I started this section because I was excited to get started, reflecting on my twin interests in rural and urban lifestyles. Here's some evidence, just how excited I am. I'm beginning to devote a part of each day to working in the garden. There's a lot to do, since I have ignored this area of the yard for a couple of seasons. Enough for it to become overgrown with weeds.
For example, the asparagus bed was thickly sodded over, to the extent that the shoots would probably have had some difficulty fighting their way to the surface. They're pretty good at this and in the past I remember my father transplanting some really old plants from the grounds of a former boys’ (reform) school into our garden. But I have to believe they're happier when there's a less difficult path to sunlight. So I dug up all the sod and shook out as much soil as I could. Then I supplemented it with composted chicken manure from the thick bedding we used in the chicken house. It has been aging for about three years, and it seemed pretty mellow. So I worked some in with the soil.
Then I planted some garlic along the back edge of the box. I had thought I wasn't going to be able to have garlic this year. It's really best, like tulips and daffodils, if you plant it in the fall and let it sprout a bit and then winter over. I hadn't been able to do that, so I had resigned myself to buying fresh garlic from "Ivan", the Amish organic farmer. However, my friend Becky (wife of my "Red Roof Co-op" friend, Steve) offered me some of her garlic yesterday when I stopped by. I left it in the shade overnight and planted it today. Had to tear the densely-packed roots apart and lost a few, but hopefully I saved enough to keep them alive. Thus, I'm happy to announce I have my first plants in the ground this Spring! Lots to do, but it's a good start!
