It isn't "The Night Before Christmas" here at Struan Farm, but the line seems appropriate.
I've been working flat out to get the gardens ready for their winter naps, especially the veggie gardens. They've been cleaned out, weeded and treated with sheep pellets and blood & bone, except those with veggies straddling the seasons (carrots, beets, parsley and chiles that keep on giving).
The raised bed near John's workshop is getting trailer loads of fresh topsoil, compost, and leaves, along with, yes, sheep pellets and blood & bone. We're filling it gradually as time permits. I should be able to plant tomatoes again there this next season given all of the fresh planting media.
Nephew Mike has been working away on the new extended bed in the backyard. Once he got the bed turned over with the rotary hoe, and paving stones laid along the glasshouse side, I went out and popped in this year's crop of garlic and shallots. The bed has also had the requisite sheep pellets and blood & bone, but lime as well, which I've read is good for garlic and onions. In late October I'll plant tomatoes here since I need to start rotating where those are planted. John is meant to lay out a stepping stone path down the middle, it's on his "to do" list. (The stones are sitting there as a wee reminder in case he forgets, I'm not known for being subtle.)
We've made a few more wooden planter boxes to grow salad greens and herbs in the glasshouse over winter, the ones I've planted are doing really well. Salad greens are expensive at the moment because of all the rain, so we're happy to have a bumper supply. I'm testing spinach next.
Last but not least for those napping gardens: a nice blanket of pea straw. It mulches down and provides nitrogen to the soil.
As for me, it's planting the new gardens and weeding at the Homestead. I'll try to sneak in a winter's nap or two when I can, but that's our little secret, 'kay?
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