This morning we worked some composted manure, kelp meal, and our regular compost into the beds in the back yard. I think we officially have “raised beds” now – even after all this rain, the soil was fairly loose and it was pretty easy to work the compost in. We planted carrots, beets, and onions in the back; we also planted cilantro, mint, and flat-leaf parsley in containers sitting in the front yard. I want to get half of our beans in the ground, but I think I’ll wait until we get a trellis built up for them. I’ve read mixed things on timing of bean planting, but I know we planted them too late last year. I’m thinking late-may, and a second planting a few weeks after that.

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We wanted more garden space, so here it is: right in the front yard.

It is NOT easy cutting out grass. But I probably saved a summer’s worth of weeding by getting rid of it. The soil is so compact, and it’s going to need a lot of peat moss and topsoil before we plant.

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The garden in the back: we tilled, added peat moss, dug new raised beds, and placed straw down in the rows. The onions sprouted up from last year – they never got big enough to harvest, and I didn’t want to just till them under this year.

The “back” part of the garden (behind the onions, in this photo) is mostly clay and really heavy. The plan is to plant a cover crop and legume (fenugreek) there this year to prevent it from turning to weeds and for green manure for next year.

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