Garden Expansion Update!

I finally managed to obtain some seed potatos today at a rather remote Agway near Lancaster. Three different potato sub-species were obtained to create 3 successive harvests stretching from june to october. Interestingly enough, less than four centuries of selective breeding by Gardeners had managed to produced dozens of potato breeds. Each one adapted to a particular growing region. In the colder regions, potato strains were selected for the ability to mature quickly in the short growing season. In warmer areas, traits such as higher yields and disease resistence were more favoured by pre-industrial farmers. On the way home, I picked up some peat moss to provide drainage for the 2 potato growing containers.

Saturday afternoon was spent with the Garden expansion process. Two additional garden beds were hacked out of the lawn. The work was of course very tedious. At times there seemed to be more rocks than there was dirt. At a certain point, I could no longer extract the mischievous stones with the shovel, so I called my father out for some "father-son bonding!"

Of course by bonding, I meant mutual participation in back-breaking manual labor. The large fist-sized rocks, I removed with the trusty pick-axe, while my dad shoveled out the loosened soil. Two hours and 50 pounds of compost later, we were finished. While much has been written about the hardships of peasantry, one has to comment upon the flip side. There is so much innate joy in creation, even if it involves just a few garden beds. We had turned a large stretch of grass into the beginnings of a huge organic garden. A large block of suburban monoculture has been transformed into a canvas of sorts. A canvas in which a tapestry of life and happiness can be cultivated. Isn't saving the planet fun?!!