Ready to plant

We had some wonderful, warm days during the month of January; getting outside in the warm sunshine was an energizing experience. 

I used those days to prepare my vegetable gardens for planting.  There has been a great deal of information on no-till farming and gardening published in recent years that has fascinated me.  Although I have never tilled my gardens (Bob won't even rent one for me because he is afraid of what might happen if I had something in my possession with that many moving parts) I always turn them with a shovel to loosen the soil.

The argument behind the "no till" movement is that soil is a complicated ecosystem that we literally chop to pieces when we till it.  God designed a simpler, safer means of replenishing the soil through the natural cycle of plant life.  The dead roots and foliage of the plants serve to fertilize, aerate, and protect the soil for the next growing season.  This process is aided by the organisms that flourish in the soil (which are butchered when we till).

Since this all makes sense to me, I have decided not to even turn my vegetable garden this year.  With the exception of diseased plant material, I left all the previous year's plant material in the ground over the winter.  During our warm January days, I spread a layer of composted horse manure, and added a 3 inch layer of mulch (those leaves from my neighbors) over the beds.  This will all rest for a few weeks until I begin planting the early spring garden.  It was certainly easier than turning with a shovel.  

How much horse compost does it take to add a 2" layer to my veggie beds, you ask?  I don't have a truck so I use a collection of 3-5 gallon buckets that fit neatly into the trunk of my Camry.  It took four trips to haul 52 buckets of compost.  It's a good thing that I had a little help this year.

Mulch, mulch, everywhere!

A special thank you is in order to all my wonderful neighbors.  They work diligently to rake and bag leaves, then courteously stack them up on the roadside.  I'm quite sure they intend for the city trash truck to haul them off but I greatly appreciate their contributions to my gardens. 

My favorite bags are filled with pine straw.  The pine needles lay down neatly, allow moisture to flow through to the soil, provide a uniform color, and don't allow many weed seeds to sprout.  I reserve the bags of pine straw for my front and side gardens.

Chopped leaves are my second favorite find.  They are not common as most of my neighbors would rather rake than mow up their leaves. 

I pay attention to the variety of trees in my neighbors' yards--most of them make wonderful mulch, unchopped leaves blow around a bit but decompose slowly, creating a long-lasting mulch that also attracts earthworms and retains good moisture in the soil.  Weeds are nearly non-existent in a garden that is well-mulched with last year's leaves.   The only leaves that make me cringe a little are oak leaves.  While they make a very dense mulch layer, those pesky acorns sprout like crazy and if I don't get to them quickly, are difficult to remove.

Since I don't own a truck, collecting and hauling bags of leaves is a bit of an adventure.  I have learned that I can usually stuff five large bags in my trunk if I don't latch it, just let the weight of the trunk lid hold the bags in.  I can shove three more bags in my back seat and one more large bag in the passenger seat for a total haul of ten bags of leaves in one load.  Some of my neighbors are so generous, I have to make multiple trips to bring all the mulch home.

This (compulsive?) leaf collecting is a little embarrassing to Bob for some reason.  He gets a little nervous as the mounds of bags grow in our backyard.   Don't worry Bob, they will all be "gone" soon. 

Spring is coming

We know spring is coming even though the weather doesn't feel like it these days.  One of the first signs of spring is the arrival of the seed catalogs! 

I love seed catalogs.  Each page is covered with incredible photos of gigantic, perfect veggies and flowers.  My heart wants to grow them all even though I know full well that most of them won't grow in my Alabama backyard.

This week, I ordered my seeds for the coming growing season.  Most of them are veggies--varieties that I enjoy but aren't available in the garden centers.  While I wait for the seeds to arrive in my mailbox I'm preparing my beds and collecting containers in which to sprout the seeds. 

It is comforting to know that spring will arrive soon.

Polar plunge

Not to be mistaken for a "polar vortex" which includes snow and ice, tonight's weather event is a "polar plunge."  The north winds are howling at 20+ mph and we can watch the mercury dropping in the thermometer.   The forecast low in my backyard is supposed to be about 10 degrees.  We aren't supposed to warm above freezing for two days.

While not as severe as last year's polar vortex, my cold frame and garage won't keep my plants warm enough to survive this bitter cold.  After coming home from school this afternoon, I bundled up and headed out.  The cold frame containers are all on my kitchen table and the large containers in the garage are wrapped in bedspreads and table clothes.  The hoses are drained and the outside faucets are dripping.  We are ready!

I'm just a little confused about this whole global warming thing.

Meet Mordecai

One of our friends surprised Bob this Christmas with the gift of a baby sulcata tortoise.  At 3 inches long and 2 ounces, little Mordecai isn't very impressive.  But sulcata tortoises are the largest mainland tortoises in the world (only two island species are larger); when he matures, Mordecai will measure 30 inches and weigh in at close to 150 pounds.  If we care for him well, he will live to be 50+ years old, becoming our children's inheritance; they are already discussing who will get him when we die or when he gets too heavy for his elderly owners to move. 

Mordecai is making his debut in my blog because within the next 2-3 years he is going to make a major impact on the landscaping of our backyard.  He is already making a difference; this year I will be growing dandelions rather than diligently pulling them up.  Dandelions leaves are already Mordecai's favorite snack.