Yesterday's bounty. 4 carrots, 1 cabbage, our first squash, garlic cloves, basil, rosemary and oregano for a fresh soup and 2 cucumbers and 2 garden salsa hot peppers for snacking. Not too shabby!
The corn crop next to the new Berm and Swale at the bottom of the hill. There are walking rows between the terraces so that I don't compact the soil around the growing plants.
Another view of a berm and swale. Tested it yesterday after a heavy downpour. The purpose of a berm is to hold back excess water from running off too quickly down a slope. The swale is the dug out portion that collects and holds the water long enough for it to be slowly absorbed by the surrounding landscape benefiting the water thirsty crops such as Corn and the Watermelon seen in the upper right of the photo. The front of the berm has already been built up over time so some weeds have started growing there and their roots will keep the soil in place and prevent it from washing out. I also cut down all of the weeds around this area and throw them into the center of the swale. Over time, they will break down and add nutrients back into the soil and feed earthworms. In God's design, nothing is wasted. That will be the inscription on my tombstone ;)
Yesterday's bounty. 4 carrots, 1 cabbage, our first squash, garlic cloves, basil, rosemary and oregano for a fresh soup and 2 cucumbers and 2 garden salsa hot peppers for snacking. Not too shabby!
The corn crop next to the new Berm and Swale at the bottom of the hill. There are walking rows between the terraces so that I don't compact the soil around the growing plants.
Another view of a berm and swale. Tested it yesterday after a heavy downpour. The purpose of a berm is to hold back excess water from running off too quickly down a slope. The swale is the dug out portion that collects and holds the water long enough for it to be slowly absorbed by the surrounding landscape benefiting the water thirsty crops such as Corn and the Watermelon seen in the upper right of the photo. The front of the berm has already been built up over time so some weeds have started growing there and their roots will keep the soil in place and prevent it from washing out. I also cut down all of the weeds around this area and throw them into the center of the swale. Over time, they will break down and add nutrients back into the soil and feed earthworms. In God's design, nothing is wasted. That will be the inscription on my tombstone ;)
