and so it grows

Delicious dinner and a new garden to dig. Met with a friend and her family last night to discuss some preliminary plans for their first vegetable garden. The plot is exposed to eastern and southern solar radiation and sheltered from winds by young pines and cedars. Cloud cover continues to challenge my complete assessment of siting but then that is the Maritime Northwest par excellence. Guess it wouldn't hurt to brush up on my maths (geometry) to determine varying light conditions as the sun's position changes relative to the season. List-topper for sure! Initial prospects seem promising, and sticking to adapted varieties should ensure success regardless of other factors not fully realized at this stage.

Momentary vision: an 8' x 8' patch of lettuces and brassicas (kale chips being all the rage these days). Radishes, beets, spinach, mache, herbs and on and on. Utilize any native stones and masonry that can be salvaged on the property for accents and such. A few branches from an overhanging Douglas Fir will be removed to increase sunlight infiltration. The site slopes gradually to the east and south, which should be beneficial for capturing more light (than, for instance, if the site sloped northward). Tree roots may be of issue, but are inevitable in near-climax suburbs (those neighborhoods whose trees planted at the time of home construction are reaching maturity). We'll respond by adding plenty of compost (always a sensible act) and observation. To the drawing board.