I've Been Spoiled And Back To Eden

That beautiful stretch of weather we had spoiled me. It was some what unseasonably warm for nearly a week here in my part of Maine. The Beech trees started to bud out. Now we are back into "normal". It was 6 degrees out this morning when I got up at 3:45. Not as bad as was forecast, they were saying -6. I think the chickens are thinking the same. During those nice days they started wandering around the yard and came up to the porch to visit me and get some treats. Now they are snuggled back in the barn with looks on their faces that say "What the...?.
      I am impatiently waiting for my seeds to get here so I can start what needs starting ahead. I think this is the first year I've actually planned out where every plant is going to go on paper before planting (tsk,tsk, I know).  I used a chart out of my old "Back To Basics" book by Reader's Digest. It has a chart of what plants do well with what plants, and which ones don't. So, keeping that in mind I made a layout for both our garden plot and the raised beds. I'm sure we will run into the same problem that we have every year; there just is never enough compost! Even after having several cows and thirty-some chickens, pigs, veggie scrapes, you name it. There just never seems to be enough for what I want to do! I would like to start working on making our garden a "back to Eden" garden. I will be making some phone calls to local wood cutting businesses this year.
     If you don't know what a "back to Eden" garden is, basically it is a garden which resembles the model of how the very first garden in the Bible (God's garden) was thought to have been grown. In the book of Genesis, after man sinned and was cast out of the garden it says he started to till the soil (Gen.3:23, KJV). Tilling causes erosion of the soil, and that is what makes your garden look like a dust bowl if you don't put mulch down. You know how the soil in the woods is black and damp? The leaves, sticks and branches of the trees fall on the ground, making a dense cover and hold in moisture, while also providing natural compost. The man in this documentary realized this, and incorporated it into his garden by adding wood chips. This is amazing and well worth your time to watch if you love growing stuff:

As a side note, if you use this method, you should know that when wood chips and similar, low-nitrogen material is breaking down, the microorganisms that feed on it use nitrogen from the soil in order to break down the material. That nitrogen is then later returned to the soil when the microorganisms die. But in the mean time, it temporarily lowers the nitrogen level in your soil. Composted chicken manure is great as it is high in nitrogen. You will want to incorporate some into your garden with this method (or other, high nitro compost). DO NOT put fresh, un-composted chicken manure on your garden, you will burn your plants! On the other hand, rabbit manure may safely be applied to your garden while fresh. But it is only about 2% nitrogen (which is exactly the reason it is safe to use fresh). 

Anyway, those are my thoughts this morning. I've got to get to the chickens now that it is light enough to see outside. Thanks for stopping in, I hope you have a great day!!!!!