(For a quick sneak peek at the garden plans – just skip to the photos below!)
It is the second week of February and I am feeling . . . squinty-eyed and paranoid. This can’t be how winter will leave us. Things are just too mild. Didn’t January 2014 suck so much more than this January? What does that mean? (glancing over shoulder) Are we are due an April ice storm? (eyes shifting quickly from the lovely clear sky above to the distant, iceless trees) We had more single digit degree days in January 2014 than I care to remember.
I know those of you who have “real” winters each year are laughing (or cursing) – but for us Southern Folk, last year was hard. I knew I was in some sort of seasonal purgatory/hell when a friend posted a screen shot of a weather app on her phone for a day’s temperature in Anchorage, AK: 20 degrees, next to screen shot of the day’s temperature where we lived at the time – Murfreesboro, TN: 1 degree.
That ain’t right, people.
During those miserable, snowy, icy road and salty windshield weeks, my youngest and I were driving 3.5 hours to our old farm every few days to take care of the motley crew of animals (20+ chickens, 6 horses, 2 rabbits) and get it ready to list. As most of you know, listing a house/farm is no fun. You mean it has to be clean enough to show? At all times? People, I’m just trying to keep the livestock supplied with semi-liquid water!!!
We lost one old friend at the end of that bitter January, a 3-months-shy-of-30-years old red mare (Dandee) who had been one of my best friends since I was 16. She was crippled and frail from a multitude of chronic issues, but a redhead – too stubborn to quit until she damn well pleased. She went down for the last time the very night we posted the “for sale” sign in the yard. To be honest, I think she just didn’t want to relocate again. Smart old girl.
So, that’s what I remember about January 2014: hard work, hellacious driving, my sweet “house elf” youngest as my soul-saving/joyful companion, and ending the month with a whopping dose of heartache. Maybe that is why I am twitchy in this easy, mild winter weather – just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Wait a minute. Why are all the birds so dang chipper? Is the worst of winter truly over?
I will admit that the relative warmth is lovely, and spring feels close. Okay, very close. And dang if I don’t see daffodils popping up! See? (exhale. smile.) Six more weeks of winter? Hmm. Maybe this will be one of those years the groundhog didn’t know his fat, fluffy fanny from his shadow on the ground. Besides, as my daughters have told me – “He actually cares nothing about the weather, he’s just coming out of his burrow to see if any female groundhogs have moved into his territory.” LOL. Good point, girls.
Maybe I should be worrying a bit more about how I am going to get the main garden built in the next five weeks. We have one solid working day at the farm per week until the end of May (that does not include starting seeds indoors – plenty of time for that). If my calculations are correct, I have a HOLY FREAKING MOLY amount of work to do in those 5 “work” days. Overwhelmed? Nah. It will get done. You just have to just keep at it. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish when your original goal is overambitious. 😉 In wiser words:
“Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.”
&
“Never, never, never give up.”
― Winston Churchill
Speaking of overly ambitious goals . . . I need to show you the rough sketches of the garden plans. (Please forgive my handwriting/scrawl and any spelling errors – Thank goodness for autocorrect.) So far, we have made many lists in a little notebook – organizing all of the seeds we have into amicable groups or by details such as planting times and growth habits.
THE RULE: Only the small, well-behaved (bush or trellised), or need to harvest often/ “high-maintenance” vegetables will be allowed in the main garden. I have a separate plot in mind for the wild, of questionable value, rambling, or “later season harvest” crazy stuff. Yep. That plot will be called the duck pen or the 3 sisters garden.
The main garden this year will be composed of a single rectangular permanent raised bed (Phase 1), many temporary wire cages of soil “thrones”, several “grow bags”, pots, and small, slightly improved areas of ground – including where the bean/kid teepees will rest. In 2-3 years, I’m hoping to have the remainder of the “square” in raised beds (see quilt design/sketch below). I doubt we will ever be able to plant to achieve a quilt effect in appearance – but the “pattern” (probably imaginary, but possibly by using string guides?) may eventually help me keep a little bit of order to it all. A little bit. Plus, quilts are cool. Quilt gardens are cool. Wait. All gardens are cool. 🙂 I love this Japanese quilt – isn’t it lovely? I was inspired by it and love that the resulting plan honors the “M”‘s of the family. See the “M’s” ?
a Japanese quilt found on pinterest. LOVELY.
The “grand scheme” garden sketch. Green: this year’s raised bed. Red (square within square): will be mostly raised (except for path through herb garden) when garden is “finished” in a few years.
rough sketch of garden for 2015. The area is a gentle slope, high = dry(er) and we have significant catchable rain runoff from the house’s metal roof. The “wet” (thirsty) plants will be placed closer to the water source.
proposed site for main garden (option A) – benefits: Close to water source, good drainage, and nearby shelter for non-gardeners (within conversation range) which doubles as a place for lazy afternoon admiring of our hard work (the covered front porch).
(option B.) Downsides: Observation area is an uncovered deck. (Alabama summers . . . gasp. Ack.), it is farther from free/easy water (runoff), part of it has poor drainage (rice? kidding!), the kids would leave me to hide in their fort, and to be honest- I want this to eventually be small riding arena. (Garden, don’t be greedy. Don’t take my flat area!) So it is a pretty far down the list “option B.”
The Duck Pen/ 3 Sisters Garden <- click for more information. (3 sisters = traditional planting of corn, squash, and beans together.) We will have two bean teepees in the main garden, so I may just stick the really crazy varieties over here (the super long Chinese noodle beans, etc. The chickens would love it if they climbed on their fence!) with the cowpeas – (the ones that ramble along. I have a couple of fast producing bush types that I may try in the garden). This plot is a partially fenced area along the barn beside the existing outdoor chicken run. At summer’s end it will be fenced completely and used as an extension of the chicken/duck outdoor run. Easy (okay, lazy) clean-up after harvest: “have at it, guys!” If it works well, maybe we will kick the birds back out, let it compost (over late winter/spring) and use it as garden space again next summer!
ideas for the “duck pen” or “3 sisters” plot- the 6 + circles will be “thrones” planted in the color-coded pattern above.
duck pen/3 sisters plot – as it looks early February 2015. Wow. There is a lot of work to do at the farm. The barn needs attention too. Bit by bit, it will get done. 🙂
Well, you get the general idea. I wonder if any of this will work. Looks like fun! Now, if I can just get the garden built! I hope you are enjoying your February, be it sunny or snowy! I am looking forward to hearing your plans for your garden on A Thrilling Plot’s Facebook page. Don’t be shy! Tell us! What sort of crazy schemes are you coming up with for your garden? If it works, fantastic! if not, we have all learned something!
next week’s post: The terrifying (and awesome) truth about chickens – what the
touchy-feelyother books won’t tell you. Hint: it includes an awesome, real-life paleontologist’s perspective. 🙂 excited!
a thrilling plot 