This was written a few days ago after the absolutely gorgeous weather we had. Today is the perfect back to gloomy cold weather that Indiana provides for the gardener/writer in me.....
Well, we got some much needed yard cleaning done and that opened up the way for a new HUGE raised garden bed.
It is situated atop one of the problem areas of the yard so this was PRIME raised bed space.
As much as I loathe open fields of unused grass- I am equally loathe to destroy lush turf - EVEN for food plants!
I have this innate sense of appreciation for some one's handiwork done well.
Any way, THIS was not to be appreciated except for the healing and redeeming that a raised bed with natural fertilizer and a layer of natural mulch can provide to a sandy packed foundation for a former above ground pool, now gone to the great swimming pool graveyard.
After a swimming pool, there was a haphazard pile of firewood odds that took up residence there for 2 years and then, last summer, construction debris from an emergency roofing repair/replacement became the woodpile's bunk mate in this bed of hot mess.
A truck belonging to one of the 3 grown children had to be evicted from it's comfy home like a claim jumper on the open prairie!
Rocks, nails, various saplings from stubborn dropped seeds had to be removed and the various buckets of wood stove ash had to be raked into it and spread out evenly BEFORE that first ground breaking outline of a POSSIBLE raised bed could be thought of.
So this week alone after 3 trips to the local transfer station to dispose of the construction debris, and 4 truck loads of dirt gotten from the brother in law (how would rural America exist without brothers-in-law?!), and a truck load of horse manure aged and settled like a fine wine were hand shoveled onto this small plat of a former accidental dumping ground - the garden is starting to look like the tranquil little respite it should be.
The wood frame will be painted the Barn Side White that the rest of the trim in the yard gets.
Barn Side White makes me think of crisp white sheets hanging on the line in a brisk spring wind.
All "spit and shine and let the wind blow the winter stink off of ya" type of thing.
Sugar, the puppy lab that the Easter Bunny brought, is proving to be an excellent back yard dog.
She has learned WHERE to potty in the yard and that is an important thing for a puppy to learn indeed!
I was going to to get a great deal of things done today and make the most of the sunshine and beautiful weather, but everyone took off with the garage and shed keys so I had no tools to work with except the back porch broom, a metal garden rake, and a wheel barrow.
So...Sugar and I picked through the beds for all the rocks we could find.
I am thinking that they will make great rock garden stuff for the Littlest Squirrel's rock/flower/water garden she likes to do every year.
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