21 March 2008
12 January 2008
Garden- last year
So, here is what I manged to do last winter- i got a little garden started between the sheep/orchard area and and where the greenhouse will be.
The goal is to make it a permaculture type ecosystem. I put in a lot of dwarf/semi-dwarf fruit tress and am planting a lot of berries bushes and various perennial vegetables and medicinals (like artichoke, goldenseal, alpine strawberries, wild yam, herbs and such). I want to make this area one that I can eventually just leave alone and let naturalize for the most part.
Last season, I planted what I could and filled it the gaps with tomatoes, kale, leeks, potatoes, broccoli, greens and flowers... It is amazing how much it has grown in a year, I will get up more pictures showing where it is now... It has filled in a lot but there is room for more berrie
s (isn't there always?) and some more perennial eatables, like Jerusalem Artichoke, pea shrubs, maybe a bench by the cherry tree.
From here I am going to fill in from this garden to the house (it gets more sun too) and make it a kitchen garden. I'll put some things here that are fun to grow and nice to have close, like certain herbs, salad greens, tomatoes and things that need to be rotated.
So, if anyone wants to know how I have tackled such large swaths of earth to transform wild grass field into a tamed vegetable garden, here goes: Well, G.E.P 1.7 (garden expansion project) had the help of a Bobcat (and Aaron) to mov
e dirt for about half of it, but overall the procedure was the same. First I laid down a thick layer of well overlapped newspaper, then over this we laid lots of sticks if we had them, then six inches of fill dirt, then about three inches of composted sawdust and manure.
There was only enough sticks to do about half of it, then the Bobcat went wrong, so the rest was just newspaper with six inches of the compost over it. This was more likley to rip, and thus needed to be weeded again to get out the grass that snuck through (and the dandylions! ahhh!) but was still a lot better than trying to dig up all that grass and go from there.
Now when ever I plant something, I dig down past the newspaper layer and mix in the clay soil with the compost on top. It has worked famously and this is the method I am using for this year: G.E.P 2.8. The grass was sufficiently smothered last growing season so I can dig down past it now and not worry about it coming up.
There you have it! I'll take some pictures later this week of how it looks now, it is amazing how much the artichokes have grown in a year, they're huge!
The goal is to make it a permaculture type ecosystem. I put in a lot of dwarf/semi-dwarf fruit tress and am planting a lot of berries bushes and various perennial vegetables and medicinals (like artichoke, goldenseal, alpine strawberries, wild yam, herbs and such). I want to make this area one that I can eventually just leave alone and let naturalize for the most part.
Last season, I planted what I could and filled it the gaps with tomatoes, kale, leeks, potatoes, broccoli, greens and flowers... It is amazing how much it has grown in a year, I will get up more pictures showing where it is now... It has filled in a lot but there is room for more berrie
s (isn't there always?) and some more perennial eatables, like Jerusalem Artichoke, pea shrubs, maybe a bench by the cherry tree.From here I am going to fill in from this garden to the house (it gets more sun too) and make it a kitchen garden. I'll put some things here that are fun to grow and nice to have close, like certain herbs, salad greens, tomatoes and things that need to be rotated.
So, if anyone wants to know how I have tackled such large swaths of earth to transform wild grass field into a tamed vegetable garden, here goes: Well, G.E.P 1.7 (garden expansion project) had the help of a Bobcat (and Aaron) to mov
e dirt for about half of it, but overall the procedure was the same. First I laid down a thick layer of well overlapped newspaper, then over this we laid lots of sticks if we had them, then six inches of fill dirt, then about three inches of composted sawdust and manure.There was only enough sticks to do about half of it, then the Bobcat went wrong, so the rest was just newspaper with six inches of the compost over it. This was more likley to rip, and thus needed to be weeded again to get out the grass that snuck through (and the dandylions! ahhh!) but was still a lot better than trying to dig up all that grass and go from there.
Now when ever I plant something, I dig down past the newspaper layer and mix in the clay soil with the compost on top. It has worked famously and this is the method I am using for this year: G.E.P 2.8. The grass was sufficiently smothered last growing season so I can dig down past it now and not worry about it coming up.
There you have it! I'll take some pictures later this week of how it looks now, it is amazing how much the artichokes have grown in a year, they're huge!
14 December 2007
18 September 2007
Fall..
It has begin.I finally notice that the days are really getting shorter, cooling and can see that has the harvest is coming into its fullness in the garden everything is getting ready for dormancy.
I look forward to it this time. To the time inside by the fire listening to the rain, playing music or practicing instruments to use in worship- having the time again to rest and restore myself after the busy growing season.
I just received a call from a friend who is gathering together a worship team for the Sequim Vineyard, she said that she cannot get my name out of her head and to pray about it. Honestly, aside from weddings and funerals I haven't been to an official "church meeting" in a building for over a year now. Nothing against against my friends in sequim, but life being a new mom and a full time student and fledgling farmer is busy. I too feel like the Lord has given me great community through discussions with friends and has taught me a lot about about "being the church". Taking His Love and Voice into the world to reach out to those aspects of it that have a hard time making it into the buildings.
In some ways isn't that what it is about? I feel that this past year has grown and stretched me in many ways. Prompting me to consider that everywhere I am, so is the temple of the lord and to try and treat every interaction as something sacred. And now, fall, and rest.
I think it will be good for me to go back and be apart of the community again, worshiping with my brothers and sisters taking the confidence and knowledge that He is always with me and moving around us back into the worship circle. The comfort of what I have long known and the depth of what I have gained.
I feel that my time away from the church noise will allow me to reenter with a clearer ear for hearing what The Man wants aside from what we usually do and also with more compassion for those who are coming at it for the first time.
So here is to playing my bass for my Savior and fellowshipping with my dear friends- may we help our community come into a place of true worship and focus on Him.
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