ANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY in the garden working my butt off, and other parts as well. I have come to discover, or at least be reminded, that I am more of an engineer at heart, rather than a gardener. A tinker, really. I poke around, trying to get the garden to work, to operate as it should, rather than sharing quiet communion with the growing things.

Don’t misunderstand. The growing things delight me. But so does laying cardboard, spreading hay and sawdust, driving posts that support the cattle panels that in turn support the tomatoes and beans and winter squash. For me, the structure of the garden lies in its structures – the child’s swing set stripped of swings and adorned with hog wire and binder twine for a bean trellis, the 14-foot-long, 30-inch wide box bed with its sifted soil, peat, sand and potting mix additions for the carrots and other tender roots. The lattice panels along the northwest side as windbreak, shelter for semi-hardy herbs and backdrop for sunflowers and golden giant amaranth.

Seed tape. Laid out on the top of sifted soil and held down with dam sand. Each tape was labeled and markers put in at the end of the rows.

Cover with sand completely and water with a fine mist.

Watering in; a light covering of straw will break the fall of water and help keep the soil and seed tape moist. The lattice fit perfectly over the top of the bed as a further protection from marauding cats and one little dog who is learning the art of staying OUT of garden beds.

The brand new raised bed housing all the tender things like carrots, chines greens and radishes. These were all started on the seed tape, a first time experience. The bed is covered to protect it from the wind and possible heavy rain. Photos of minute growing things as soon as this darn wind slows down.

The up-cycled swing set will hold pole beans, tomatoes and maybe a bed of spinach in the middle. Still a bit of work to do here!

Here’s what Sarah has to say about today, the weather and some other photos.