Thanks to a farmer neighbor, Joseph & I put 4 round bales of straw between the garden beds this weekend. That's a lot of straw. One corner of the garden still needs some. From previous experience, the garden will be a lot moister and happier. It's already a nicer place to be, and the weeding doesn't seem so overwhelming now. When I walked past the winterberry bush recently, I couldn't help but notice it was abuzz with pollinators of all sorts. Click on the picture above to see happy honeybees. A lovely thing for a gardener to see. The wild roses have been blooming too.
We recently enjoyed this
nettle soup recipe. For the chicken stock, I used water with a bit of extra "juice' from some cooked lima beans. I think next time, I'll try adding some carrots and play with the spices a bit, but will definitely be making it again.
Do you know this plant? It's
Goat's Rue, Tephrosia virginiana, a native plant here. Isn't it lovely? I'm thinking I may need to transplant some to a flower bed, but will research it a bit first. I don't want it to end up like the purslane in the garden.... something you don't want to do friends. It reseeds everywhere! Oh, the lessons to be learned as a gardener.
