Monday, January 12, 2009

I'm A Sucker For Free Poo

Today was a very productive day in the garden. I turned the composts this morning, and planted lots of lovely things in the "flower" box outside my kitchen window. I planted beets, bunching onions, lovage, cilantro, parsley, thyme, and dill. We'll see what takes. The police helicopter started circling our neighborhood looking for a shady character so I decided to take Jonas inside.
After Greg got home from work I went to the nursery and bought twelve strawberry starts. This is the third year we are trying strawberries in our yard and I'm confident that it's going to work this time. There was a somewhat pleasant surprise at the nursery, the bramble fruits I had ordered online a while back had come in...a month early. And here are Greg and I, still without a trellis. Greg, being the wonderful husband that he is, immediately called his dad and arranged to get a trellis set up on friday. Roughly the trellis will be wire strung between two 4x4 posts established in the ground. There will be one long trellis for the raspberries and boysenberries and then another for the blackberries on the other side of the pathway. I'm really glad I decided to pre order the brambles, the plants I received look a million times healthier than the stock the nursery had on hand.
After the nursery I drove out to a horse boarding place and shoveled some free horse manure that was laying in a pile by the side of the road. I shoveled it into big trashbags and heaved it into the trunk of our corolla. When I got home I let Greg lug it to the back yard. He asked who helped me get it into the car. I eventually convinced him that I did it by myself. They were pretty heavy bags. I guess I'm getting stronger. Must be all that compost turnin'.
At home I spread the manure in the berry plot. I was going to plant the strawberries so that they form the front border, but decided that the manure should probably cure a bit longer. So I planted some along the brick pathway (where the borage was going to go. boo.) And I still have 8 plants that I'll place along the front in a day or so. I can't wait to see how it all looks once the berries are established. Beautiful! My friend Nikol's blog has inspired me to take some before and after pictures. Shoulda done it sooner, like...before we ripped all of the bushes out of the plot but...so it goes.

3 comments:

NIKOL said...

I didn't realize that bramble fruits needed a trellis. When our neighbors had blackberries, the plants were just put in the ground and allowed to grow wherever they went. I think I know how I'm putting our trellis to good use! I loves me some berries.

I love the image of you shoveling horse poo off the side of the road and putting it in the trunk of your car. Glamorous.

Siobhán said...

cassie. the next time you decide to shovel horse excrement into the back of your family sedan, try to remember that you have friends with a pickup truck. a beat-up one, at that!

Clong said...

Well, you know me. I reek of glamor! I'd hate to bother you for the use of said truck siobhan. I mean, the corrolla just worked out so nicely...except Greg complained of the poo smell the next day. Like he can't drive with the windows down to air it out on his way to work at 3am. :)