They then clear the weeds off the land with a hoe. Husbands took turns.
The wives went through and picked out the weeds that had been hacked down. This minimizes the need for weeding later on.
They then measured off three distinct rectangular strips. They'll eventually plant a different crop in each.
They worked hard to get all the little rocks and the last traces of weeds out of the rectangles. The strips were lovely.
They mixed their own fertilizer, a blend of fireplace ashes, horse manure, and good dirt. They work the clumps out with their hands.
Rony showed them how to sprinkle the fertilizer lightly over the areas they would be planting.
Then they planted the seeds in parallel stripes they would trace across the rectangles.
Renia's daughter, Da, watches her dad plant some carrots.
They covered the rectangles with banana leaves and watered them. In a couple of days they'll start checking to see whether the plants are emerging. As soon as they start to see the shoots emerging, they'll remove the banana-leaf covering.
This little garden should provide Renia's family with plenty of spinach and carrots. When the pepper plants start growing, she will share the seedlings with her neighbors.