Thinking a lot about the yard today. Since we live in Denver we have a very short growing season, once it's cold, it's cold. I planted many seeds quite late in the season, so I'm sure that we will really only end up with a few crops this year. I seriously doubt that any of the watermelons, pumpkins (except the seedlings that were planted), or leeks are going to bear and be harvestable. I am perfectly alright with this. The plants growing in the soil promote micro-organism growth, insect populations and bring much needed nutrients up to the soil's surface, where they are needed most. In the fall I plan on chopping and dropping all of the annuals then sheet mulching most of the garden. There are a ton of trees around here so there is no shortage of fall leaves for mulch and there is always a place to get used cardboard. Doing this should be enough to suffocate the grass while encouraging even more happy soil organisms. This is all just step one of the journey, allowing the earth to repair takes time and patients, but it really is the only way to ensure the health of ourselves and our planet.
Now on to the pictures....
This is part of the newly rock outlined garden space. You can see a small keyhole walkway going from center left toward top right. In fron of the keyhole are a few watermelon, corn and been seedlings. I actually planted the corn, bean and squash seeds all together and all have been coming up beautifully. This, as in all the other areas around the lawn, was not cleared of grass before planting, only the strong survive, right? Really I just felt it would better serve the fledgling eco-system to just leave it all in place for now.
If you look closely there are two different plants in this picture. The tall stems and small plants with serrated leaves and what looks like a white powder in the center are called Lamb's Quarters. They are a native, edible plant with leaves that taste surprisingly like spinach. It is also fixes much needed minerals into the soil and is great to mulch in place. The small plants with smooth edged leaf pairs are young snow pea plants. Instead of staking or trellising the plants I'm using the lamb's quarters as a natural trellis. Less work for me and better for the plants too.
On the backside of the main garden plot is the alley. We want to use all the space possible for growing so we are also planting and repairing the no man's land that is the alley side patch. Pictured here are a bunch of corn, bean, okra and larkspur plants. This area gets full sun all day and really decent drainage, it really would be a shame to overlook this plot because of it's location.
This will be the last picture for now. This is the North side of our garage, which is a narrow strip between our garage and the neighbor's driveway. There are several trees in this area and tons of leaf litter. Actually I think this is some of the most fertile land we currently have. At the base of this tree you can see a bunch of snow pea sprouts, which will hopefully grow up the tree, and in the foreground there are some other bean, corn and squash plants. The lovely mushrooms are a friend of the tree's. Obviously there's quite a bit going on back there.
Well that's all for now. Oh and I'm sure I've never mentioned this but I am NOT and expert. I just have a deep deep love for our planet and a firm belief that we need to be more self-sufficient and community minded. I want there to be mature, thriving eco-systems that support themselves and us as well. Anyone can do this, and it takes a lot less work than you think.
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