I Made a Start

Spring is definitely later for us in 2011.  No getting the potatoes planted by March 3 this year.  Last weekend though it did feel more spring like, and yesterday was really nice.  A couple of weeks ago I got a small section of the garden cleaned up and wheeled a few barrows of rotted horse manure down and dumped it.  Then I turned my manure spreaders loose on it.

Over the weekend we picked away at it, digging it over, and yesterday I finished it off.  Last year potatoes were planted in this spot, and then arugula and spinach after that.  

This year I'm starting out with broad beans and onions.

And after those were planted, I went to the other side of the raspberries and started digging over where the broccoli had been planted last year.  Compost had been dumped on there quite a while ago also.  

Our garden is on a slight south slope, so it drains well.  The soil was not compacted and was not heavy and wet, and the digging was relatively pleasant. You put the fork in position, step on it, slide your hand down the handle, push down on the top of the handle with your other hand as you lift up with the first hand, turn the fork so the soil drops just in front of where you lifted it out, give the soil a whack with the back of the fork to break up the clumps and fill in the hole as you bring it back to start the rhythm all over again.  Luna supervised my technique.

It's quite cathartic, that digging  (for some reason I've been wanting to use that word)

Actually, if we could have got either of our rototillers to start we would have used them.  Unfortunately we are not the kind of people that think 'oh, we will need those rototillers in a month or so, so lets getting them in running order now'  Not us, we wait until we actually need something, and then feel frustrated when things don't go as planned.  

Although I will admit I do enjoy doing some digging, I just wish my back was up for more.