2011 - First Year Summary

Garden idea was born in March.

Robert was especially eager,

while Robin was quite reluctant.

(Said she has a purple thumb.)

Robert persuaded her to give it a try.

Robin's friend, Gayle, suggested the horse trough method.

We found the "recipe" at Mary Jane's farm on the internet.

Robert voted YES!

Sun we have,

but no level ground,

no well or city water.

Our water drains from the roof tops

into cisterns when it rains.

Deer love our property

and we enjoy them.

Fence? Must be deer proof.

Water? Must have more cisterns.

Horse trough? Good for senior backs.

Good for limited water supply.

Garden was engineered by Robert,

who admittedly didn't think much beyond

getting it built, the fence up,

plumbing in the troughs

followed by good mix of soils,

which was accomplished by 

May 1st.

Despite early reluctance,

Robin took over then,

planting, tending, harvesting, cooking.

Robert top watered new plants

until roots were established and long enough

to draw from the reservoirs.

Harvest was grand,

vastly exceeding our expectations.

We ate fresh veggies all summer

and had surplus to give to friends and neighbors.

The horse trough method

works well for our purposes.

The 3' high troughs are easy to tend

and the water use seems minimal.

All the crops prospered with full sun

warming the dirt in the troughs.

We planted winter crops

mid-August and early September.

As of today, Nov. 25, they've survived

three days/nights of below freezing temps,

winds gusting over 60 mph,

and monsoon rains.

We're amazed!

And needless to say,

we will be gardening again next year,

building on experiences this year,

hoping it wasn't just beginner's luck!