A reflection: It has been raining, the sun rises late and it is setting early. Looking out the window, I stare at the garden. It is wet and barren now but will be ready to take crops in the next month or two. I have therefore started sprouting a number of vegetables that are able to grow during early spring in this wet and temperate climate.
Vegetables planted: Rustic Arugula, Parsley, Honey Scented Alyssum, Spinach, Tapas Peppers, Chard, Lobelia, Oriental Mugwort, Eggplant.
A reflection: It is the beginning of March and I am looking at a table full of sprouts almost ready to go into the garden. I am also looking at a empty room as I am now ready to leave Vancouver for Tofino BC, where a job awaits. I wish I could see these seedlings through but I am happy as the Pirate ship in which I called my home for the past 5 months will take care of them very well. It is also a joyous thought to spread seeds as I move along. Humanity has been doing this from the moment we started to adopt agriculture roughly 10,000 years ago, slowly selecting food crops and taking them with us as we move about.
A reflection: Tofino BC and the middle of March. It has been raining, but the sun is rising earlier and setting later; spring is upon us. I asked Tony, a new friend, roommate, and property owner if he would be willing to start a garden with me. He was enthusiastic by the prospect and with neither of us having done it before, we found ourselves walking around the property discussing where and how we might go about it. We began by looking at the sun together. We saw that one side of the house would get the most sun during the summer months. It looks to be a bit drier allowing us to control the moisture content and the soil is relatively void of clay. With the space being in a largely vacant area, it marks the spot for Tony’s future garden.
Tony taking down old solar heaters, the Alder proving to be a project to get out of the ground
We tore down two solar heaters that were meant to warm the nearby pond and no longer worked. We might be able to turn them into planters a little later on. We also had to take out a 7 foot alder tree. I was sorry to see it go, but there are many around and the space for a garden is well worth the tradeoff. Getting the roots out of the ground took a good amount of picking and shoveling to clear the area. So far, this has been the most labor intensive aspect of the whole project and I feel turning the soil will be the biggest commitment of time and energy regarding the Garden project; off and running.
