Garden Number Two

Yesterday morning I borrowed my girlfriend Jae's truck, and made two separate trips to the nursery for a truck load of garden soil.  Watching them put the soil into the bed of the truck, by use of a giant claw, it dawned on me.  I am going to have to UNLOAD this dirt!  By hand.  ALONE!!!!

Let me tell you, if you have a lot of raised beds to fill, and/or a large area for planting, then it is much more cost effective to do it this way.  I paid 25 dollars for two scoops of soil.  I had a small truck and it was too heavy to take in one load, so I had to make two trips.  But it is much cheaper than buying bagged soil and amendments.  You can add a bag or two of worm castings, or chicken manure, and you are good to go.

Most nurseries sell in bulk.  And offer delivery as well, for a small fee.

One truck load down, one to go.  It may not look like much, but believe me, shoveling it all out of the truck bed, one heap at a time, in 90 degree heat, left me feeling every single one of my 54 years!!!

My Mom will worry.  She's a worrier.  That is where I get it.  But, I rested Mama.  After I unloaded the second truck full, I got myself an ice cold soda, and sat down for a bit in the shade.

I washed out Jae's truck and returned it to her, and then got straight to work.  I shoveled and raked until I had it all spread out evenly onto my garden lot.  I also hauled a wheelbarrow full to Garden One, to fill up one remaining box.

I distributed the soil across the lot, and then at the end I created a hill that will later be used to plant my pumpkins.  I watered, rolled, tamped and smoothed.  Then divided the area into 5 separate beds for planting, creating a trench to walk between each bed for tending.

I planted each space, and watered it well.  The hardest work is done.  Now, I simply tend to it with daily watering, occasional chicken poop tea feedings, and enjoy the fresh produce!

Seeds are in.  The beds are marked so that I  know what is coming up where.  Here is what I will be harvesting this summer:  Sugar snap peas, swiss chard, spinach, lettuce, arugula, cabbage, cucumbers, cantaloupe, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, green onions, sweet corn, bok choy, dill, two varieties of basil, sage, thyme, parsley, cilantro, 6 beefsteak tomatoes, grape tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli, beets, and watermelon.  In June I will plant two types of pumpkins.  One variety is the kind that grow to be 100 pounds and more.   So there you have it.  The gardens are in.  Number One and Number Two.

As seen in the above photo, the two gardens are actually planted back to back, along the same wall.  Simply divided by this fence.  It is blocked with all sorts of this and that, to keep the chickens from sneaking in there to scratch up all of my hard work.  But very soon, the boxes will be filled high with lush vegetation, and the real fun will begin.  There is nothing in this world, like planning your dinner around what is fresh from the garden that day.
The daylight was waning, but I needed to get one more flat of impatiens in the ground. And bathe both dogs!

Oh I do love to get my hands dirty!!!  Don't you?

I'm not really a garden glove wearing kind of gal.  After giving the gardens a good watering, and putting away all of my tools, I went out back to the coop to bid my girls goodnight.

Look at those full crops!

My beautiful feathered ladies.

I went in at dark.  Having already informed Greg that he had to find something for dinner on his own, as I was knee deep in my project.  I hosed myself off, and went inside to have a bowl of cereal.  Then took 3 advil, a hot shower, and went straight to bed!  Slept like a rock.
How does your garden grow?
XO Kris