No dig

Well, my pony post obviously wasn’t a huge succes 😉 so I’ll try a bit of Sunday gardening instead.

As previously linked, I’m going to try making a no-dig bed in the garden. I’m making it with fresh manure as I empty the horse boxes, so it may not be ready this year, I think I started in November. I put a layer of newspapers under, to kill the grass, so I can only top it up when I have enough papers! (We get a ton of free locals each week). I may scatter some carrot seeds just to see what happens, and I know potatoes will do well in nearly anything. Perhaps I’ll just cover it up to keep out weeds.

newbed2

As you can see, I’m nearly done according to my markers! I’ll top it up a bit as it sinks, to end up with a good layer of soil. We have heavy clay here, and our lawn is seriously compacted, so this should be interesting on many levels.

nodig2

Other than that, I’ll try to keep gardening at a low this year, it took too much of my creative time last year, so I’ll weed as much as possible, sow a few annuals and the only other new thing I’m creating is a grass free lawn under the hammock. Starting with moving some thyme from the barrels, in which I’ve instead put some bulbs that should have gone in last October, but I didn’t have the pots ready where I wanted them to go. And time passed and it was cold and I tend to hibernate… But today is such a lovely, sunny, balmy day I thought I’d get started!

thyme
Thyme for the grass free lawn.
Getting all the dead coreopsis out and the bed ready to move my black currant bushes from the jungle.
Getting all the dead coreopsis out and the bed ready to move my black currant bushes from the jungle. And the grass free bed along the fence.
Weld is doing fine
Weld is doing fine
And so is the kale, which I'm not allowed to eat on a FODMAP diet.
And so is the kale, which I’m not allowed to eat on a FODMAP diet.
kitten
Leo is my new garden helper and assures me the mystery plants I found last year are doing well up until now.
kitten
It’s their first day outside and Emil started out with a fright when the ponies came galloping straight at him down the hill. So now he’s having none of this garden business.

And now I still have half the day for: ?? I know I shouldn’t overdo it with the physical stuff, I have to stop before I’m tired. Otherwise I just push on once I get going and then pay for it by sleeping all week. Paint or weave perhaps. Oh, the dog needs walking and the stable needs mucking. Always something, isn’t there. 😉 I think I’ll save it for later though – when I’m tired anyway.

15 tanker om “No dig

  1. wish I had some manure, still I am getting a reasonable amount of compost now and there is always the bag or two of collected seaweed, look forward to seeing how your bed develops, Frances

  2. I think everyone is involved with the Olympics. I’ve noticed hits are really down. 😎 You kitty looks like a Tuxedo Cat we had named Hannah. Sweetest cat we ever had.

    1. Well, I do NOT watch any kind of sports, not even riding. Just looking at things makes me bored out of my skull.

      These two tuxedos are the craziest wild beasts I’ve ever had. Energizer bunnies.

  3. Åh hvor jeg dog glæder mig til at høre om dit no dig-bed. Jeg har heldigvis naboer med heste, og de er mere end villige til at lade mig tage alt det hestemøj, jeg kan ønske mig – så slipper de for at muge ud.
    Min ægtemands mund ville løbe i vand ved synet af de der kålstokke, vores bliver altid ædt af kålormene.
    Der var en fejl på din “goofball”-post, måske derfor at ingen har set den, der kom sådan en “Der var noget her, som ikke er her mere”-besked. Jeg smutter lige over og læser den 😉

  4. Wow. You’re almost done making your garden beds. Lol. I am teasing because that is still several steps ahead of me. This winter, I tell you. It’s been a beast. I’ve been reading the Old World Garden blog, and they do no-dig/no-till also. I’m thinking that I will try it out, too. They use straw to mulch everything and also as a base directly over the killed grass. Then just build up with compost and soil. Am jealous of your kale! What is FOTMAP?

  5. I liked the ponies! and I can’t believe you can be doing gardeing already. I went out to add to the compost bin today – still have a foot of snow out there. Sigh.

    1. Yes, it’s an early spring, they’re talking about pollen already! But that means I can take my time getting ready, cutting down all the withered stuff etc. Instead of a mad frenzy in April.

  6. Ah, so productive!
    I am green with envy here in my stuffy apartment, surrounded by cold medicines.
    May Gaia bless your garden.
    (how witchy of me)

    1. Oh, sending anti-viral vibes your way, sweetie!

      Thanks for the blessing. 🙂 I figure if I use all the good days already now, and just do one small thing each day, I ought to be ready for spring without too much hassle. That is, I actually threw my lower back today, I have no idea how, as I was not the one shovelling, I was just pointing where and pulling out a few dead flowers! So right now I walk like a 93 y.o. 😉

  7. It must be really warm if you have started working in the garden? I’m planning on sowing some tomatoes this week. I hope I can do just enough to cover our 2 greenhouses, as usually I end up with a hundred of seedlings and not enough space for all of them. Well, don’t overdo it, you need time for working and for playing, as I’m sure your cats will tell you. They’d add lots of “sleeping” as well though…

    1. it’s not very warm, but it’s been sunny and not so windy and the ground is really soft, so it’s a fine time to move some bushes and begin removing all the dead perennials and such. It’s icy cold to stick your hands into soil though, ouch!

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