First, the Berry Patch Garden. It is at the front of our property next to our mailbox on a sleep slope facing south. This area was significantly altered during construction of the road for the development and the soil is heavy clay. We hypothesize that the good topsoil has been scraped away or covered over. So this soil needs to most remediation of any on our property. Logs are staked perpendicular to the hill and the berries are planted on the up slope side.
Tim has planted honeyberries, saskatoons/serviceberries, goji berries, and raspberries with their accompanying nurse plants- rosa rugosa. Nurse plants provide protection, make nutrients more available, and in ways not yet full understood, speed the growth and development of the plants around them, helping them mature faster. Once the trees/bushes are well established and begin to compete with the rose, we will peel off a strip of bark and kill the nurse plant. We planted rosa rugosa, a thorny rose bush, 18-24 inches away from many of our fruit trees and berry bushes to test this hypothesis. Eventually the plants will fill in and this hill will be covered with berry bushes and perhaps some other perennial plants and herbs.
For now, there is lots of room and lots of sun so I planted squash, melons, cucumbers, and corn in mounds of manure and topsoil I brought in by the bucketful. I also mulched the sprouts to try to keep the grass down. Zed, our cat, knocked a tray of cucumbers and squash off the front ramp and when I salvaged the sprouts from below, I couldn't tell cuke from squash so I have a mystery, yet-to-be-determined group of plants. I also included a number of leftover sprouts from other gardens so here's my best list of what I planted. Everything is SSE unless otherwise noted.
Zucchini, Golden
Zucchini, Black Beauty
Corn, Stowell's Evergreen
Squash, Burgess Buttercup
Melon, Pride of Wisconsin
Melon, Minnesota Midget
Cucumber, Russian Pickling
Squash, Musquee de Provence
Squash, Butternut, from favorite CSA squash last fall
Pumpkin, Pie, from favorite CSA pumpkin last fall
Popcorn, from store because Mark wanted to try
Cat Grass, Varigated (TSC)
Marigold, Aztec (Richters)
Marigold, Mexican (Richters)
Marigold, French (Richters)
Lamb's Ears
Echinacea, Cheyenne Spirit Mix (WCS)
Echinacea, Yellow Coneflower (WCS)
Echinacea, Powwow Wild Berry (TSC)
Echinacea, Purple Coneflower
Yarrow, Summer Pastels
Comfrey
Update 6/27-
Tim just planted:
Sunflower, Rostov
Sunflower, Tarahumara White Seeded
Sunflower, Humongous
Second, the Kitchen Window Garden. I spend a lot of time washing dishes and looking out the kitchen window at the propane tank and piles of boards, logs, etc. under the trees. Now that our new, larger propane tank is installed, I wanted to have some shade tolerant flowers and herbs I like that will come back from year to year.
Tim and I trimmed back tree branches, moved two rotting logs together, and put manure and dirt between to create a hugel-inspired raised bed. We planted it with self-seeding annuals and perennials that will tolerate partial shade.
Also, we did not fence this garden because I want to see if the chickens will ignore it as I hope. If my hopeful hypothesis proves false, I'll fence it. I smile when I look out and see all the little popsicle stick labels promising some of my favorites.
Catnip
Licorice Mint/Agastache (WCS)
Chives
Lamb's Ears- I meant to buy Lamb's Quarters which is edible but bought Lamb's Ears which bees like
German Chamomile
Hyssop
Lemon Mint
Cosmos, Sea Shells
Cosmos, Sensation Mix
Cosmos, Orange seeds from George and Emily Reisdorf's home in FL
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