GAMCOD on Corliss - A Journal

Between getting married, getting involved locally, and the winding path of life, I did not find time to properly participate in GAMCOD 2024.

2025 is a different year! It is still relatively early but I'm starting my brainstorming phase regardless. I have identified two potential sites for a garden that should do reasonably well. Both are patches of lawn but different enough to present both advantages and disadvantages.

Potential Patch #1 - Driveway



This spot of lawn is between my driveway and a newly installed deep mulch bed. The deep mulch bed need about a year before I plan on doing anything with it. This area gets direct sun from morning until afternoon where then it receives some dapple light. This area of the lawn is known to be a mixture between rocky and sandy with spots of fertility. About twenty years prior there were lilacs in this location whose roots did a number on the driveway.

Potential Patch #2 - Backyard



A bit more protected from the direct sun throughout the day, this spot still receives its fair share. Being a higher spot in the lawn, there is plenty of drainage but the existence of moss might indicate the soil holds water well? It is protected from most winds by a nearby forsythia hedge but the area has been known to be prowled by rabbits and deer.

Congratulations on a busy 2024!

The moss could be a sign of compaction or water retention due to the increased shade. Is more shade a good thing for your location - protection from the hotter afternoon sun?

How are you going to clear the grass? If not by digging, then compaction could be a problem (ask me how I know!) that needs relieving. I'd check for that first. If you have a moderately thin metal pole push it into a good bit of ground, and then try in the two areas and see how much harder you need to push to go in ten inches or so. This test doesn't work if you have lots of stones however.

Nancy Reading wrote: How are you going to clear the grass? If not by digging, then compaction could be a problem (ask me how I know!) that needs relieving. I'd check for that first. If you have a moderately thin metal pole push it into a good bit of ground, and then try in the two areas and see how much harder you need to push to go in ten inches or so. This test doesn't work if you have lots of stones however.

I can't seem to figure out a way to avoid a double dig method and still be productive in my climate. I am hoping to have the opportunity in the early spring to work the soil if it dries up early enough but we have been known to have wet springs.

I will have to do a few test probes, but I am hopeful (foreshadowing?) that the soil isn't too awfully compacted because when you walk on it you have a little bit of 'squish' underneath your foot. Other more traveled parts of the yard are compacted and have a different under-foot feel in comparison.

Either way, I am hopeful regardless of the results. If I can grow something in poor soil, I think I have helped my GAMCOD submission! It sure would be nice though to have a bountiful harvest. :)

What to grow has been bothering me and I'm not sure the direction I want to take.

One of the main approaches I am going to take is growing things I actually utilize. It would be neat if I can grow everything from seed that I have saved but I will have to review what I actually have on hand.

Pill bottle seed collection

I know that no matter what, I am going to be doing my best to grow beans and peas. I have had great luck growing them in previous growing seasons plus they are easy to save seed from.

I have a variety of squash and pumpkin, but I am worried about them taking up too much space. I have a lot of spreading varieties, not bush types. This doesn't mean I can't get my hands on some but I'm up in the air due to the size limitations.

If the soil looks partially forgiving, I'm going to attempt some spuds. I have one particularly 'invasive' type that has persisted in my garden beds after a failed attempt at sieving some container soil from a previous potato harvest.

I have to keep in mind that there is some herbivore pressure in the area, maybe mix in some bait crops that I wouldn't mind sacrificing?