The Greening of Gavin

Archives for July 2008

It Doesn’t Rain, It Pours…

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Awards are pretty cool when you get nominated as per my post yesterday, however I have also had the pleasure of being given an award by a someone who enjoys my daily ramblings about our sustainable lifestyle. This was just hours before the news.com.au green award nomination!

A huge thanks goes to Sharon at “Finding Simplicity“, who hails from the UK. I think that I found Sharon’s blog a few days before I started my own, and by reading about her daily quest to live a simpler life helped motivate me (along with a few others) to begin my own blog.

Here is what Sharon had to say about my blog;


“Gavin at “The Greening of Gavin” – an Australian blogger who shares why he chose to live a more sustainable lifestyle and how he does it. I love his friendly, casual style, even though his posts are often about subjects that are far from casual.”

Thanks Shazza (that would be your nickname if you live in Aussie). Love your work!


Now to be only fair, there are many blogs out there that are worthy of awards, but I believe that all of the bloggers who I have listed in my blog roll deserve a similar award. So, consider yourself nominated to receive the “Brillante Weblog – Premio-2008” award, nominated by yours truly and seconded by Kim, as we read them all the time and enjoy each blog with their own special uniqueness. I tell you what, if we were all the same, we would be a boring old bunch, wouldn’t we?

There is one other blog and person that deserves a mention in dispatches, and that is Phil over at “http://campqualitycountrymiletour.blogspot.com/“. I like his vision and determination to overcome all the hurdles necessary to make his dream of bicycling around Australia a reality. Not much content yet, but I know that the adventure is just beginning for him. Ride on Phil, ride on!

National Tree Day

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Well my heart was in the right place anyway. Amy drove me to the local Bunnings and we bought an Apricot tree for our front yard. We used to have a large mature apricot tree about 5 years ago, but because of the drought we are still having here, it died a slow death over a few years. Just not enough moisture in the ground for the mature tree to draw upon. So we are replacing it with a new carbon sink and because we miss picking our own apricots. They were yummy!

We didn’t get around to planting it on Sunday, because I ran out of steam, however because it is in a pot and not of the bare rooted variety as some tree are sold in winter, it will survive another few days before my two muscly girls prepare the soil and plant it for me. They will have to add lots of dynamic lifter and compost to the area we are going to plant it in, as the soil is a bit impoverished.

I thought it was a good price for $38, and it compared with trees that I have found for sale on-line. We managed to fit it in the hybrid car and only managed to break one of the smaller branches that I was going to prune off anyway. I have tapped the branch, so it just may heal. Not a very good photo, I know, because my photographer (Kim) was unavailable at the time, so you will have to put up with my crappy shot!

So I know this post should have been written on Sunday as that was the official day, but there are only so many posts one can write in a day! Here is a picture of the tag on the tree. From what I read in my Diggers fruit and vegetable book, it is a good hardy variety that will do well in cold winters and hot summers. Looks like the washing machine water will be well used.


We also have an ornamental pear tree in the front yard, which I bought and planted before my green epiphany. It has survived two summers, so must have a deep root system by now. I have been doing some reading, and reckon that because it is still fairly healthy, I can graft on fruit bearing pear stock onto this tree. How amazing will it be to convert a tree that was just bread for show, to a tree that we can enjoy juicy pears from! I like nature. It is so versatile!

Award Nomination Out of the Blue

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I have just found out via a comment (thanks Lis), that my sneaky son Adam has nominated me for a News.com.au 2008 Green Award. It feels like a blog fest today, with Kim writing her first post and with us finally getting some more of the chook house finished, this award comes along.
If you are new to my blog, welcome along and have a browse. If you would like to read about our sustainable journey so far, have a look at the very first the post “Why I choose to lead a sustainable lifestyle” and work your way forward by using the “Newer Post” link at the bottom of each article.
Just being nominated by my own son has made the sustainable living journey very, very, worthwhile, because it is the kids who are my main motivation. Our family has changed our lifestyle so that future generations may benefit. I don’t like to blow my own trumpet, but it is a great feeling. I have no idea what category I was nominated for, but thanks Adam, you are a champ.
You can see the article here at “Ordinary heroes top nominations”. As I have said before, if you build it, they will come.
Here is my quote for the day which I think describes my elation;

“Whenever we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe”. – John Muir.