Saving "Snappy"

This mornings adventures in the garden included removing a huge snapping turtle from the vegetable beds.    Lovingly named Snappy by the kids, getting him safely back to the pond was a team effort!

Looking back...early spring preparations

Back in the early spring, I started dreaming about my garden plot...I spent many nights falling asleep and waking up to the thoughts of what I wanted to do there.  I didn't know what it looked like, but I was told it would be 12' X 8' with full sun and more than ample protection against the deer that make gardening in my own back yard nearly impossible.  First I needed to figure out what it was that I really wanted to get out of my patch of dirt.  Putting fresh food on my table, making a fun garden for my children to learn and play in, and experimenting with new sustainable practices and materials were my main priorities.  I started by searching on the internet for a book that might set me on my path.

I found "The Sustainable Vegetable Garden: A Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil and Higher Yields". Getting as much food as possible while improving the soil conditions sounded like a good direction.  The idea is that by putting a large initial investment into the soil preparation, you can create dense beds that are low on maintenance and water consumption and high on yield.   

The next step was deciding what I would actually want to plant in my garden.   I wanted to start as much as I could handle from seed, but with little good space to grow seedlings I knew I would have to make careful choices.  I purchased a seed kit from Bountiful Gardens, a company that distributes heirloom, untreated, open pollenated seeds. http://www.bountifulgardens.org   The tomatoes seedlings did well despite the fact that I planted them about a month too late.  I think I got about viable 35 seedlings, which really saved a lot of money when it finally came time to get plants into the ground. 

5.24.10

Gardens, scholars say, are the first sign of a commitment to a community.  When people plant corn, they are saying, lets stay here.  And by their connection to the land, they are connected to one another.    Anne Raver

A week of hard work & big rewards

This was a big week for us in the garden.  As fears of frost past, many set out to tackle the job of getting the beds ready for planting.  Thankfully some of the work was made easier with Alberto's roto tiller, but most of us still ended up with a handful of blisters.  Martha's black gold arrived just in time to help amend the beds.

Many  headed to Hilltop Hanover to pick up their seedling kits and learn how to address some common problems that gardeners in our neck of the woods should be on the lookout for.  One of the greatest successes of the week was the completion of the irrigation system.  Having to lug heavy water jugs through the garden for the last few days has made the convenience  of a plot-side spigot that much sweeter!

As the week came to a close, many families and friends enjoyed the beautiful weather and came together to plant, share, and learn in the garden...a great week full of exciting changes!

Building the garden

Over the past 6 weeks, there has been a lot of work going on in the field behind the old barn and stable at the Marsh Sanctuary.  I will fill you in later on all the details of how this garden actually went from a great idea to a reality, but in the mean time, here are some pictures to show how it all looked a few weeks ago, and how the transformation happened.