Back to blogging

So, I've been away for a bit. My cyber-stalker is going to have more to read apparently. HI!!

After a dreary winter, it is Spring! Something I needed with every fiber of my being. I have a to-do list a mile long that I have been slowly chipping away at. One thing that has been kicking my butt this year is... age. Usually Spring awakens and I'm out and digging, planting, expanding and weeding with a vengeance. It's taking much longer this year. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm still a force to be reckoned with... its just doing me in this year!

Part of the problem may be that I've also expanded an incredible amount at this point. I worked so hard last year expanding my garden by 700 sq feet by myself. Now its just mammoth. This year the expansion isn't nearly as huge, but I'm also caring for and prepping last years expansion.

Something I'm especially happy with is my composted sod. When I took all the sod off last year with the expansion, I ran out of places to put it in my back yard. I also ran out of energy to get it there. My resolution was to make a big ugly pile of sod next to the garden. I then put a big, ugly blue tarp over it to cook the grass seeds. Lo and behold, when the tarp came off, there was the most gorgeous deep dark loamy soil left behind. Its so beautiful, there is a huge temptation to dig up the sod in the back and truck it back to my garden! This area is now a 6x12 bed that will have a box built around it. For the summer it will be an overflow bed, but after that it will be a permanent allium bed. I'll put some sand and more manure into it and the fall will see the planting of several dozen garlic cloves and next Spring the rest will be planted with onions.

Today I created a lettuce bed as well. My darling brother in law made me a wonderful cold frame last year. It is so superbly built, except for the plexiglass lid, which warped and eventually snapped in half. It has been sitting sadly, waiting for a use. Today I found one. I moved it over next to my new sod bed and lined the bottom with paper bags from the grocery store( I sometimes forget my reusable bags). Then there is a layer of mulch to also keep done the weeds. This is topped with a few inches of manure and finally a layer of last years potting soil. Lettuce was sown in the top and voila! Its actually quite pretty.

There are so many wonderful things happening right now that I feel a little silly complaining of my lack of energy. Things really are getting done. As soon as I wrestle the camera from my 4 year old, I'll post some pics.