Wisdom from The Action Wisdom In Action

Plans For the New Garden

After consulting several books I own, and some I do not, but got to look inside anyway (thanks, Amazon and Google Books), I've developed a plan that should hopefully lead me to my LAST garden plot--I shouldn't need any more than this.

After spending the last two seasons examining the sun patterns, wind patterns, and any neighbor's blocking foliage, I've finally found the small sliver of land that gets me better sun for a large amount of the day.

Seeing as how the existing fence-hugging, peanut-shaped plot is more than I care to maintain weed-wise and water-wise, I've come up with an idea that led to a plan...after consulting a couple of books.

My how gardening has changed! It's actually simpler now than before.

Combining the methods of The All New Square Foot Gardener and The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, I've learned the concept of growing more in less space. This new plot will do double-duty, it seems.

The instructions on the backs of seed envelopes aren't always accurate, and don't tell the right story, judging by these books.

Our new 4' X 12' NON-RAISED (for now) plot is marked, and digging it out begins today. Hubby's going to cut an edge around the planned perimeter with a shovel, and I'm going to remove the grass runners inside it. Once those are gone, the Granddaddy of All Broadforks comes out to play, allowing me to loosen the soil enough for Hubby to completely shovel out.

Once it's all dug out, I plan to use a dirt plan that's actually a combination of plans: Mel's Mix recipe from the Square Foot Gardener, plus the addition of 10-10-10 from the Vegetable Bible. I then will mix the original dirt from the plot back in with this mix, then refill the plot.

Black plastic garden edging will go around the perimeter, as will the granite blocks I dug up out of the old plot.

BEFORE I refill the plot, I plan to use a method from the Lasagna Gardening For Small Spaces book--lining the plot with folded whole sections of wet newspaper to keep weeds out. I'm also going t line the plot's inside perimeter with a soaker hose (leaving the hose connector end exposed), and covering that with screening to keep dirt from blocking the hose holes. This idea I got from Hubby.

With the newspaper, hose, and dirt placed back into the plot, I then plan to embark on seed planting using wide-row techniques from the Dirt Cheap Gardening book. No more planting in single-file rows according the the back of the seed packet for me!

When the winter winds get bitter, I plan to steal a trick taught to me by my fig tree neighbor: wrap the plants in bubble wrap. He wraps tomato cages with it for his taller plants, and I will get bamboo sticks to install in all four corners, and wrap the whole plot in one wrap. I already have a heavy clear plastic topper for this (the plastic over from our mattress we bought back in October '09--I saved it), making my own "poor man's greenhouse" if you will. If need be, I can order flexible hooping to go over the entire area to keep the plastic from sinking in the plot in the middle--in fact, I should do this anyway.

Seeds came with my deep spader, but I already had seeds purchased for the fall garden--maybe next year I'll use them. If this whole project works, I wonder if I'm going to be able to eat all the stuff I grow. To my knowledge, nobody has invented a way to put up salad greens. Broccoli I can freeze, and snap peas can be frozen, but what about salad greens?

Meanwhile, my old plot still has collards and peppers growing--I'm going to leave them in place until the plants die off, and work AROUND the existing plot, since collards are also fall crops. My other bed across the yard will also undergo a makeover, getting smaller, and getting the same treatment as the other one, only not going to be 4' X 12'--more like 2' X 4', and still up against the fence--squash is there now, but snow and snap peas will replace it.

Hubby has the next three weeks off from work, and I plan to keep him very busy. Hopefully this all will come with a nice payoff! It definitely should next spring, when peppers and squash will have a new home with lots more sun.

Our pecan tree (the caster of shadows) is due for a trimming in October or November, and this will help with future gardens.

Posted by Cute at 8:47 PM

Labels: financial (non-tax), food purchases, health