Feed the Beast

Stephen and I were commenting that the swale is like a huge animal that needs to be fed food and water. It needs nutrients and mulch. The soil is like that too. People may spend time and money fertilizing the plants they prize, but really it's the soil that needs the care. Care for the soil and it will care for you and your prize tomatoes.

We have had chickens on our minds of late. Instead of a proper chicken coop we are going to try a chicken dome. We have our concerns about raccoons and coyotes getting into the coop but we hope we can rig a roost in the dome which will protect them. If all else fails the garden shed/green house will be constructed so that it can be turned into a chicken coop. Chickens are the logical partner for a gardener. Digging around the garden today I was amazed at how many worms there are. In places I have never seen them before. This makes me happy beyond measure. Moist earth worms and dandelions, yellow dock and plantain, frogs and weeds in the pond. Oh the stuff of happy garden days....

In other news, something ate the newly sprouted snap peas. I am starting more in peat pots and transplanting them at a larger stage for the next attempt. I also put yogurt cuffs around the ones that were not eaten yet. Again, I don't mind to share but killing the whole plant is not cool!! Little @#$% *&#s.

Oh, and the chicken dome may turn out to be a chicken octagon. We were thinking of making it out of rebar. yeah....hmm... on second thought, we are not The Hulk and this would not be possible to lift.... still working out the kinks. :)

Today planted out:
stawberries
Red-Hot Poker
Ca Sycamore
Cork Oak
Acacias
Sedge
We will run out of water before we fill our land with plants. This is the new location of the cold frame and its full of pots with tree and shrub seeds in them.