Four Hours. Pooped out.

My plans today were to double dig all three beds in Emilia's Yard.  They did not come to pass.  Here's why.

45 minutes harvest 1 bin compost.  Got 2 wheelbarrows full.  Before I could double dig, I needed to spread compost on the beds.  But that meant getting my hands on compost which meant emptying another bin.  I did it.

28 minutes double dig 1/2 bed.  I think double digging is very important to having  a successful garden, especially if you have poor soil.  That said, double digging is HARD the first time or two.  Somewhere on the Internet is a video of two people at Ecology Action explaining how to double dig a bed.  They go on and on about how if you have the proper technique it's not very tiring.  Then they demonstrate how easy it is by double digging an already established bed!  I'm guessing that people who are needing to learn how to double dig do not already have established beds.  Instead, their shovels are cutting into dirt like mine:  heavy clay soil that you have to heave about in huge clumps.  It is incredibly dispiriting and exhausting.  I do it because I've seen the improvement in the soil, but that doesn't make it easy.  

Today, I didn't get to the garden until the afternoon sun was beating down on the part I needed to double dig.  I was hot and sweaty and tired from yesterday's marathon session.  Plus the kitty-corner neighbors were hanging out in their yard conversing and using the n-word every minute or so.  This caused much wincing on my part.  I told myself I could get through, if not all three beds, at least the smaller two here.  Then that got revised to, "Perhaps just one,"  and then "Screw it, half is good enough for today."

A picture of my results with the digging board covering what I had actually accomplished:


25 minutes water. The Grow Biointensive method prescribes hand watering.  On the one had yes, you can better control your water distribution than with sprinklers.  On the other hand, it means watering every day.  When I had the one garden bed on the left side of the yard it wasn't a big deal: drag out the hose, water, sometimes leave the hose there, sometimes put away.  But now I have three different yards to water and they all are from the same hose which involves a lot of walking back and forth and switching things on and off.  I'm working on that, but sometimes I just use the soaker hoses or sprinklers.  Today, being so hot and grumpy, hand watering was rather pleasant, though you can see how long it takes.

5 minutes put things away, clean tools.  I did a good job cleaning my tools this week.  Even the rake got scrubbed down.

Total: 1 hour 43 minutes.
Total for week: 4 hours, 53 minutes. I met my work goal this week.  It seems like I didn't really accomplish anything, but I'm trying to think of it as this work is laying the groundwork for successful gardening eventually.