How in the world do people update their blogs daily? At Prosperity Homestead, we work with clients and enjoy a productive garden. Too busy for banter. So, here's a spring 2015 garden tour.
Why Is It That Some Gardeners Blog More Than They Garden?
I'm neglecting the blog because I'm busy in the garden. Yet, it is necessary to get the word out about permaculture, so here is a quick gallery of the Spring garden.
Many of these updates are postmortem. Pictures are taken, I do some more gardening, then sort everything out later. If I revise this post, then there will be more images.
Below, you'll see cabbage and broccoli in the foreground, then a new brush dam in the background (left). This bed is in the side yard within a young food forest.
The greens are doing great, very leafy. Cabbage heads didn't form as strong as expected. However, the eating is good. I'll try brassicas again in the fall.
Many flowers came up this year, and mason bees are keeping busy. I got a great source for shredded untreated mulch that, after the rain, is a dream.
You'll also see snap peas in the background (upper right). I grow them as a cover crop and to eat the tinder tips. Snap off the peas and tips for stir-fry dishes.
This picture was taken in June, so it's late spring or early summer. These greens haven't gone to bolt because they have the shade of the Eastern Redbud.
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a nitrogen-fixing tree. It is an excellent shade, fodder, and biomass source for a young food forest. The legume genus will have bean-like seed pods in the fall.
Making Your Garden Good for Small Beneficial Birds (Not Fat Cats)
You'll also notice the holly (right) in the background has a heavy prune around its base. That's to provide habitat for small birds in the canopy and make it difficult for cats to climb.
Every year, cats get fat off small birds. Proper management of your shrubbery gives these insect eaters a fighting chance. Birds will perch on the trees with a clear line of sight of growing spaces.
Cats will have no place to hide. It requires more work for the cat to catch those birds, so often, the cat wanders elsewhere. Good for birds, bad for cats.
Was your garden as productive as you like? This blog aims to help you cultivate more growing spaces for useful plants. To help you get greater utility from your land.
Urban solutions using permaculture ethic to provide holistic land management, homesteading resources, and healthy ecosystems starting in Martinsville VA. Learn more about us here.