From Dream to Green - Abla's Desert Garden Tour

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๐Ÿ‘๏ธŽ︎ 1 ๐Ÿ‘ค๏ธŽ︎ u/Queasy_Ad_7177 ๐Ÿ“…๏ธŽ︎ May 28 2023 ๐Ÿ—ซ︎ replies
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(door clangs open) - [Interviewer] Here we are inside Abla's garden. I'm going to get a little tour from Abla. Being the compost queen she is, there's compost everywhere. I know she was very distracted. Her parents passed away and then she also had lots and lots of work composting and teaching lots and lots of people how to compost around the country. But the garden's back together. There's all sorts of funky little features and she's made some additions to her house and it's looking kind of neat. A lot different from the last time I filmed. I can see her up in the shade house. Knock-knock. Hello! How you going? - Very well. I'm okay, how are you? - [Interviewer] You ready for a tour? So how's it been? A long time since I've been here - Yeah. - and filmed. - Right, many changes. Many things happened. Some of it good, some is not, but you are welcome again. - [Interviewer] You have a comfortable area. It's really comfortable now. - [Abla] I love it. - [Interviewer] And you've made a lot more shade. - [Abla] Yeah, I need it. Last year was like a disaster. Very, very hot. - You've got very, very funky dragonfruit trellis there. - [Abla] Dragon fruit. - Yeah. - Yeah, I have many of them and I'm trying to establish a small corner for them. - [Interviewer] It's a recycled umbrella, yeah? It's an umbrella or something. - [Abla] Yeah, a recycled one. It was an umbrella for me and when it was damaged because of this strong wind, I did something with it. - [Interviewer] And you like recycling and upcycling. We call it upcycling. - We have to reuse. - [Interviewer] They have to reuse, and you've got a neat little oven. Right. How about the new roof? Can we go up on the roof? - Of course, yeah. - [Interviewer] Let's go and have a look, 'cause you're going to have a great view up there, aren't you? - Yeah, lead the way. - Come on. No, you lead, I don't know the way. Wasn't here before. I seen it from a distance. Every time I come, you're not here. You're too busy making compost all over the world. - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] Hey, this is really funky. Look at these succulents and crazy things. A lot of aesthetics. - And also Covid-19 and got rid of all my animals. (indistinct) - Oh. - Manage this, but now I'm doing this again, so. - [Interviewer] You have a metal staircase, I like it. - Yeah I a have double story and this one (footsteps drown out speech) We have a new roof for more shade also. - [Interviewer] And more water tanks. - [Abla] Yeah, and- - [Interviewer] And you've got kids flying kites off the hill next door. (children shouting indistinctly) - [Abla] Those are my little neighbors. (child shouts) - [Interviewer] Hi! They've all run away. - [Abla] They are racing. (Abla speaks in foreign language) (children chattering distantly) - [Abla] They're playing ball. - Okay. - Yeah. A rare redhead in the Middle East. - [Abla] And then inshallah next year, I don't think this year, but next year I will start greening my roof. - [Interviewer] You're going to green up here? - Yeah, and I start bringing those white boxes 'cause it's too large. See the white boxes? - [Interviewer] Yeah, on the right? - [Abla] Yeah, they are too large, so it will be good to use it on the roof. I don't want heavy things on my roof. - [Interviewer] No, it's cool light. It's like a polystyrene insulator. - Yeah. - You're recycling again, eh? - [Abla] Yeah, I need to recycle. - [Interviewer] But there's the green in the desert and the oasis site across the road and the new building going up there. Mud brick in fill. And your gardens, I expected the trees to get a bit higher and shadier, but you've kind of pruned it out a bit. Is it? - [Abla] I pruned a lot of it. I left the stool 'cause it was difficult for me and stopped breaking some branches, but usually I'm doing the heavily job and drove this. I told you it's not great. I don't like it for, but I need to. - [Interviewer] Do you get any manure from next door? - [Abla] I stopped, I stopped. - [Interviewer] There's a lot of manure over there, look. - Yeah, yeah. (interviewer chuckles) - [Interviewer] Okay, you want to show us your fine features? - [Abla] We took it twice. Twice. - [Interviewer] Let's scare these kids away again with a camera. Hey! (children chattering) Ah! - [Child] Hello and (indistinct). - [Abla] See, the jasmine has started coming. - [Interviewer] Ah yeah. - And when it comes higher, I will remove this iron. And it will be 100% just- - [Interviewer] Green. - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] Nice smell, beautiful. - Oh god. This is the refill in my tank and we, "Am I doing good?" I asked him and he said, "Trust the smell." Trust the perfume, you have his- - [Interviewer] Although it's more than just the perfume. The perfume is a good sector. - Yeah. The climb bars were very high, higher than the roof. But because the worker was doing some jobs here, they damaged some of it and I think they will come and sort it all out. - [Interviewer] And come back. - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] That big vine there, it's called Ipomea Descapre. It's a funny name in Ladin, Ipomea Descapre. It doesn't have a tuber. Boy, it climbs in the desert. Doesn't it go? Really great shade. - [Abla] It's very strong and very powerful. - [Interviewer] Yeah. - But, unfortunately, the worker damaged it very badly. - [Interviewer] Yeah, well you've got buildings happening all around you. - [Abla] Yeah, yeah. - [Interviewer] Everybody's building. Let's hope they're gardening too. (footsteps walking) - They need to do it by themselves to understand why you are insisting on don't do this, keep away from my plants and they start laughing, "What?" - [Interviewer] No, it's a good sign when they laugh at us and they think we're crazy. It's a kind of standard part of the system. The organic matter's looking good. - Yeah, I have a lot of mulch because I have my own shredder now and they tests are giving me a good amount of mulch. So most of the time I'm adding, adding. - [Interviewer] You like cactuses, don't you? - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] They grow easy in the desert. That's one thing. Not a high water demand. - In Oman when I was child, I loved him. I don't even know, I loved him, so I picked my hobby. - [Interviewer] Cactus and succulents and climbers. And you've got a mural on the door. Who did that mural? - [Abla] The painting? - [Interviewer] Yeah. - Someone who has, he's Egyptian. He admired what I'm doing so he did it like a gift. - [Interviewer] That's nice. - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] That's a metal door, yeah. (knocks on door) No, it's a wooden door. - [Abla] No, no, it's metal. - Metal? - Yeah, yeah. And inside also you can, I will open it for you. Peter doesn't see the rusty iron we have from here inside. (door creaks) - [Interviewer] Wow. We can see from inside? - [Abla] Yeah, why not? You want to see the place, you see it. (both chuckle) - [Interviewer] Oh, I see, you have a mural on the outside too. - Yeah, but this one is more romantic for people to sleep. - Ah. - Yeah. - [Interviewer] Very nice. - Yeah, we need this touch sometimes. When we have a bad mood, we need it. (interviewer chuckles) So I'm sleeping there. Having my guests also, having my food so it's a four-in-one. My toilet, my fridge, my kitchen. My cats is struggling. They want food. This is what I was dreaming. Like in a small forest. - [Interviewer] You're dreaming the greening. The greening's happening for sure. Okay. (children chattering in background) - The nursery was there. In winter, I move it here. Sometimes I keep moving, because, you know, I need to protect them from the heat. - [Interviewer] Yeah, summer's is coming. - Some of it here, some of it here, and the rest is under this tree. And when it starts to become very hot, I'm moving to the other side. - [Interviewer] Right, you've got a mango here. - [Abla] Two. - [Interviewer] Right. - One here and one there. I don't know if you noticed. - [Interviewer] Ah, yeah, let's hope they go. - [Abla] From this product. - [Interviewer] You've got one in a pot I think. - Yes. I want to see which is fit more. Then they start giving me fruit, so I change the place and I want to be sure that they will survive. - [Interviewer] Yeah, you can get mango here. You've just got to find a spot. - [Abla] Yeah, yeah. - [Interviewer] But you also have some cabbages, eh? - Yeah, broccoli, cabbage, pepper, chili pepper, tomato, chili tomato, cauliflower. A lot of amazing, onion, garlic. The mint in that corner also. You start using them in the kitchen and- - [Interviewer] Basil everywhere. - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] And your footpath's made a big difference I expect, yeah? - Yeah. Now it's very clear for someone. If you want to move, it will be clear for him to avoid jumping here off the deck. - [Interviewer] Yeah, you've got to keep people off the garden, they don't understand. - Yeah. - [Interviewer] They don't understand you don't walk on the- - Yeah. - On all that soil creation. - They are jumping from here, from there and smashing things. They come once a year and damage everything. So this is your path, otherwise you will make me cry. - [Interviewer] And you finished chop and drop now for the year? - Yeah. - Okay, there's shade. You're going to need the shade now. - Yeah, but I left this and that on purpose. - [Interviewer] Yeah, leave the big ones. - [Abla] Because see? - [Interviewer] Yeah. - [Abla] Yeah. I was planning to have more shade because it was very hot. - [Interviewer] Oh you got, is this your first dates? - No. - You got dates last year. - This is the second or the third year. But every year gives me six branches. This year gave me one. Then before a week we have another one, so I think we'll take two or three. - [Interviewer] All right, show us the bottom end. - Planning to have many of this for my arch. I love it. - [Interviewer] It's an orange flower, yeah? - And the jasmine. It gives you red flowers, similar to a pomegranate flower. - [Interviewer] Right. - [Abla] Yeah, I love it. My olives. I have 25- - [Interviewer] Lots of organic matter. There's organic matter lying everywhere, actually. No shortage of rough mulch. (birds chirping) - I think we are going to make jam. - [Interviewer] Ah, you've got the cactus flower and all the cactus give us fruit at some time. - [Abla] Passion fruit is. - [Interviewer] Passion fruit on the way over the arch. - Yeah, this is the plan. From the arch, I want shade. I want to be able to go without- - [Interviewer] Without severe sun. (children playing distantly) - Heat is a problem. If you don't provide the place with shade, you will suffer, as a human being. It will hurt you while you are working. But I'm so lucky I have many spots during the day. I'm working there. When it starts to get hot, I'm down there and there and there 'til the day is finished. - [Interviewer] And your little succulent ground covers. You got a few, they're taken off. - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] You had trouble with dogs getting on them. - [Abla] With dogs. My neighbors have dogs which come to find the compost. They love it cause it's soft and they damage it. - [Interviewer] And then when they sit on the ground cover- - [Abla] They damage all this area. That one was full of it that I begin to move it. - [Interviewer] So they get comfortable. - I don't know. When I saw what they did to this part, I started crying. It was better than this but- - [Interviewer] So you got a succulent ground cover- - They are animals and they have the right sometimes to enjoy the place. Look at this. Because of the dogs also. My shredder, and let's say this is a storing area, can be, because I keep moving things. But this will, inshallah, finish maybe next year. It took long time to- - [Interviewer] And you got a redundant wheelbarrow. - Yeah, this one is very heavy. I can't carry things, so I started using it like a pot. And I have the light one there, I'm using that one. I have another one here. But this one needs a strong man to do it. It's very, very heavy. And do you remember my chicken on my- - [Interviewer] Yeah. - Because of Covid-19 when they refused to give me what we call permission to come back to my place and water it, I was in hospital with my late parents. So you know they are souls and they need water, they need food. So the first time I came they were suffering. I took them to a man and they become a lovely dish. (both chuckle) - [Interviewer] Okay, they didn't get wasted. - So, but why I mention this, I took a decision that it's not the right time to leave animals in your place, unless you're sure that you are going to always be there for them. So I'm trying to make it like a small nursery. - Yeah. - To provide the site with plants. - [Interviewer] I love the calliandra. It's gone to sleep in the late afternoon, but these are beautiful. - Yeah, I love it. - Have lovely, lovely pink flower there. - Yeah, look at this. I love it, very elegant. - [Interviewer] Ornamented legume, they're beautiful. And you have, what's this? You've got like slow compost? - This one, cold compost. When I'm teaching people I need to use many kits. So we use those barrels inside homes, a flat. When they don't have a garden, you need to give them a solution. - [Interviewer] And you've got cold compost here in the bin. - Cold compost, hot compost. - [Interviewer] And what's this one here in the cage? - This one is all my organic material and I'm working in my shed, I have a lot of organic material. And when I get rid of things, some stuff- - [Interviewer] It's an electric shredder? - Yeah, when I want to make compost, I will take it and do it there. And you will find that it's hot and it's ready. So to make my compost very fast, you don't need to bring things and start doing. Just pile it, give it some water, and this is from rain, by the way. And they start coming, I love it. Look at this. - [Interviewer] That's good, and then what else you got there? You got a hot compost over here with a pitchfork sticking out of it. - Hot compost, those bags are full of hot compost also. (plastic rustling) - [Interviewer] That's going on the garden or you're selling it? - Yeah, this is for a client. (plastic rustling) - [Interviewer] So you're still making money out of compost? - Yeah, I want to live (chuckles). - [Interviewer] If you want to live- - I want to live. I want to buy things I want to. - [Interviewer] So your big economy's compost. - Yeah. People need it, I'm good at making it. Why not? - [Interviewer] That's a lesson for all you ladies out there. If you've got no other economy, you can always make compost. Why not? - And I make money from teaching compost with the GFA, because sometimes you grew up with a job. You said, I make money, thanks Almighty Allah, with the FCM, Federation of Canadian Municipalities. It was for four years in the south, from Aqaba to Umm al Basatin. - [Interviewer] So you have hot compost, cold compost, bagged up compost. - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] What are these? Bins of compost. - [Abla] What's that? - [Interviewer] Yeah. - [Abla] Mulch, organic material. This one is vermicompost. (lid clangs) That and this, I have two farms. - [Interviewer] The old carpet or something here? What's this? - [Abla] Yeah. And the red wriggler and the tiger. - [Interviewer] So you've got a bath and a box. - [Abla] Yeah. - [Interviewer] And what's this one then? - [Abla] This one is compost. - [Interviewer] This is compost without worms? - [Abla] Yeah, but, you know, I find worms everywhere. I find it there, I find it here. Soon I will not have compost. - It's another compost. - [Abla] It will become vermicompost, all of it. - [Interviewer] This is a slow or faster worm? - [Abla] Hot one. - [Interviewer] Hot one. - [Abla] Hot one, hot compost. - [Interviewer] How do you turn that over? Or you don't? - Doing this. No, you know, I'll do it. Why not? See? - So you dig it over. - Yeah, I dig it over. But at the beginning I'm doing things here, and it will become 90% ready, the last flip will be here and just waiting for it to become super. - [Interviewer] So your garden's really a byproduct product of composting. - Yeah, I need it. - [Interviewer] Most work is composting, the garden's easy. Garden's easy after compost. - It was easy. It was easy from the beginning, but you have to understand how to deal with the components, put it in the right place, the right time, the right kind of things you will use. So it's become like something so exciting, interesting. At the beginning we were doing things and feeling tired and sometimes just trying. But after time from learning with you and with other teachers, things become reasonable and excellent results, I think. - [Interviewer] Oh, you got that, you got these, so you got a few ton of compost here. - [Abla] Yes. See, this I'll have 25 in there. - [Interviewer] 25 citrus? - [Abla] Yeah, compost, vermicompost. By the way, someone brought this jute. - [Interviewer] Yeah? - My son brought it, and do you need this? I said my worms, red wiggler and tiger love it, and it keeps moisture. So I use it for keeping moisture, they love it, and also for covering instead of using plastic or things. - [Interviewer] Nice and damp. - Yeah, yeah. - Cool. - [Abla] And they even start consuming this one. Look here. - [Interviewer] Ah, yeah, like the hessian. - They will do the job and the final step, they will change and turn this to compost. - [Interviewer] And this over here- - This one is for biochar. - [Interviewer] How you going with biochar? - Last year and this year I didn't make any of it. I did a huge amount and started doing it. Because of the heat, I start making this. - [Interviewer] That goes inside, yeah? - This one is even not ready. Soon when I need, I will, inshallah, start doing that again. (barrel lid clangs) I'll show you the material. (barrel lid screeches) - [Interviewer] Ah, yeah, that's the biochar in there and the fire on the outside - I did a huge amount. And start using it, because I don't want to have to make fire every day or every season. That one is the hot compost. All my compost, most of my compost is hot. I really love it. It will be amazing and it's easy. - [Interviewer] Is this pomegranate? Here's going well. - [Abla] Yeah, look at it. - [Interviewer] It's at the bottom so it's getting all the nutrients at the bottom (chuckles) - [Abla] I love them. - [Interviewer] Yeah. - [Abla] I have one, two, three. And there is one also. - [Interviewer] So how much of these worth? A bag? - Selling? - Yeah. - 17 Jordan dinars each bag. - [Interviewer] 17 Jordanian dinar. Which is like 34 Australian dollars. Hmm, so you've got a nice economy. Yeah, all right. And now we're getting a little bit of sun from the sunset going over Palestine. That's a beautiful light now. So you're pretty happy with it. - Yeah, I love it. Sometimes I forbid myself. I don't want to be in any place. Even Ramadan, I was here all Ramadan. And when you travel to, all the time, your mind is when I'm going to go back. Peaceful and yeah. - [Interviewer] And you have to remind yourself how hard the landscape is next door. You have to realize what kind of country we're in. You know, it's not- - All the time I'm doing this, I don't want to see. - [Interviewer] It's not easy country. So you've got any advice for single ladies who want to do this for themselves? I mean, you've done it, you've done it. It's like you can see it, it's only going to get into more and more of a paradise. So have you got any advice for single ladies who think it's going to be a hard journey? You got any info? - No, no. It's not very hard and they can do it. It will even not take time. If you have a child, if you have a job, it doesn't mean you are going to give it full time. (gunshot fires) It's good. (interviewer chuckles) - [Interviewer] We're in a hard landscape. Don't worry about that (chuckles). - Someone is shooting. (interviewer chuckles) - Okay, really, it's very easy. And we have to understand that we need such a thing. Start tasting things when you go inside your kitchen. You are buying tomato outside, you eat it. No taste at all, and when you take a small one from your garden, the smell, the taste is something you won't believe it. Won't take time, won't cost you a lot of money. It's easy, and as soon as you start, you will find that it's like an addiction. Better than smoking, drugs, fighting with your husband, with your children. I find it amazing, really. - [Interviewer] Psychologically it's good for the mind. - Yeah, for your mental, for your health, oh God. If you are angry, start flipping your compost. If you're happy, start. - [Interviewer] So you wouldn't live without it? - Maybe I was late from the beginning. When I was ready, I was dreaming of such a thing, but because of many things I was delaying all the time, and now I regret I didn't start much earlier in some of it. - [Interviewer] All right. - Thanks Allah, and to you. Thanks to, I don't forget Steven or Adam or all the amazing teacher on the, - People that have been through. - People we met inside your site. - Yeah, we have an unintentional global village coming through. - Inshallah, inshallah, inshallah. - [Interviewer] All right, well thanks, mate, unreal. We'll keep everybody posted. - Inshallah. - I'll be back in October. We'll see it at the end of summer - Inshallah. - When it will look a little bit more stressed, but- - In spring it was like a paradise. - Yeah. - No one will believe it. - [Interviewer] All right, there you go. - But now I think it's good. Better than the bad situation we suffered from. During Covid-19, it was like a punishment to prevent us from coming and doing things. - [Interviewer] They stopped you coming here. You had to stay in Oman. - Oh, no-one will allow you to open the door. An when they gave me the permission, when I came it was little bit too late, but again- - It survived. - Again, yeah. Yeah, yeah. - All right, thanks Abla. There we go, Abla's place. I promised it to you. She's had some dramas, got locked out over Covid, had to look after her dying parents. Been busy selling compost and teaching composting all over the country. Good lesson for you ladies. You can't have harder ground than this. I mean, really, just have a look around. I'm on the roof next door. Look at the landscape we're in. And look at that backdrop. Just behind her place. Look at that. This is hard country. She's just getting some water delivered 'cause we don't get water on tap very much at all. So she's getting a bit of water coming in. That's quite normal. So finish off with the hard backdrop. There you go. Abla, good lesson. (light atmospheric jingle)
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Channel: Discover Permaculture with Geoff Lawton
Views: 40,492
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Length: 27min 28sec (1648 seconds)
Published: Fri May 26 2023
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