There are a few different gardening styles going on here now on Logan Farm. Partly because we are adding to our gardens and partly because we are trying some new methods or should I say modified methods….
Last year, we started with some “Back to Eden” gardening. Which is one of the no-till methods that also uses deep compost and mulch. We had some success but the first year is the hardest and we recently learned that fresh mulch or wood chips can actually do more harm. Minimum 1 year old wood chips will give you the best start.
This year, we are modifying the method slightly with deep, wide and slightly raised beds that we can companion plant in and cover in a thick layer of mulch. The 16-18″ walk ways between each 42-44″ row – will be tamped down and covered in cardboard or newspaper and straw placed over to prevent weeds growing up in between. This is for our main vegetable garden.
We tilled up some new patches this year as well. 1 giant patch, where we will plant our meadow to feed the bees – Sunflowers, Lavender, Hyssop, Culver’s root, Poppies, Bee balm and wild flower mixes are going to go here and as they start to grow – we will mulch some of it and other parts will be free to grow naturally without our interference.
We added a fairly large patch at the back of the garden area and there we will plant Borage and Phacelia – again for the bees and to act a green manure to turn back in and create some beauty fertile ground for next year!
One small patch was tilled specifically for sweet corn. We are going to try planting the 3 sisters there or at least 2 of the 3 and also add in lettuce between the rows as well. The 3 sisters is a traditional method of planting used by Indigenous groups in North America – it uses 3 plants growing symbiotically to deter weeds and pests, enrich the soil and support each other. The 3 plants are maize or corn, winter squash and pole beans. Both Dave and I have wanted to try this method for some time and this is the year!!
We are also expanding our gardens around the house for visual appeal and of course, for the bees! Last year we expanded part of our front and side gardens, and this year we are going across the whole front and down the other side – mostly perennials are going in with a few choice annuals. One score – is I found at least 100 sedum autumn joy plants under my evergreen trees on both the west and north side of my property! They don’t even grow very well under there as they like the sun, so I am moving quite a few of them into our new gardens this year.
We have started seeds and they are in window sills in the house and in our gazebo getting as much sun and warmth as they can! Tomatoes, peppers, squash, lavender, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint and perennial mixes are just some of what we have growing now. Next year, we will invest in a green house to make all this so much easier or organized!
Last week we planted Cherry trees and Saskatoon berries and this coming weekend we are planting elderberry bushes. We are also moving about 40 trees around our property with a rented tree spade and skid steer! Holy moly – we are gonna be busy! I will take lots of pictures and even some video as it should be pretty interesting!
This is it so far and as we are only into the first week of May, I will be updating this post with more garden adventures as we go! Stay tuned!
