I'm not sure how well it shows in the photo, but Homero rototilled four long garden beds, separated by three grassy areas. The garden beds are connected by a perimeter, so in fact what we have is something like a large tilled square, interrupted by three intact oblongs to walk on. Each of the tilled beds is about thirty-five opr forty feet long and three or four feet wide. The connecting legs are about ten feet long and three or four feet wide. That makes - what - about 800 sqaure feet of garden space, a little short of what I estimated the other day.
Of copurse, most of this space still needs a lot of work. For those of you without in-ground gardens, rototilling is just the beginning. Then you have to get to work with a rake, to break up all the clumps and get rid of as many roots (grass roots, clover roots, burdock roots, blackberry roots) as you can. Then you have to make rows.
This is the far south-east corner of the garden, about one twentieth of the total area. I spent a good hour today with a rake making three short rows, pulling roots, and planting Swiss Chard. Each of these rows is about five feet long, so I have fifteen row-feet of rainbow chard planted. I was multi-tasking today - raking while also herding goats and ponies. I feel pretty good about the day's work. If I can plant an equal amount of garden each week it will only take me until (wait while I break out the calculator) next June to get the whole garden planted (!!!)
Okay, I better step it up a little. Theoretically, this is Homero's garden, but what are you gonna do? I either plant it, or watch it go to hell.
6 comments:
I say watch it go to hell.
You'll do most of the work .... but it will ALWAYS be his garden.
Betcha!
But just think of all the wonderful food that you'll have by July!!! (And have stored away next winter)
Gardens are alot of work. I enjoy mine and the fresh veges that come out of it.We usually have something planted by this time of year but not so far. My advice don't make it too big unless you have help. It is very discouraging to watch hard work go to weeds.
That's how it always is-my husband got the garden ready a few weeks ago when he tilled and weeded, and called it done. I had to go out and plant all the goodies, and have watered it since. I just reminded him last night that the stuff won't grow if we don't water.
Amateurs, we are.
It's so nice to see someones garden is ready for spring planting. Ours is still mostly covered by snow. I hope you can stay ahead of the weeds this year. If you put several(4-5)layers of news papers down on your paths and then wet them, and then you can cover them with a mulch of some kind. really can keep the weeds at bay. Some years I have just put the news papers down just by themselfs and covered the egdes with a little dirt to keep them in place. It still keeps the weeds gone.
Kelly
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