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.

Rainy days

Since Sunday's pleasant sunshine, we've had rain, snow and more rain. Spring rains are normal for our climate, but they begin to inundate the spirit when they carry on ceaselessly. The past few days I've spent reading and working with the seedlings. All are doing quite well, especially the various tomatoes.

After the fact (as it usually goes) I've learned that the best time to prepare an outside garden space is directly after the growing season (early fall) or else in late spring AFTER the rains subside. As a result we're probably going to have to deal with some compacted soil from the constant precipitation. Oxygen within the soil is immensely important to good plant/root growth, so it will be important for us to turn the ground again before we continue. Today I picked up a few pieces of hardware for turning our food grade barrels into rain barrels and will make the first attempt at building one. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the seedlings.

Tomatoes under the flourescents.


Cilantro (at left) and Cherry tomatoes (right)