One of the first things I did when we arrived was start a small kitchen garden in the existing planter out the back. Amongst the weeds the planter had some bulbs left in it but like the cafe, it too had suffered neglect and needed some repair to make it useful again. It was also unfortunately located outside the toilets which is not my ideal place to grow herbs but hey, I wasn't really expecting it to do well straight away and intend to move it once the list of 'things to do' is down to the last 50 points. However, it gave me a sense of hope that straight away, even if it was only tiny, we could make a change for the better. So I planted tomatoes (tommy toes variety), complementary basil and a bit of parsley.
It gave me great pleasure, first thing in the morning and as we locked up and left each night, to give them a drink and yes, greet my wee plants with a cheery "good morning". Let Roger's eyes roll at me as daft for talking to plants but it felt good to see the daily results of my nurturing something when everything else about the place was just a long, hard slog of achingly slow progress.
The garden was the first thing to grow and finally, just in the last week visible changes to the interior of the cafe are now also coming together. There is still some way to go but at long last we can see some results and an end to the renovator's doldrums. At last we can say that we have reached the turning point and are on the homeward slope. We have a sink installed and okay, so there is no water in it yet, it is the newest and most shiny thing in our cafe. Painting has also been largely achieved to a point where I can declare that I have finished the booths...and can now sit back and spend time watching the paint dry. Some flooring has been relaid and the rest is not far off. This week, we will attack the project of rendering and re-plastering the walls. From there, I get back to my painting job but for now I can take a moment to enjoy my garden which is now providing us with basil to complement our simple evening meals of pizza and pasta. By the time I get home each night I am too shattered to attempt anything more complex. And although I was only expecting the tiny tomato plants to provide nutrients to the sandy soil for next year, they have responded to my nurturing by squeezing out a tomato or two. It's not going to be a huge harvest this year but it is a start to establishing a sustainable kitchen garden.
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