Today has been a momentous day! Why, you ask? Because today was the start of Happy Valley’s garden. That’s right, I said it, Happy Valley is going to have a big farm some day, and we have just broken ground for it – er, created ground, that is.

Donald and I started out the day with a meeting. “Where are we on this gardening plan, what needs to get done next, what can we do now?” So we put our heads together and agreed that the garden bed over on the North 40 has been lonely and empty long enough, and that we can use these handy PVC pipes laying around to create hoops over the bed for a greenhouse.

The gardening method we are beginning with today is called Square Foot Gardening, a method that combines peat moss, compost, and vermiculite to create a nutritious holding ground for (ensuing) very fruitful plants. The peat moss and vermiculite retain water for the plants to use and the compost provides ample nutrients for the plants to be healthy and hearty. Seeing as we’re in a drought here in California, this method is practically a necessity, requiring 90% less water than traditional row planting. Woo hoo!

Donald and I took a trip to our locally beloved garden store – San Lorenzo Garden Center – to collect our soil components. We also grabbed several dozen seed packets 😀 as well as some marigolds, lime basil, and kale plants. Let the mixing commence!

Loaded and ready to go.
Loaded and ready to go.
Empty Canvas
Empty Canvas
aha! some paint tubes
aha! some paint tubes
Emptying these bags was more fun than it should've been
Emptying these bags was more fun than it should’ve been
Splattered paint!
Splattered paint!

Our raised garden bed is a whopping 12 feet long and 4 feet wide, but it’s also raised very high off the ground – the top comes up to my chest! It was only natural that I stood in the bed to mix the hefty quantities of material, and it was so much fun that I got Donald in there, too.

Good ol' Donaldo, putting in work (for once! ;)
Good ol’ Donaldo, putting in work (for once! 😉
It takes a lot of work to mix 24 cubic feet of substance!
It takes a lot of work to mix 24 cubic feet of substance!
Oh the beauty of a well-mixed soil! 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 coarse vermiculite, 1/3 compost.
Oh the beauty of a well-mixed soil! 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 coarse vermiculite, 1/3 compost.
Securing the final wire sectional
Securing the final wire sectional
I just like to play in the dirt, according to Donald. He's right.
I just like to play in the dirt, according to Donald. He’s right.

It has been an exceptionally fulfilling day, getting the first steps started at long last. Before we can start planting, however, Tess reminded us of the pesky birds and deer who appreciate the free seed scavenge and leaf meal. Tomorrow we must acquire proper netting to ward them off and then! planting begins! Wish us luck 🙂

 

Leave a Reply