sun window

Amid sprinkles and sunbreaks, Stephanie and I got the first starts in the ground this afternoon. Earlier in the day I dropped off a 1/2 yard of compost on the plot (now measuring 9'x9'). The roto-tiller was put to use to mix the existing soil with the compost, after which an amendment cocktail of gypsum, limestone, phosphate and greensand was broadcast and then tilled in. Steph rakes the mixed soil to level it out before planting.

A couple of salvaged herb plants (thyme and red sage) fill the north corner, while an assortment of greens (mizuna, oak leaf lettuce, Amish deer tongue lettuce, Bibb lettuce), red cabbage,

lacinato kale and borage line the southern side of the garden. Excavated rocks provide a stepping stone, and more bricks and other stones will flesh out the rest. Tomorrows' weather being amicable as forecasted will allow us to plant more greens and begin planning for raspberry canes (to line the fence) and what to do with so many strawberries.

taking shape

Flying in the face of the weather reports' call for MORE rain, some seeds and seedlings were planted, invasive ivies removed, and backs bent to soreness. The day required sunglasses more than rain jackets. Our new garden space has been partially planted to herbs and cool weather greens, and seeds sown of pea, beets, turnips, radish and rutabaga.Salvaged bricks, concrete steps, stones found while roto-tilling, and a single round leftover from cutting firewood form the steps to navigate the bed without actually stepping on the ground. Additionally they imbue the plot with some much desired design elements and make use of otherwise idle resources. Plenty of room for food; room enough to impart visual (and functional) interest. We'll roll the dice on the weather tomorrow and hope to plant more greens.

amendments

To cultivate the garden bed a few inches deeper, a second tilling was undertaken. In all the depth of cultivation is about 6-7." A yard of compost and a yard of topsoil are added to increase organic matter and to ameliorate the clay content of the soil (gypsum also helps with this). Next the amendments are added. These include granulated limestone, phosphate, greensand and gypsum, all broadcast on the surface of the bed and then tilled into the first few inches of the soil. All that remains to do is refine the design drawn out on paper and hope for another dry day to plant.

In the course of tilling, numerous feeder roots from the nearby pine trees were found wending their way only a few inches beneath the surface of the soil. Trees, being advantageous organisms, seek out the most easily found nutrients. As many roots as were found were removed, but always to keep in mind is the fact that our vegetables will be competing with the nearby trees for nutrients as well as light (at certain times of day). We'll try to keep this in mind while choosing where to plant certain varieties more tolerant of shade, and fertilize (with compost) throughout the season based on observations of how the plants are growing and competing.