My garden isn’t moving. My new garden beginning is the start of next year’s garden. It isn’t next year yet, but my garden begins when I plant my garlic patch.
Garden Preparations
Lots of things are on the ‘To Do’ list for next year’s garden. On top is clearing out the remains of this year’s garden.
Once killing frost arrives, the cucurbits, tomatoes and peppers are gone, what is left of them. The groundhog continues to evade capture thanks to squirrels removing the bait from the traps.
New cardboard and mulch are next on the list. Weeding is not the way I like to start next year’s garden. My method doesn’t eliminate the weeds, but does get about 90% of them.
Both raised beds need frameworks for plastic put up. The lumber is waiting. The workshop is being renovated.
Fall Planting
There are greens planted for fall harvest. I don’t count these in my new farden beginning projects as they are a continuation from this year.
The Chinese celery looks great. That’s because the groundhog doesn’t like it. The other greens get eaten the day before I want to pick them. That’s another reason to put frameworks up over the raised beds.
Planting Garlic
This year the sugar pie pumpkin vines overran the garlic bed. As summer wanes, the vines are dying back.
There are four varieties of garlic this year: Hard neck (name unknown), German, Romanian and soft neck (probably California white). The patch wasn’t big enough so a row of walking onions left.
Rain has been scarce for a few months. It comes in quarter and half inch showers. The patch was a bit dry even under the mulch. Rain barrels supplied water.
The cloves are planted between piles of mulch. In a few weeks garlic leaves should tower over the mulch.
That will be my new garden beginning to grow, promising a first crop for the new year.
