Back to Eden Gardening

Well....I'm finally back to writing on here....it's been a busy past year or two.

Now that the Mother Nature has finally started to cooperate and it's no longer so wet in the yard. I got the grass cut and started planting my garden. This year I'm trying the Back to Eden Gardening. It's a no till garden. A friend of mine sent me a link to a video at http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/. I watched it last year after I had already gotten most of the garden in. A brief summary.... is using cardboard or newspaper on an un tilled spot....then adding compost a few inches thick, then a layer of wood chips. Since my garden has been tilled for many years.....I didn't have to let it sit for a season. Last fall I did put newspapers, cardboard, straw......and I scavenged for leaves and grass clippings people  put out on the curb for pickup. Then comes the wood chips.....a few years ago we had the Derecho come thru and take out a large maple. The tree service chipped up everything and dumped it in another spot on the property. Last week I had a neighbor with a tractor lay all the chips on my garden. Yesterday...after fixing the fence (which a deer tore down last fall), I was finally able to start planting.  I did get in 18 broccoli (my 3 year old grandson's favorite veggie), 40 onion plants...which I still have about 100 more to go and 20 lettuce plants. I'm holding off on the tomatoes, peppers and such...due to the cold nights.

This type of garden is to reduce weeding and keep the soil moist...so less watering. Best of all you don't til. Wood chips tilled in the garden would zap the soil of the much needed nitrogen. Eventually, the wood chips breakdown and go into the soil. You then are suppose to add more when the old ones decay.

Aerial view of the garden

Onions

Broccoli

Lettuce

Lettuce planted.....Yeah the row isn't straight. :)