The Greens Garden

Apple Blossoms beside the road.

Cherry at the Dep't of Transportation

You may be wondering what a 'greens' garden is. Well simply put, it's the new garden we've got ready for planting tomorrow. First it housed pigs and they dug out all the turf and roots. Then the chickens followed adding their manure for a year and scratching out every bug, beetle larvae and worm they could find (don't worry we have plenty of earthworms). Now it's been lightly tilled to incorporate the winters manure from the hen house and it's ready for planting. I tested the soil and it's got quite a lot of nitrogen as you'd expect so to use some of that up and balance out the soil fertility I'm going to be planting lots of quick growing leafy greens there. Lettuce and mesclun mixes, basil, beets for greens and of course what garden would be complete without the quintessential English runner bean hedge. The fence went around today and should all be anchored and ready to repel boarders (the hens) by noon tomorrow. By tomorrow afternoon the whole thing should be planted and it's on to the next garden. I've also got to get the front flower garden planted and ready for our late summer garden parties. I guess it depends on how it goes getting the beds all started. A couple of years and the roses and other perennials should be nicely established and giving us a lovely garden to sit in throughout the nice weather.

The valley smells wonderful at the moment. Really, all you have to do is step outside and inhale deeply, it's delicious! All the apple trees and orchards are in bloom and the lilacs and dandelions look magnificent. I love dandelions. They're so cheerful looking and it's almost like they're saying I'm Here, Come Eat Me! If you really hate them in your lawn then I think you should just mow them. But of course I'm biased. I keep bees and dandelions are an important source of pollen.The hay meadows are crowned with dandelions all over the valley at the moment. I stopped and took this picture out near Hwy 221 on Wednesday I think it was. Doesn't it look lovely?