It occurred to me as I was tasting the first small batch of just-cooked cranberry beans from the garden that gardening is a visionary long-term project. That’s been the case since Day One from the first woman who planted a seed (the women were the gatherers and plant knowers). You’re planting for months away or planting this season to produce acclimated seeds for next. Or you’re choosing seed from the best or most prolific or pest/disease resistant or the most sweet plants for next season and wondering what will come of it.
The cranberry beans were grown last year for seed for this season. Acclimated, they produced bountifully. But today was the taste test. YUM is the outcome! A mild, creamy taste like a cross between a butter bean and a pinto. Half a cup was soaked in water overnight, then new water for a simmer for an hour. I threw in the half a carrot that was on the counter and a little salt. Did I say YUM? Yum, indeed!
The plants are a low, bush type; not higher than 9 inches. Most of mine for two season have been more like 7 or 8 inches. A perfect edging plant for you and the soil or designing by height.
The layout of a garden is a long-range vision. Is it till or no-till? Do you make your own compost? Where to put the compost bins? Where can you get free animal manure that is aged or can be in a corner of your yard (it does smell if the animals are fed real food). Too much to think about? Well, definitely have a go at it and simply start. And, there are a few vital considerations.
- Have you tracked the sun – at least for a while? The path of the sun changes through out the year. Plants are quite adaptive, yet too little or too intense sunlight is detrimental to plants just as to you and me.
- Where is your water source? Is it convenient for your gardening or pots’ needs? Hoses laying around can be a trip hazard, a nuisance, and just plain ugly laying around. At least roll them up, please.
- Animal life, including pets. Plants are Nature; animals are, too. Some dogs just love digging, including in your plant beds. Some cats just love pooping – in your plant beds. A few plants are yummy or roll-around tempting to pets like cat mint for cats or cucumber for dogs. Then, there are the rabbits, voles, moles, gophers, chipmunks, ground squirrels, etc. Again, not to deter anyone at all; just being honest. If one plants knowing that a garden is shared habitat and that all beings need to eat, then one will have a happy garden with beautiful energy and enough for everyone.
- Animals as in pollinators. In order for there to be insects at all, they need habitat that suits their nesting, egg laying, the larvae to have the right food, and the correct environment for pupating or wintering over. How is that accomplished? Well, look to Mother Nature who never raked in her existence and never “cleaned up” what fell to the ground. Instead, our Mother – the Mother of all- told all beings to utilize what was as it was. Linked below are a couple of great short videos on simple and probably free things that we can do in our yards that provide homes for insects through their life cycle.
Long-range planning? Next season’s garlic!
The beds were cleaned slightly. Most of the chaff is left for winter mulch and will compost in by late Spring. Garlic was planted -from this year’s bounty- in a raised bed that had snap peas, hon tsai tai, and yukima plus flowers. All the veggies are soil enhancers, thus root crops are perfect to follow.
This bed had not been turned in three years, as the garden is mostly no-till. But it felt right to do so. New compost from this season’s bin was added plus some vermiculite (which is a mineral) and all was turned in with a pitch fork (thank you, Amalio!). About 30 garlic cloves went in the fluffy soil, four inches down. Then deep mulch – all from the garden.
And … the last harvest of chard, kale, and parsley. Our nights are now consistently around or under 25. These plants have been champions!
