Being a Creator

We are enjoying a long weekend, despite heavy rain and cool temperatures. Last week I got it into my head to build a second raised garden bed for our summer veggies. I chatted over the fence with my expert gardener neighbor and next thing I knew, her hubby offered to pick the wood up for me and agreed to share a load of soil that he picked up in his ute (pickup truck). The wood and soil showed up yesterday morning and the rest is history. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a raised garden bed, which is a really great way to raise veggies.

Day 1:

	To the right you can see the timber frame. I had the wood cut to size so all I had to do was nail the frame together. Next I unloaded four wheelbarrow loads of soil, all in the pouring rain. Do you like my hat? Some Dutch family members might recognize it. ;)
	I unloaded the soil onto a tarp since I wasn't going to use it right away.

Day 2:

	After swinging the mattock a couple times I realized that it wasn't good for my abdominals which are still weak in places after the c-section.  I enlisted the help of The Captain to turn over the rest of the grass roots.
	Once the grass roots are all turned over I lay down a layer of cardboard and newspaper to suffocate the grass and act as a barrier between the soil and the grass. Next I added a layer of partially decayed grass clippings.
	Next a layer of decomposed grass clippings and leaf mulch.
	Here is Small Sun helping me put the soil I bought onto the garden bed. Those four wheelbarrows only cost me $15 and the soil was beautiful and rich! Gardeners know that there is a real variation in soil quality and some of the "potting soil" you can buy is completely sterile and lifeless. This soil was a.m.a.z.i.n.g.
	Small Sun was most excited about getting to play with "cow poo". He is so four years old right now!
	After the manure I added blood and bone mix and some coir mulch, which is a new product to me.
	I mixed those organic additives in. Here is the coir mulch.
	Lastly, I watered it all in. Now I let it sit and breathe and rest for about a week before I plant in my seedlings.
	I know all of this will never fit in that garden but I'll grow it all somehow.

The time I spent standing in the back of the truck, in the soaking rain, shovelling the soil in the wheelbarrow, was perhaps the happiest hour I've had in a long time. The slight smell of manure, the feeling of strength in my body, the measurable accomplishment of the task, the absolute quiet as everyone hid indoors from the weather...it was joyful. Gardening is how I exorcise my demons. Nothing dark can stick to me after I spend some time toiling in the earth. I love the freshness in body and spirit I enjoy after a good dig in the soil.

P.S. big thanks to The Captain who helped me with the craziness that became my text and photos! He sorted out a real mess!

Comments

[wendy]

Oh, wow! That's looks awesome. I can't wait to start over again and do things in a better and more thoughtful way...

By the way, I don't know if you would be able to find a copy there, but I just picked up a book called 'The Wild Braid: a poet reflects on a century in the garden' by Stanley Kunitz. The few pages I've read are wonderful.

[JenKayla]

I was recently sharing about the "two best jobs I've ever had"--being an arborist and working in a garden center. What is it about dirt under fingernails and sweat on the brow that is so satisfying?? Glad you're enjoying turning the soil down there. Love!

[quietstream]

Thanks for sharing all this fun; I am looking forward to a photo in a few months of the abundance that will crowd that space!

I most of all LOVED your closing description---YES, YES, you so found the words for something that feels sacred every time I experience it, and that is the stillness outside when it is drizzling or raining, especially on a very dreary day or toward dusk, and like you said, everyone else is inside barricading themselves from the dreariness. There is something about being out in all that quiet freshness that feels like a most intimate communion with the Maker of it all.

I've never heard anyone describe that feeling. Thank you.

[Doke]

I recognize the hat, and it surely got an upgrade! Useful not only for snow! I myself am thankful for yhe lecture in gardening I got, analphabete that I am on the subject. You really make me belief I missed something in life!!!

[Andromeda Jazmon]

This is a great post. I'm happy for you with your new garden. Friends gave me kale and eggplants this fall and I am loving trying some new recipes. Yummy!