After determining the location and size of the first terrace -it is located close the shed and entrance to the garden, running parallel to the stream – a dry-stone wall was built by all students.

   G and Nick working on measuring the first terrace

Valentina, Carolina, Gabriel, Juana, Laura and Juan David digging the first line of the terrace.

This entailed collecting loose rocks constructing a 50 cm high stone wall that measured 18 m.  It became swiftly apparent that the team working on the terrace, Nick Bleske, Catalina “Cata”, Isabela, Federica “Freddy”, Juan Guillermo “G” and Luisa (Luisy), was not large enough to complete the job.

All other projects were suspended in order to complete the construction of the wall. This took almost three weeks to finish.

The shed in the foreground with reclaimed wood and planks for the garden. The dry stone wall can be seen with other stones and rocks collected, ready for placing into the wall. The dry wall has now been partially covered by grass cut from where the terrace will run. This will ensure stability.

Once constructed the leading edge of the terrace was measured from the wall, and pegged out. Then a path of 1m was pegged out.   Grass from the land to be terraced has been cut out and placed onto the brick wall to make it more stable. Remaining soil from the terrace and path are being used to fill in the terrace.

Juan Mario, Martin, Andres Felipe (bending over) Nick, Luisa and G working on cutting more sod, placing it onto the wall, and filling the area with soil from where the path will run.

Cutting the path and first terrace. The first terrace will run to the end of the stone wall. We have currently completed about 10 m of path, and 2 m of terrace bed, plus 14 m of wall have been covered with sod.

Plastic bottles (1.5-3 litres) are being filled with water and placed at the top of the terrace to provide a limit and support for the path.

Carolina and Martin working on the first terrace and path. Plastic 3L bottles filled with water have been embedded into the top wall of the terrace to delimit the boundary of the terrace and to provide support for the path. Reusing plastic bottles in this way shows that plastic can be re-used and should not just be thought of as rubbish to be thrown away.

Once constructed the soil will be analysed for organic matter and will then have compost from a mushroom farm incorporated into it before any planting begins.

In total there are eight terrace beds planned for the first section of the garden.  If the current group can complete two beds before the end of the year, with associated paths, and start growing produce it shall be counted as a great success.