Actually, I should call this “Straw Bale Garden and Then Some”. Because YOU KNOW I expanded it again. Sheesh! Glutton for punishment!
This is the mess I walked out too once the rain slowed down. The dried stuff is straw from 2016 that has broken down. I raked it all up and put it in various places that needed mulching and some “almost” dirt. Quite a bit of it went into the new, larger potato bin.
And then I had a clean space to put…
28 new bales of straw.
It was a TON of work. Luckily my middle son and his girlfriend wanted a row of their own in the garden so I did get some help. YAY!
This is a quick video I shot for Instagram just as it was about to storm.
Last fall I created a berry garden and this spring I combined it with my regular garden to make one BIG, BIG, BIG (for me) garden. I’ve got berries and then a section that will be medicinal herbs and then the veggies.
I’m trying some new things this year. I’ve purchased several types of heirloom beans for drying. I can’t wait to make soup with them this fall and winter!
I’m also trying out pickling cucumbers and broccoli which I’ve never had much luck with before. I’m nothing if not persistent!
In the potato bin I have Purple Majesty Potatoes, Russian Banana Fingerling, Rose Finn Fingerling and Pumpkin Yams.
I planted 8 Roma tomato plants again this year because having those roasted with onion and garlic stored away in the freezer made for some super yummy soups.
Maybe I should start calling it the SOUP GARDEN instead of the straw bale garden?
Dried beans, herbs, tomato, onion, garlic and some broth and I’ve got soup!
No new methods this year for us! We have gone back to tried and true gardening. The tomato plants in the greenhouse look great, and we start planting this weekend.