Kitchen garden
Neil and I bought vermiculite and peat moss and sand. We emptied it all out into the back of his pickup and added ashes, compost, rock phosphate and dove litter. All of this following the ratios listed in Square Foot Gardening. The dove litter was a substitute for the organic fertilizer it called for. I think we figured it made 24 cubic feet. It pretty well filled the back of his pick-up. We dug out three raised beds and the spot at one end of a long raised bed where I wanted to plant the tomatoes and filled those places with the new mixture. We spread compost from my compost bin (thousands of worms in that stuff) on the other beds with some rock phosphate and dug it all in. Neil left Sunday afternoon to go home for a while. Yesterday, I planted runner beans, pole beans, snow peas, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, rutabagas, leeks, parsnips, beets and bunching onions. I'd already set out three tomato plants and added parsley and basil to the rosemary, sage, thyme and chives in my herb garden. That leaves one bed that still has Swiss chard left over from winter in one half and nothing in the other half. I plan on lettuces of various kinds and cucumbers there but haven't planted them yet. Maybe today. I always try to get my garden in by the end of May.
I came in to take a final break before getting out the garden fabric to cover the beds. Sun and rain get to the new little plants but it keeps the birds away from them. I was only halfway through my cup of coffee when I could hear rain. At least the garden is planted! Almost.