Fast Forward

It is now spring.  At least the calender says it is suppose to be spring.  It is wet and cold.  It is also getting late in the season for starting seeds inside. Mother Earth News says I should have done this two months ago instead of now in April.  The potatoes should have been in the ground last month.  Oh well...onward..."onward Christian soooldeer..ers marching off to war..." oops sorry breaking into song happens often...I can be annoying that way...getting side tracked is another trait I harbour.  Any way dealing with the garden I sometimes feel like I am arming myself for battle...

~mud boots or hiking boots turned garden boots
~old riding pants turned garden pants (more comfortable and fit better than jeans and cover legs from
       bugs)
~gloves
~hat
~shovel, hoe, rake
~bug spray (for me and the horses)

Okay, last fall I tilled a garden space on ground that had been used for burn piles to burn fallen limbs, etc.  The burn pile that had been here also included beer cans, garden hoses, whole windows, floor tiles, trash and other various non-burnable objects.  I had to clear off those non-burnable, possible toxic objects before we could burn.  That all happened in late summer '10. 

Just letting you know all the hard work that went into just getting to the ground so that it could become a beautiful, lushes green garden.  So the steps:
1) clear off non-burnable junk
2)burn pile (thank you hubby!)
3)rake through post burn pile picking out all the metal, glass and tin that was left. (note to self: wait till pile has cooled before attempting to pick up metal)
4) till garden
5) determine it is too late to grow cover crop
6) cover plot with manure (see.. horses are good to have around), kelp, algae or pond weeds..whatever that green stuff was I pulled from the pond, and moldy alfalfa
7)till again
8)cover with moldy hay
9)let sleep (the garden and me!)

Whew, that was hard work, but fun!

Now it is time to wake up the garden.  The weather finally cooperated and it was dry enough to till again (tiller again borrowed from super duper friend Steve).  I planted corn and potatoes, and asparagus outside April 2nd/3rd.  Yes, I know it is late for potatoes as some kind gentleman pointed out in the store as I bought them. But, hey....at least I got them in the ground.  I also planted seeds inside for three types of tomatoes(Roma, big boy and grape), watermelon, pumpkin, zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers.

See how wet the garden is...this is late April

Potatoes!!!! They still grew even though I planted them later that recommended!
Rewards for all that hard work.

Blessings
la