Back to Writing for Fun

Since starting this blog I have come and gone and come back again with writing. My purpose is still more of a garden record for myself. I have more time for personal pursuits, so here I am again. 

I am at a new home with new gardens. My third location since my first post. This one is my last for large scale gardening. I am not getting any younger, but still enjoy the time I get to spend with the plants and trees.

It is probably the hardest location that I have gardened. I found out early that the soils around this old farmstead are very thin with the bedrock at or very near the surface. My strategy went from selecting a tree and putting it in an appropriate location to taking my shovel around the property and attempting to get my tool in the ground. I gave up on potted or balled and burlaped stock to bare root only.  Once I get it planted, I am not looking to ever move things around. 

The bigger issue in my new location is vegetable gardening. I couldn't figure out how a century plus old farm did not have a garden. No rhubarb or asparagus on the property. Well, if it isn't in a raised bed it just won't happen. My family made my dream beds so I would not have to weed on my hands and knees in the vegetable garden ever again. I found spots for berries and even salvaged some elderberry plants which are thriving in their new spot. Anything I don't want the deer to eat is fenced in as much as is reasonably possible. I have a raised bed of asparagus which should be ready for harvest this year. The ditch patch that nature planted has been filling that gap in the meantime. Large tubs which are easily 25 gallons or more have served me well for tomato plants. A canoe which was damaged by fire has also found a new life as a raised garden.

The canoe had to have holes drilled throughout the bottom for drainage. This picture shows it in the second location I had it set up in. The first location was good, but the yellow jackets found their way into the drainage holes and nested in the twigs and small branched which were added to the bottom for fill material. I am used to tolerating them and was able to continue harvesting the beans I had in the canoe, but it frightened anyone else who is not able to work calmly and pretend they aren't a threat. I had to empty the soil out the next year and decided to relocate it to an area closer to the kitchen and use it for leafy greens and other foods that I harvest more often. I put deer net over the top which has worked well. I also put heavy duty pet resistant window screen in the bottom with silicon caulk to hold it in place. We celebrated two years without another yellow jacket infestation. The current location also showcases this garden as a unique piece of yard art. 

I hope my dreams of having more time for my pursuits actually happen. Keeping a record of it will take back seat to actually doing it. With a fresh layer of snow on the ground this morning, it will have to be another day.