Garden Update

We've been charting our property and documenting planting notes, modifying our mini-swale system and enjoying the rewards of our efforts.  A garden update on our first garden at this property.

Our green friends taking hold in zone 1.
Our swales take less than 5 minutes to fill and take about 30 minutes to drain.

Alfalfa and Crimson Clover.

Greens from our garden.

Our first apple of the season.

We planted this okra at the edge of the woods to see how it will integrate with no amendments.  It's doing well, even as the ground cracks around it.

This little guy self-sprouted and has been battling the wind.  I used a bit of pine bark mulch to fortify it.

First Food Garden As We Begin Our Property Observations

As we just began with this property, we will spend about a year observing how the property lives and breathes prior to making any major modifications.  However, we will need a garden to feed our family and community.  The area just outside the house is terraced and has been used for planting in years past.  As this is primary zone 1 space, we decided to utilize it for a close-in, mixed-crop garden.  

The beginnings of our mini-Hugel.

Sami working on the retaining wall.

I tilled the soil and Samantha built the wall extension that allowed for the mini-Hugelkultur.  

We graded the property to allow for better water movement and retention by creating mini-swales and berms.  We put down crimson clover and alfalfa to aid in reintroducing nitrogen into the soil.  We added seed and turkey compost over the berms prior to laying down our hardwood mulch.  

My clown car has been converted to a part-time work truck.

We beat the storms by an hour or two, finishing in virtual darkness.  The next morning, we could see where we missed seeding and mulching in the darkness and where we might have miscalculated some of the runoff.   However, there was a lovely puddle at the high end of the Hugelkultur that will run under the soil to aid in the soaking of the mound and decomposition of its underground components.

Less than 24hrs. and we already have happy residents.

The morning after the storms.

Mini-wales the next morning.

Sami's completed wall (after the heavy thunderstorms).

Okra, tomatoes, Thai basil and English thyme waiting to be transplanted.

Ah... The first blisters of the summer season.

I think we will stay inside this afternoon.