The Garden

I hate rubbing anyone's nose in something none of us can affect but here in Utah's Dixie Spring has sprung. It was time to see to the garden.

Some of you may remember that last year I built a raised planting bed out of bricks I removed from the Kid's Room remodel for Lu. She tried some late season plantings. She got shoots and some growth but the cold hit us early and everything died or went into hibernation. With the warm weather returning some of her carrots and lettuce seems to have survived. We fertilized the bed and Lu thinks she'll yet get some edibles. I was concerned that the brick bed wouldn't hold but it did, through some pretty bad storms, enormous rains and even quite a bit of freezing temps and snow. Makes me kinda proud.

I decided we needed to improve the garden and expand it a bit this year. Mostly because we have a Black Lab who relishes digging in that dirt next to the wooden fence back there. So a new fence was indicated. I had some old wrought iron fencing laying around so.... The gate is a double swinger just to the left of the raised bed.

This year we're adding some plants. Here's Lu planting the strawberries. Just behind her is the potato area. Red Somethingorothers and Yukon Gold. You can just see some of our peach tree buds on the left. Purty.

I cleaned out all that area and we spread in some cow manure. I still shake my head at that. Someone collects and sells cow poop to people like me. That small tree there is our peach tree. We planted it last Fall. It's budded out and our nursery Gal says we may get fruit this year. Hooray!!

I climbed up on the kids play house for some aerial pictures.

It's not a huge garden but with some careful planning we should do well. Corn and melons (Water and Honeydew) in the large area on the left. Strawberries where Lu is working. Potatoes behind the planter. Carrots, lettuce, cucumbers and probably something I'm forgetting in the bed itself. Oh and tomatoes will be way over on the far left so we can intertwine the vines into the fencing. Add in a few peaches (maybe, I hope) and we're talking some fine vittles.

Of course, someone was feeling left out.

He was already feeling quite put upon for being locked away from his favorite diggy spot and then Daddy goes and climbs up out of reach.

You come down from there right now!!!

So I did. After teasing him. But just a little. I swear.

Strawberries, carrots, lettuce and potatoes are in now. The rest will be planted in April. I need to redo the watering system. I'm taking water out of the back building but the faucet is inside. I need to reroute things so a blowout doesn't soak the game room and gym. Ah, more plumbing. Lovely.

I have to admit this. I'm kinda getting into this gardening foe food thing. I shouldn't be all that surprised though. My grandfather and his forebears back for some time were farmers. Must be a blood thing. I just hope we don't end up with a garden full of dead things. Zombie Carrots I don't need.
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