Garden Spider Hollow: A late start, but a start!

I decided that today was the day I was going to do something with the yard. At first I looked at the wall of forsythia bushes and saw that the leaves and other debris needed to be cleared away, then I saw the falling rock wall that edges the driveway that really should be repaired. But then something caught my eye: the barren vegetable garden. I located the seed packs I had bought weeks ago and decided to pluck them in and see what happens.

But before that could happen I had to uncover the fallow plot and rejuvenate the soil. Last fall after the last peppers and basil had fallen under October's frost, I had piled the ground with grass clippings and dead leaves to protect and nourish the soil. Then I added a pile of sticks, cause I was busy and couldn't get them to the other end of the garden. Then some garden trash. Empty containers, a hose, and some hose attachment.

This is much better than the year before when the Christmas tree went on top too. This year our Christmas tree (and wreath) are on the front lawn. It gives the front stoop a very nice smell, and complimented the still hanging lights. Don't worry, those came down today and the tree and wreath will be gone by the 2nd weekend in May. Or sooner. Hopefully sooner.

So I stepped out into the morning sunshine and began the first ritual of spring gardening. Where is all my stuff?

One hour later I have a few rakes, a garden weasel, a spade, and a couple of garden forks. Those were the easy things to find. My garden gloves were on a bucket of plaster in the sun porch. My trowel, dandelion weeder, and hand rake were in various buckets in the back room of the garage. My nice garden stool (which has pockets for all my garden tools) was also hidden in the garage. The wheelbarrow had been wedged upside down under the workbench. I never found my kneeling cushion.

So I began raking out the side of the house. Uncovered lilies, iris, and daffodils. There were enough leaves to fill a giant paper leaf bag, which is odd because I raked the yard last fall of all it's leaves. So I'm not sure where these came from. But then I moved onto the veggie patch, honestly not even remembering how to start.

Do I rake all the leaves and stuff off or mulch them under. Do you mulch a veggie garden before you plant? I walked around it a few times and decided I should at least move the sticks. I brought them to the back of the yard next to the compost pile.

Finally, my head seemed to be clearing. Compost. Yes. Must put a top layer of compost into garden.

I started the compost pile in 2007 when we bought the house. It is housed in 4 wood pallets with an open top. I never water it, and it barely sees the sun. But I edged the top layer of whitened grass clippings and saw it: black gold. A lot of it.

I've never used the compost at all, and three years of broken down organic materials (and some inorganic stuff that didn't break down like a bic pen, a sandwich baggie, and the metal from a small candle that went into a jack o'lantern) were ready.

I filled up the wheel barrow and moseyed on back to the garden. Something had clicked when I saw the compost pile and I was ready.

First we weaseled the garden...

The first round of weaseling shown here...note the color and overall look of the garden. You can tell winter was here...

Then we turned under the top layer, essentially a double digging without digging out a trench first. Although our family loves digging ditches, I was under the time constraint of my baby's nap and figured that a good dig and flip following by some serious raking and weaseling would be almost as good. We went down probably between 8-10 inches instead of the 12, but had we gone that deep we would have encountered some pretty sandy soil.

The goal here was to turn under the newer organic matter that was left over from the winter and also to aerate the soil. One thing I did get to see were lots of worms!

<-- big juicy worm!

Then we added the gorgeous compost!

Wheelbarrow 1 of 3 that went on the garden. Once the compost was spread over the garden I weaseled it so it was mixed with the turned soil.

Turned, composted, and watered! Isn't this an improvemet over picture 1?! Ready for planting.

I have to say that using my own compost was really exciting. It was also hard work. I had to pick out a ton of acorns that had either fallen or been planted by squirrels. 5 or 6 of which had sprouted. I plan on moving the compost pile from its shaded location this year and obtaining a compost bin from my town. But it really was gorgeous looking!

OK, so then I began planting. For my spring planting I chose Swiss chard, two types of lettuce, mesculin, spinach, bush beans, and two varieties of peas (pole peas which grow to 30+ inches, and an unsupported type that only go to 12 inches).

With the peas and beans I used Burpee Booster. I've never used it and will get to see if it works as one of my rows went unboosted.

I ended up not putting in the pole peas, as Im going to plant them by the driveway after J builds a giant trellis for them. Hopefully that will happen next week. This way I'll have more room in the garden!