First of all, Will hauled a whole lot of very nice, fine, rotted horse manure onto the Wolf Garden, managing to cover more than half of it very well. Then he and Drew walked over it, pitching rocks out of the garden as well as picking up perennial weeds and grass roots, which would certainly take hold later. As they finished up, I jumped (well, kind of crawled) onto the baby Kubota and tilled in everything in preparation for planting the asparagus crowns that were waiting in the basement.
On Saturday, David and his friend, Ian, stopped over to pick up some of David’s things that were still at his house. It was so nice to see them and visit with them! They also helped Will and Drew move the two hoop houses down in the Main Garden. That was wonderful. Now I can till where they had been. We’d like to burn it as there are plenty of weeds in there. But there is a burning ban right now, due to the fire danger. So no go there.
Yesterday it was warm and sunny. A perfect planting day. Will hooked the little middle buster plow onto the big Kubota and ran a nice furrow down, parallel to the Wolf Garden fence, leaving enough room in between to till or roll out a big round bale for mulch. Then the three of us worked at planting the asparagus. I threw a bale of pine shavings on the golf cart as well as buckets of water with the roots soaking in them, and headed out there. I dropped the crowns in the furrow, Will followed me on his hands and knees, tucking the roots out like a fan, and putting enough dirt over and around the plant to hold it in place. Drew followed him, hoeing more soil over the roots about 3 inches deep. When we were done planting, Drew cut the bag of shavings open and started pouring them down over the furrow. Will followed him, spreading the shavings out evenly. This will act as mulch, yet let the new asparagus shoots poke through. Today it rained. So that was perfect!
After planting, I took the baby Kubota out to the North Garden to till there. On Saturday, I tried to till but the big round bales Will had set in there to lure the cows in to eat and “fertilize,” were still pretty much intact — and right in the way. I gave up. Will went out yesterday morning and moved them all out onto the pasture. Again, I went out to till and it went much better. There was some ice under where the bales had been. But it was pretty soft and tilled up fine. I wanted to get it tilled so the hay that was still there from mulch and those bales would quickly rot when mixed with the soil.
While I was doing that, Will and Drew took a walk through the horse pasture to check the big beaver pond, which we can’t see from the house due to the trees getting so big. The pond is bigger now! I guess the beavers have been busy over there. And, in the pond, was a pair of Trumpeter Swans! Drew got a couple of pictures and, today, they were out on the small beaver pond, enjoying the day. I really hope they stick around and make a nest to raise young.
Last night, I heard the first spring peeper frogs out on the pond. What a wonderful sound of spring! — Jackie
