Dreams of summer and gardens

It's still the middle of winter up here, we have another 2-3 months to go, but I have been majorly afflicted with garden fever lately! I am just dying to get out and get going on things. I think I am going to start me a tomato plant. Just one, really.

Anyway..........just to get me out in the garden, I went and took some pics of my raised beds. I am not blessed with a large budget, so generally have to make do with what is at hand. Since we live on an old burn, old logs are what's at hand.

So, I start with a base layer of cardboard to help with the quackgrass (nasty stuff!) and then I make my walls, 2 logs high. Next is a layer of half rotted logs. The theory here is that as they rot, they'll act like a sponge and help with water retention. The oldest bed is only going on it's 3rd year, so I can't really comment on that yet. On top of that goes fresh manure and barn cleanings. The last 6"-8" is a mixture of dirt and compost. How much of each depends on how much of each is available at that time.

The above pic is a barely started bed. I don't have it all filled in with cardboard because I don't have the half rotted logs to put in to hold it down yet. Have to wait for the snow to leave and the ground to dry out. The pic below has the layers of logs for the walls, but is also still waiting for completion.

And here is a finished bed. I know, it looks so unimpressive at this time of year! I'll have to get some good garden pictures this summer. While I can't comment yet on the water retention abilities of the logs, once the manure and barn leavings and all gets to rot for a year or so, I get some amazing plants growing.

 

This is the skeletal remains of a catnip plant. The dog is to give it some scale. I cut that plant down to the ground 3 times last summer and it just kept coming back for more.