Nature Time

Today is Arbor day and Wednesday was Earth day - And this crazy time we're living in has been good for the earth. And it's been good for me.

I've spent a lot of time outside trying to reclaim my yard. We have a 1/4 acre of what we've lovingly always referred to as controlled over growth. And then my husband got sick and couldn't work it. Now it's just overgrowth. Well I want it back.

If you look at the whole thing, it's so overwhelming. We started last year with help from our grandson, our neighbors, and some great high school students. They helped clear out the berries and some of the bamboo. But this year, some of those berries thought they were coming back. Ha!



Since I've got time on my hands, I decided to start tackling the yard and, in doing so, put in the raised beds I've wanted for more than five years! And to make the whole project a little less daunting, I broke it into zones, from A - K. These last couple of weeks I've been working A, B, and C -

Zone A - This is the strip I wanted for the garden. It's gets some great afternoon sun. This is the area that was thick with berry brambles and old leaves. Even after we cleared out the berries last year, there were some that wanted to come back. There was also a pile of old wood that had been rotting for 20 years right next to the big gum tree. And now it's my raised bed gardens!

This is what it looked like around this time last year. 

And the beginning of April when I got this bug in my bonnet to git 'er done!

And now - with two raised beds full of veggies and herbs!

Zone B - Our winter wood pile (which also needs some organizing) is in this area, as is my wheelbarrow of beets, pot of raspberries and a couple other plants are. This is the area that has my plants that can use a little more shade. It also had a pile of wood in it- long pieces that need to be cut before they'll fit in the wood stove. Got those all together and we'll address winter wood in late summer.

Back in 2018 - Poor little leanto was really leaning!

Side view

And this happened. CRASH!

And that's the little wood leanto under there.

And this after our grandson came in did repairs. What did we do with all the debris?
Threw it onto zone C - but that's for later. 

And here is is the beginning of this month. See the wood against the wood? Yep.

And here is is now. Big ol' pot of raspberries. The wheelbarrow has beets.
And the other two pots are spinach and garlic. 

And I'm feeling pretty good about myself!

Zone C - this is where we tossed all the debris after the tree fell on our house a few years ago. All the rotted wood from the broken wood lean to - bits and pieces of this and that - and pretty soon anything that wouldn't fit in the trash! This one I'm still working on. Most of the wood and other debris has been moved. After that there is a lot of ivy that needs to be dug out. But that's going to be next week. This 64 year old body is beat!

This was last year before we started the berry removal. 

And here is is looking the other direction a year later. Trash pile. 

And here we are last week. 

and the trash pile last week. 

Moving the wood away in the wheelbarrow and it broke - and the
wood fell out on my leg.  OUCH!

But I don't give up that easy. Here is is before the rain started this week.
There's about 5 or 6 more hours of work there.

And I bet you're wondering what we did with all that wood! Or should I say, what we're doing. It's going to take a couple of weeks, but we're burning it!

I'll keep you posted as the garden grows and the reclamation continues!

Happy Captivity!