With a little break from the rain last Friday, we were able to get down and dirty in the garden and start preparing beds for the veggie starts that are en route to our Garden. The gardeners of Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center in Marin County have offered to start seeds for us as a kind gesture to help out our local, urban garden:) We often have difficulty germinating seeds in our garden because the temperature often doesn't get warm enough to nurture and entice the seeds to sprout as well as potential RAIN for days on end (BUT, the end may be in sight...let's keep our fingers crossed!).
We spent the day turning over garden beds and amending the soil with our very own delicious and nutritious compost!! We also turned over the roots of fava beans (a legume) and mixed them deep into the soil. We planted these fava beans to act as green manure and which consists of plants that you grow for the purpose of digging them under and allowing them to decay in the soil. Fava Beans are one of the best choices for green manure because they actually add nitrogen to the soil and act as an all natural fertilizer. Bacteria actually live in the roots of legumes continuously fixing nitrogen which are in the form of little white balls--also known as nitrates! When the legumes die their roots release tons of nitrogen into the soil!! How Cool?? Be sure to spread the word:)
We also came across several of our best friends--the lovely EARTHWORMS!! Charles Darwin once said: The plow is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man's inventions;but long before he existed the land was in fact regularly plowed, and still
continues to be thus plowed by earthworms. It may be doubted whether
there are many other animals which have played so important a part in
the history of the world, as have these lowly organized creatures.
Working hard in the garden:) We think everyone should cash in their gym memberships and start digging in the dirt! You can get big muscles, eat delicious & fresh food and Mother Earth would show her appreciation with garden gifts day in and day out!!ENJOY THE SUNSHINE!!
