this year is the 'turn over the raised beds" year... a lot of work but not something i do on a regular basis.. normally i would just top up and or scratch the surface with fresh rotted compost or well aged manure, but this year the 10 huge bags of aged manure from granddaughter's highschool football team, the 2 old compost piles and the bags and bags of 'stewed' greens from my friends house are all being put to good use... in between rain and cold and icky weather i've managed to turn over most of the raised beds, topped up around the fruit trees and am now working on the original raised bed i had....
it's old and most people would consider not worth having but over the years supplied me with potatoes and squash and different herbs as well as a colourful supply of daylillies..... the bed originated with a load of top soil that i never got finished moving, the season was getting late so i decided i would just put a frame around it and make do... well that lasted a couple of years, then my son in law and daughter decided it was 'ugly' and made me a beautiful big E raised bed, which is most awesome i must say.... see the pile of rocks in the left side of the picture? i've spotted many a snake or alligator lizard sunning themselves on the warm rocks in spring and summer... i love those slug patrollers!!!
i'm not sure how much i'm going to do with the bed this year, but i'm going to divide it into sections, put in some squashes and a very thick layer of hay around them and pray that the beds don't get too dry over the summer....
i tend to be a bit of a 'buddhist' gardener... i have issues with squashing slugs and insects, stepping on snails or worms so i'm ever vigilant about trying to not shortening the lives of many a critter... here are a couple of the residents i unearthed today.... a sign that i must be doing something right in the garden... balance is wonderful thing......
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