More rain, still gardening

PVC hoop house on raised bed

There is a definite advantage to raised beds when you are get a lot of rain.  My 4' by 8' beds are just the right width so that I can weed and plant from the edge without getting in to soil with my feet.  When soil is wet, compaction is a very real possibility.  Compacted soils are bad for the plants, and muddy shoes are no fun.  The other advantage to the raised beds is quicker draining of the excess water from the plant roots.  Both compaction and too much water keep sufficient air from getting to the roots which can lead to plant death.  I love being able to get out and weed the garden when it is wetter as the weeds pop right out making the job so much faster.

I did a quick hoop house over one of my garden beds this year.  I used 3/4 inch conduit clamps with short deck screws to hold them on.  I put in 1/2" by 10' long PVC conduit which bends easily over the bed and slides into the clamps on the side.  10 foot wide grow cloth is the perfect width and a few clamps hold it all in place.  I hope to keep the cabbage moths at bay by keeping them out.  Just one more benefit of the raised beds.  It took me longer to buy the materials than it did to install them.

My flower beds are all less than 3 feet wide so I can reach without stepping in.  The rain garden (which just loves this weather) is the exception and that has stone walls and stepping blocks to provide the same access.  Besides, isn't it fun to tip-toe through the garden?

I tucked in one more crop of radishes in hopes that they will not bolt before growing large enough.  The watermelon radishes don't look promising as they are not performing like they should.   They may be pulled soon to make room for a better crop of any thing.  One more row of beans went in.  I have been putting in 3 foot rows of bush beans every couple weeks in hopes of staggering out the harvest better this year.  I started more lettuce indoors as well as some kohlrabi to transplant out under the shade cloth.  I have several squares in my square foot open just for this purpose.  Now that I have researched radicchio a little better, I have put that under cover to keep it protected for a fall harvest.  

Work has been demanding some overtime of me, so I am glad to have the garden mostly under control with weeding.  Just a few more things to tuck in and I think we will be ready for the first camping trip.  It can't come too soon.