The Things I Do Now to Make it Easier Next Year!

Yesterday, I had Doug go to the Home Depot and buy 12 more bags of the top soil that was on sale this weekend and 5 more bags of the mushroom compost, each bag to fill one cubid foot.  Each bed received 6 bags of the top soil and two bags of the compost.  It had been raining again and the clay soil was still moist so I didn't want to go too aggressive on the beds and disturb all the clay.  I just opened up each bag and spread the mix over the clumps of clay that were my beds.  I then just lightly tilled the amendments in but not much. 

I am anticipating a delivery of wood mulch tomorrow, Tuesday.  The Ashley's are getting it for us and of course they have first dibs on it.  Whatever is left over I'll just use as a top dressing to what I have now.  It'll be interesting to see how we can get it into the backyard.  We might be able to go through our next door neighbor's yard as that would be easier to pull into and out of. 

So after I laid out the bagged soil I then measured out segments along the timbers.  Theoretically, if I had squared beds and they were each, 8' x 4' INTERIOR, then I would be able to easily mark off one foot segments along each timber and mark those segments with a nail.  But unfortunately, the world is not flat and my beds are not squared, so I just marked 11 inches off from center and tapped in a roofing nail at each segment.  The plan is to tie string from each opposing nail, making a grid within the beds.  It is within those grids that I will plant my seeds or seedlings.  I could probably plant 9-12 radish and beet seeds, but kohlrabi can only take 4 within a square.   Cauliflower is low yield so only one plant per square.  I plan on doing a lot of vertical planting so I need to investigate trellises to install now. 

This is all very hard work.  I might be doing more than need be but my goal is to be prepared and to actually make gardening simpler.  All the hard work is for now but the following years, we won't be messing with timbers and having to fill in the beds from the bottom up.  We'll just amend at the beginning and end of each season, maybe plant rye grass and cover with leaf mulch over winter.  Easy!  And in the early spring, we'll pull out our ready made trellises and just pop in our seeds.  I'm looking forward to those years!