The moon is waning and there has been no rain for three days, so it is time to plant the root crops. On Friday, I turned over one bed and planted the Ruby Crescents and Yukon Golds, but the other bed, which is right next to the neighbor’s downspout, was still too wet, so I waited until today to plant the blue and red potatoes. It’s a lovely task: cut the sprouting taters, dig trenches, push them in, and cover them over. Easy. Unlike seeds, you always know where you left off. This is the first year that we are growing the entire crop in our back yard. For several years, we raised them in the community garden, and, when that became problematic, we moved into the backyard of our rental down the street. However, it was clear to me that all crops need to be looked after closely, so the entire operation is now in the back yard. I have high hopes for a bumper crop, come August.
In between potato plantings, I also put in the other root crops: carrots, parsnips, and beets. I made some signs, trimmed the grass around the beds, and mowed the garden. There are still tufts of grass that the push mower didn’t catch, but the whole back yard looks tended and lovely. The bees are out, the chickens commenting on my every move, the cats lounging on the sunny benches, and I have a small callus forming from the hand trimmers. The back neighbors are all watching the progress avidly. The space is alive once again.
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