First Look Around, 2018

Too early to do anything yet.  Even the compost is too frozen to turn.  Back later.

Fall Update

Last weekend Kate replanted the plants in the corner of the porch area.  They should now fit the space better, especially if we can keep the nibblers away.  The weekend prior she cleaned up the gardens.









The plants that are left here on the stump will be either replanted into the ground somewhere or end up in the compost bin.  I'd like to keep the purple grassy one but I'm not bringing it in over winter again.

Also last weekend, I emptied the left side of the compost bin into the east garden.  The soil needs the nutrients badly.  Very soon the garlic will be planted here.

Compost Completion

Just pictures from today, blew all the leaves out of the garden and added fresh dirt from the compost bin.

More Planting, Little Growth Yet

Today in the west garden Kate planted more microgreen seeds at the top right of the pea trellis where the peas didn't come up.  These pics are from yesterday, before today's planting, but really it looks the same.














On May 26 Kate added 4 strawberry plants to the ones the squirrels left us, so now there are 8 or 9 total.  Also today, Kate planted more leaf lettuce above the raspberry plants on the right.















The left side of the compost bin is what we acquired all last year and even some early spring stuff this year.  You can see it is almost pure dirt already.  This year's compostables go into the right side.  I wasn't sure it would be ready in one year but we will be able to add it to the garden this fall or early next spring.

Garden Spring Cleaning

It is a nice day out with temps in the 50's, good enough to get a start on the garden.  We cleaned up the dead strawberry plants removed most of the hay that was covering the garlic, the rows that are visible.  I also removed excess dirt from the center path and caulked up the seams that were leaking that dirt out of the garden.  I made an attempt to turn the compost, but under the loose dry stuff it was like a block of ice yet.  That's all for today, but I foresee a flurry of activity back here in the coming weeks.

A Nice Day For Finishing Fall Clean-Up

Yesterday was beautiful, sunny and in the mid-sixties.  We got several things done outside, including cleaning up the yard and garden.  We did not get to the east garden, there are just dead strawberry plants to pull, that can wait until Spring.

Before

What is left is the thyme in the lower left and parsley atop and oregano below more toward the middle in the 'after' pic below.   All around them are garlic sprouts that will probably get covered for winter.  We have a little bit of usable hay left, the bottom of the package is rotting so that hay I will probably use to cover the earth in the right side of the compost bin, the side we aren't using yet.  If you take a closer look, you will see a strawberry plant that is growing in the middle of the right side here.  My guess is maybe a critter left part of a berry behind the trellis that was there all summer, and it actually grew?  I shouldn't be too surprised, the chives pop up in odd places all the time.

October, And Fall Has Arrived

Ah, yes, same old place.  A bit dusty around here, time to knock down some cobwebs and tidy up the place...  It has been a month since I've posted, it has been more than a month since there has been a visitor.  No matter, this has always been primarily just for us to refer to and not of interest to anyone else.  Hmm, that means I'm writing this to myself.  Hey Dude, you're the best!  Keep being you!

Last weekend Kate harvested the lettuce that grew and 4 radishes that managed to form, she thinks the soil is not good for root vegetables and she may be right.  We shall add nutrients in Spring and, eventually, our own compost.  Also, the tomato plants have been removed, almost a total bust this year with the temperatures and drought.  We have had to cover the pepper plants once, but the next few nights there will be frost.  I'm not sure yet if Kate wants to cover them to keep them a bit longer or not.

Here's the rundown:  Thyme is in the lower left, a couple rows of newly planted garlic are above it.  then there are chives by the thyme, oregano to the right of the chives, and cilantro and italian parsley above those.  Next, right down the middle of the pic is another row of newly planted garlic.  Then there are the pepper plants, jalapeno up top, sweet cherry peppers below, and bare dirt at the bottom.  Atop the garden, the attempt at a second run of peas did not take.  In the east garden, the strawberry bed, there are still only three small plants that survived.  There is a new plan needed for this side next year, I think.

The compost bin is nestled in the back corner of the yard, beyond the gardens.  The plan is to fill up the left side this year, right side the next, and get usable compost from one side every year thereafter.  It may take two years per side, we don't know, we've never done this before.

Well, enough for now.  I will try to be good about the 'twice a month at least' posting in the future, though there may not be much more this season.

Turning Leaves

Some snow has melted in the backyard, where it gets good sun so yesterday I went out to turn the leaves. Last fall's leaves from the back yard I put in a small area behind the garage. The intent is to compost the leaves and kill the grass where I expected a small garden to be. Since then my wife's plans have gotten grander and I've bought into it. Last year I expected to till up that area and that would pretty much be that, maybe put a fence around it if needed. Building a raised bed garden has increased the work and planning to be done. It's not level ground so it's more than just building a box.

Here's what it looks like as of yesterday. I should pick one spot to take pics from so I can show the progression. That might be an idea...