Spring Gardening Update

It finally feels like spring! So this morning I went outside to clean out chicken coops, rake our mulched rows in the main garden, peel away some layers of mulch in the raised beds, and commune with 30 very special chickens. I can't even describe how good it feels to get outside and get my hands dirty.

I got half of our peas in the garden on Monday (a bit later than last year's St. Patty's Day planting) and will get the rest in next Monday. In other news, the main garden is twice as big (again), the seedlings are starting to pop inside the main house (they'll move into the greenhouse on Monday, along with a bunch more flats), our chives and garlic are up (!), and the chickens are beyond elated to be worm-hunting and roto-tilling to their hearts' content. Here's a pictorial tour:

(Disclaimer: This is the start of Spring, so please don't expect some designer landscape! The images you see here are of extremely healthy compost and hay working their hardest to bring us the healthiest soil possible. If you'd like more information on how mulch gardening works, please click here. And if you're a skeptic about using hay, cardboard, compost, and all things rotting to have the lushest garden imaginable, check out our 2012 gardens album here.)

I got the new garden rows (established last fall) raked up and ready for planting. The chickens were excited to discover what was underneath all that hay!

 

 

Here's Big Mama vying for the handsomest rooster award: 

 

Rapunzels hanging out:

I went around to our raised beds and lined the insides with cardboard as a weed barrier (avert your eyes from the snow that is STILL hanging around):

Meanwhile, over in the raised beds, we have garlic!

...and we have chives!

Photos will be coming soon of our greenhouse layout, and more updates on the mandala garden started last fall. Anyone who would like to join us in getting the grounds ready for summer can e-mail info@betterfarm.org or call (315) 482-2536.