Here is my garden journal on
facebook http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74085&id=616102765&l=072661262e This is the first year I've incorporated the forest garden type of structure to my garden. It's worked wonderfully and I'll build in it. So you can see how I started from mostly empty raised(not so raised, the lumber is 2x6"). The soil has good structure in the beds so that was already in place. I made some new beds with the hugelculture method.
I don't use any pesticides or storebought fertilizer or amendments. This year I focused on amendments I could recycle or scrounge--eggshells,
coffee grounds, grass clippings, moss pulled off downed
trees destined for
firewood,
wood ash, leaves and kitchen scrap
compost and
chicken poop with
straw. The beds also needed more dirt added to raise them back up a little, so I brought in duffy soil from the woods. Structures(
trellis, teepees) were built with branches.
I will continue to add photos, now I'm getting into showing what I harvest and canning. If you have any questions let me know.
I also transplanted edible or
medicinal plants from the woods--violets, wild strawberries, iris, silverweed, self-heal, bouncing bet(not sure if I can eat or use it to fix something, but it's pretty), and indian plum(not really tasty at all, but will make good bean/pea supports when established). I also planted a pear tree.
I'm super pleased with the vigor and load of food I'm getting this year, part of that is because it's an awesome
tomato year, but still, success!
PS, I'm just following my nose on this, I haven't read any of the
books, and just read a few articles on FG. I'm approaching it from observing the woods and edges where I live, along with what I've learned about soil chemistry and
botany where I live. Trying to let "my"
land tell me what works and what doesn't.
My cost for this year was $30 (seedlings, seeds and one walmart 5$ pear tree)