#before shots

I have decided to sheet mulch as well as sieve the stones and broken glass, rusty nails, and general trash from the top soil before I start compost application and soil amendment. The rest of the weeds (filaree, ugh) can be pulled with about six hours of work, and then I'll have two plots. Terrace West will be a three sisters based garden with some others like chard, kale, eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers. Terrace Center will have sunflowers, cucumbers, cantaloupe, and nightshades. Terrace East is already planted with potatoes and alliums, and Terrace Top has some potatoes, thornless blackberries, and a raspberry that decided it ain'tn't dead yet.

Image description: two images, both of a garden sheet mulched with cardboard on an overcast day. The left shows a long view of an 800 sqft area sheet mulched, and clover and filaree in foreground unmulched. Right shows two raised beds, overrun with filaree, with sheet mulching around the left side and trampled filaree on the right.

I found some volunteers while working: a pansy by the compost over in Terrace East, and some Eschscholzia poppies at the edge of Terrace West and the shrine garden.

Image description: two closeup photos of flowers. Left is a pansy about the size of a quarter growing out of a small leaf cluster among many other green plants in rocky soil. It has two purple upper petals, two small white side petals, and a yellow beard petal with black striping. Right is a California poppy bud and unopened blossom, growing amongst its own dense foliage and clover leaves.

Here are my official BEFORE shots!

As you may be able to see, I tend to carry weight in my stomach, arms, and chest

Plum buds and a hand mowed shrine garden.

Image description: a close up of green and pink plum buds on bare brown branches. Two small clusters at the top have water drops forming over the whole cluster.

Sour flowers, dandelion, and clover - pioneer volunteers. Future plot plans: sorghum for birdseed, iris for basketry, some aesthetically pleasing but culinarily disappointing pumpkins.

Nasturtium dripping down from its planter in the potted herb garden

Calendula fulfilling its promise to bloom like a calendar. One of the few regularly blooming flowers giving some colour and hope this season. Calendula is edible and was widely used in medieval English cooking, but I’m using it for decoration and for its healing properties. Excellent for all manner of childhood scrapes.