One patch at a time

The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. So, I've started by preparing the first patch that is some 9ft wide and 12 ft long. Behind this concise phrase "preparing a patch" lie buckets of sweat, uprooting a forest of weeds, digging through a foot of disgustingly poor quality dirt (read: blue clay), straightening bent metal (tools) and tilling 20 cubic feet of soil amendments in. For the detail oriented, my amendments include - seaweed, free compost from the landfill, coffee grounds from Starbucks, vermicompost from my bin and some gypsum.

Next, I play "designer goddess" - sit there and intellectualize about the what plants play well with others, how quickly will each grow, what their whimsical watering requirements might be, how much room would each one like, what diseases will each likely harbor and what nutrient depletion patterns to expect.

That is the waking thought. Then comes the resting reflection - what colors would I like to see on the patch, how will I line it, how do I achieve visual symmetry, how will I attract bees and what can I cook garden fresh this summer.

Here is what that appears like in the physical world. The trellis (my art in carpentry) right in the middle is going to have pole beans around it - maybe some ten of them. These slender vines will hopefully fix enough nitrogen for the voracious feeders around them - eight tomatoes, carrots, radish, onion and some basil.

Carrots (Umbilliferae family) - to attract hoverflies, which go after many tomato pests.

Basil - to repel flies and mosquitoes, supposed to improve the growth and flavor of tomatoes. Some others say, basil is also able to ward off spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies.

Marigolds - to repel whiteflies and nematodes.

Onions (placed away from beans) - their sulfur is a natural fungicide.

A border of colorful flowers should hopefully invite the bees and we're off to the races!