Over the past few weeks, there has been lots of cleaning up and raking off in the garden. The garden measures 50'x75' and it is on a slope with raised beds that are stepped. It is hard to get a good perspective for taking a photograph that shows the size. This older photo was taken from the top of the slope. I'm standing in the Asparagus bed, near the rhubarb and the currants...looking out to the river and the hen house in the background, you might be able to tell that it is built into the hillside.
I've been waiting for a rainy day to burn some of my garden debris. You may be wondering, "Why burn instead of compost?"
While it is true that I compost most everything (weeds- leaves- chicken and rabbit manure- grass clippings- kitchen veggie waste and egg shells)...I do have my limits. I never compost the spent plants from the garden. I usually pull the entire finished plant (tomato, corn, bean, broccoli etc. etc.) and pile them up for burning. Burning will kill off any disease or spores and pathogens that some plants can carry. If a compost pile does not get hot enough, some of these pathogens will survive. If you then spread the compost and till it in, you would contaminate your soil. So burning these old plants is one way of keeping things clean.
Yesterday, the skies opened and it rained. Heavy, buckets of rain. I made a quick courtesy call to my local Comm center to inform them of my plans...and then set fire to the debris pile just as it was starting to sprinkle..a gentle rain.
The piles flared up quickly, but then smoldered as the rain started to fall steadily.
As I raked in the rain, the flowers kept catching my eyes. The color has started...
Now that things are cleaned up, the garden looks fresh and ready for planting season. Soon it will be time to turn the winter rye under. Green manure...the best kind there is.
13 comments:
Totally jealous! No daffs here yet - - just some buds so far.
I've always enjoyed burning in the rain.
Now, everyday will have something new to check out. The rain will speed it up.
I miss burning in the rain...but at least I can peek over your shoulder.
Your garden looks so big now and so small in the summer!!
Never tried burning in the rain. Currently burning every weekend- lots of pine that we lost during the ice storm and for the first time adding garden waste that I know is diseased. I should do that each year- lesson learned. I compost everything else even during the winter months. Love your garden and that the coop is right there too. Lovely view of your river.
Oh, and are those hellebores in the middle photo?
So glad it was rain and not snow! I got my gardens cleaned up and burnt also. Now I just need to get the tiller to the repairman. I also have to figure out where everything is going!
The flowers are lovely. We are not that green yet.
What a lot of work...and good exercise in a garden of that size!
Doesn't that first color of spring just set your heart racing? ahhh.
I wish I had some of your garden knowledge....and your garden. What a lovely spot for a garden.
Wow. Beautiful stuff! I'd be arrested if I tried to burn garden waste (such as it is) here - one, I'm in the city, and two, it's just too damn dry. I think there's more water left on your flower pictures than our whole city gets in a year. o.0
Your flowers are beautiful. I have been doing lots of work in our garden too, seems that autumn (fall) here in Australia has some similarities to your spring!
The Lenten Rose is almost there! Or here. You know what I mean!
could you please send a little of that rain down to me?
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