjoyed food and beer and conversation. For me, though, the absolute highlight of the day was Marg’s garden.

The Harvey’s live in a lovely little house that is surrounded by sustainably designed gardens. They have water barrels and vertical plants. The diversity of their plot is astounding and enviable – lemon, lime, orange, apricot and pomegranate trees, passion fruit and kiwi vines, tomatoes, basil, strawberries, mint, bok choy, lettuce, beans, parsley, beets, cukes, peppers, rosemary, zucchini, garlic, nasturtiums, geraniums, bougainvillea, and more. In the middle of the garden, she has three chooks (chickens) which she rotates around the garden. She feeds them kitchen scraps and they provide rich, free fertilizer and about 18 eggs per week. Their backyard is only slightly larger than our lot in Lexington and they’ve used every inch beautifully. Throughout the garden, there are eclectic pieces of reclaimed junk turned artsy – mirrors, street signs, statues, kitchen sinks, even a GI Jesus. Not only was it delightful to behold, it inspired me about the limitless potential to partner with the earth and to wed growing food and creativity.