June 4, 2008

ot the garden tilled today. My garden is approximately 50'x70' which is about 3,500 square feet. Since it did not get tilled in last Fall, there is a bit of Quack grass to contend with, but I will till it at least 3 more times. 

With my extra wages working on my 'days off', I decided to not get someone else's junk, borrow or rent one, so I have been saving to buy myself a new rototiller, so it will last me a long time with care. I 'played' with it for about 3 1/2 hours tonight. It sure makes me feel better getting the garden  tilled. I hope to plant on Saturday. 

There is a huge difference in the soil from when I first moved here. The ground, even with the big tractor and tiller, couldn't get past the hardpan mountain soil more than 1-3". It was like light colored concrete and devoid of things like worms. Now, four years later,  it is teeming with  life and is a rich dark soil. I am pleased! I am also happy I got that one side straightened out, which was rather crooked and an annoyance to me for no apparently reason other than I like a pretty garden. 

The garden is now at least 10" deep. There is a vast difference from that first year and I am happy with it. As I was merrily stepping behind the tiller as it cultivated, I was humming a Great Big Sea sea chanty which had been stuck in my head since morning. After three hours of the same tune, I think it finally left me. 

I noted dark and dreary clouds approaching as I worked the soil and kept watching them... and watched them. It was only after I turned off the tiller, that I heard the loud thunderclaps. I decided discretion was the better part of valor with Mother Nature, put away my stuff and ran for my life from the deluge which soon poured down. It is loud enough of rain currently that I cannot hear the radio which is 10 feet from me. The rains/thunderstorms are late again this year. They are usually in April and now for the last two years they have been in late May and here it is now June.  

The raspberries are spreading. I need to take a couple wayward ones and plant them directly into the row pretty quick. I should get some fruit off these plants this soon, as they are two years old now. There are lots of wild ones on my property and here & there all around, but it is more convenient to just have a row of them. I have red, black and gold so far to my collection. It will be nice to have frozen ones this winter again for muffins, sorbet and for frozen fruit snacks.