The Garden
Let me tell you a little bit about our garden. I've always loved flower gardening, and, since I like to eat, vegetable gardening, too. We have a 48 X 96 foot area surrounded by deer-proof fencing availalbe for cultivation. At one end, I have established an area for herbs, the rest is tilled yearly and planted with various crops.
My goal is to eventually be entirely no till. Tilling is a very destructive process to the soil. Soil naturally develops a structure over time that is most beneficial to plant growth. There is a balance of organism, seen (earthworms) and unseen, that work together to improve soil health.
Along with this goal, I hope to one day discontinue the use of commercial fertlizers and pesticides. I make every attempt to use fertlizers sparingly and at appropriate times to maximize their effectiveness. I do not use any pesticides directly on the garden, but I do use a fire ant bait along the outside perimeter to remove mounds in and near the garden. Fire ants are a sad fact of life that anyone in the South that sets foot outside their door has to deal with.
Once upon a time, I had a wonderful garlic patch in the corner of the garden, but that was removed one fall by some finicky goats with a taste for garlic. At the end of each growing season, I let me herd of pygmy goats in the garden to eat the leftovers. It's a treat for them and they add a little nutrient to the garden that composts for the next season.
Have you ever seen a goat eat a turnip root right out of the ground? It is quite a sight! After our last fall crop harvest, I let the goats in to clean out the collards, kale, and turnips. I was fully expecting them to eat the greens. But, after walking through the garden after they were back in their pen, I noticed these perculiar little divits in the ground. On closer inspection, it was the "shell" of a turnip root. The goats had ate the inside of the turnip roots out while still in the ground, without even getting their noses dirty.
This year's plans for the garden include putting the herb bed to good use. It is a sparsley populated patch right now with mainly thyme and society garlic. But, we have already added licorice and fennel. To come will be a couple of types of basils, sages, rosemary, and garlic.
Additional planned produce includes, tomatoes, peppers (bell, bannana, hot, and a couple of surprises), squash, and eggplant.
