How Does My Garden Grow

To keep Beau out, I had to put up this temporary fence. It's made of opened tomato cages. The butterfly bush cuttings are to keep the little neighbor dog from wandering through. I suppose she wouldn't hang around so much if I didn't give her dog biscuits.

Even so, Beau got himself fenced in there. Seeing the look of acute dismay on my face, he obediently sat down, right on a clump of daffodils. Otherwise, the fence is working, and the early bulbs and daylilies are coming up.

Yesterday, I worked the soil in the Cylinder Tier and planted all sorts of early veggie seeds and onion sets. The fencing is to deter the cats from acting like I went to a lot of trouble to make them a litter box.

The specks are crushed eggshells. Molly and Jason had fun pulverizing them.

The LOAM in the Cylinders Bed is the result of years of adding every known kind of organic matter to the dirt. I've worked in cow, horse and chicken manure, leaves, river topsoil and bean plants. I'm terribly proud of the result. Did I mention it is loam? After loosening it slightly with the turning fork, I was able to work the soil down to eight inches with just my hands.

Countless worms were busy making the soil even better. Rich, rich, rich, beyond my wildest dreams!