Gardening Kenya Style

[FionaH]

My son just got back from a months voluntary wok in Kenya and took these pics of veg plots for me. The ground is rock hard after about 6 inches and obviously water is scarce

[Polly Fouracre]

And we complain on our two feet thick soil and rain!!! It goes to show what can be achieved when you are up against it.

[FionaH]

And not sure what I would do if this cat wanted to poo in them!

[SarzWix]

It's funny isn't it - we'd be so careful to avoid the shade from those trees on our veg beds, yet for them, it's probably essential to stop the sun from ruining the crops and taking all the water.
Really interesting pics Fi

[Pumpkin Becki]

What fantastic work, so many seedlings, and those raised beds look superb. Did they work at one village, or did they move around?

[FionaH]

They moved around three camps, helped at schools, built a kiln for a womens collective and built water containers. Really exciting and useful stuff. I was so envious when he got back.
Oh and his claim to fame was not only dancing with the Masai but he beat one of them at ping pong! Good job it wasnt a fight cos he would definitely come of much worse

[Pumpkin Becki]

What amazing life experience, and such valuable projects.

[rustylady]

I stayed with a family in Kenya for three months in 1999/2000 and wouldn't have missed the experience for the world. It was no way a luxury holiday, and some of my time was spent helping to lay water pipes - something I'd never done before. The Masai people are absolutely fantastic.

[enrich100]

Well done to your son for his work in Kenya

If this is an attempt for him to be green and beat the allotment waiting list I see a few problems four thousand + miles isn't exactly a 5 minute journey,is he willing to put his minimal hours in? (not including travelling), Plane tickets alone would would cost more than all the beetroot and radish that you could grow. the green miles are worse than average

I'm sure others can think of other problems but hey it's a feather in his cap for thinking outside of the box

[allotmentlady]

wow and i mean wow, i shall neva complain again about the ground cracking up on my lottie, full credit to your son Fi, an experience that will remain with him foreva xxxx GIVE him a pat on the back from me :-)

[Two_Sheds]

When we say you don't need to be out watering your (UK) plot every evening ... you know it's true.
You can achieve a lot with alternative thinking: raised beds, mulching, careful planting.

[RedThorn]

She's beautiful Fiona( the last pic ) . In my home town where I was born, we had a period of 8 years where it rained a whole 2 or 3 times! the ground literally feels like concrete!

[FionaH]

To say I am a proud Mum would be a bit of an understatement. He and the rest of the team worked very hard. Of course now he's home loading the dishwasher is a huge burden RT where did you live?

[oldie]

Always good to here of ongoing projects overseas. I lived in Kenya throughout the seventies, had a huge garden with bananas, pineapples, paw-paw, avocado growing there. I did however have a gardener and didn't learn a thing about growing them I only ate them.

[RedThorn]

To say I am a proud Mum would be a bit of an understatement. He and the rest of the team worked very hard. Of course now he's home loading the dishwasher is a huge burden RT where did you live?

I was born in Zimbabwe and lived there until I was 8. We returned there a lot and spent most school holidays there. I also lived in South Africa for 18 years. LOL about the dish washer. The human mind is a funny ol' thing and it's amazing how quick one re-adjusts ones values