Still out of the studio yet still in the Studio

This past week Steve and I continued with the task of planting out this year’s 400 trees. On one especially arduous day we only managed to put in 30 banksias, she-oaks and blue gums along a new section of the Gaia Walk.

At quitting time, as the lowering late afternoon sun dropped into a background of cloud, I thought gratefully of the hot outdoor bath awaiting my sore body.

“This is our pay off: the luxury of working in such an exquisite location.”

But planting a non-native fruit tree — to fulfill a fantasy of gathering juicy apricots from my own backyard — requires a bit more effort. To begin with, a large and deep hole must be dug to remove the infertile soil.

And then — as the below shadowy figure with shovel suggests — a sacrificial body is always useful for growing a fleshy crop of fruit.

After the body is buried, three wheel barrow loads of aged “compote of human manure” — freshly dug out from beneath the compost toilet — is layered into the hole. This also helps produce a tasty crop of fruit.

Lastly, after the apricot tree is placed in the hole with an additional lasagna layer of good top soil added, a temporary protective fence is constructed around the tree so the hooligan possums aren’t tempted to eat the tasty sprouting buds.

And now I wait.