Cucumber,squash,radish to seed,carrot,chive and basil with nasturtiums around. Sunflowers at head of center bed to shade.

Well there ya go them's the plans for the far north bed of the main plot
:)
The soil has had a load of horse manure and mulch mix.
Earth was turned and broken up.
Levels were made and a recessed bed established for water conservation.
This is a low nitrogen bed

Time for seed.
My dead line for planting this bed was 8/15
It is in on 8/6
hooah!

On Monday I gleaned the free page of craigs list found mulch and then found horse manure all for free.
A little gas for the truck and a lot of sweat and effort.
My Darling husband helped me night before last to empty the truck
Our method was two parts mulch in the wheelbarrow and then one of the bags of manure. Two more parts mulch mixed in the wheel barrow.
As he was doing that I took fork to earth and turned and hoe to earth to break clods.

This is the last of it for the raised bed took a lot of it and the center main plot bed the rest, after the north end had it's fill.
The East wall of the main plot will use up the rest of this.

Raised beds need to be mixed up so the soil and mulched manure is not in layers.

Here is the plan Stan...:) harhar

After study on the needs of cucumbers and squash I began in earnest to get the seed in.

The companion charts told me what would enjoy each others company.
Also the study of nitrogen needs matched things up.
The blue high lighted page is the companion guide

HERE I go!

Cucumber needs be hilled up as does the zucchini

I love this tree it was to be used as a gift project that never occurred
I dig it in and set it up as a trellis of sorts

Following my plan that was based upon many hours of research.

click on image to enlarge

Left to right

far left outer edge and back of the cube is
Japanese Soyu Burpless Cucumis sativus
HEIRLOOM 65 DAY due 2nd wk of Oct.
sprouted Aug. 13th

Hilled in the center of the left side is
Black Beauty Zucchini Cucurbita pepo
HEIRLOOM 55 DAY due 1st wk of Oct.
Sprouted Aug. 13

Center hilled on each side of the trellis is
Cucumber Marketmore Cucumis Sativus
60 DAY due 2nd wk of Oct.
a few sprouted Aug. 13

Flanking the zucchini in the furrow is
Carrot Asian New Kuroda Daucus carota var sativus
HEIRLOOM 75 DAY due 3rd week of Oct.

Horse shooed around the Marketmore is
Chives common Sllium Schoenoprasum
HEIRLOOM on going

At the head of the center row planted to shade the cucumber
Sunflower Mammoth Grey Stripe Helianthus annuus
HEIRLOOM emerges 10-15 days


Far right side

Around the back wall toward the right behind the tree too
Cucumber Homemade Pickles Cucumis Sativus
55 DAY due 1st wk of Oct.
Sprouted Aug 13 only one or two

At the foot of the tree and in the hollow there is
Squash Summer Scallop (Patty Pan) Blend Cucurbita Pepo
HEIRLOOM 55 DAY due 1st wk of Oct.
Many Sprouted Aug. 13

Along the front edge right side is
Basil Italian Large Leaf Ocimum basilicum
HEIRLOOM on going


Now scattered at each corner are a few
Radish Cherry Belle Raphanus sativus
HEIRLOOM 24 DAY due 1st week of Sept let go to seed...

These will be left to seed to attract insects off of the cucumbers and squash.

Scattered at wall edge all the way around
Nasturtium Jewel Mixed for pollination
due mid Sept.

*BEE BLISS*

As I was just a half an hour out from completion I heard thunder.
I was so focused in deep thought and prayer (my thing while in the garden) it surprised me

By photographing the beds I will have a permanent record of seed set.

NEVER STEP ON YOUR SOIL!
see the board this is straddled and then used to step on.
It diffuses the weight and keeps soil loose.

see the drops on the plank :)
Seed Packets are now safe from weather.

About this time My Boy came out to see me

The tin cans on the stakes two fold purpose to keep your eye safe and to keep the birds uneasy when they light nothing says get out of my garden like a tipping can shifting under the bird.

Although the center bed had more to break up I rapped it up and the tinkle of drops began to come.
I felt a big hug for the prayers of the morning were deep and personal
My heart being dug and hoed like that soil becoming more fertile for the seeds being sown within me. There is a time for all things.

As I sat a spell I watched as my boy set up a track an obstacle course to play with his car on. Now funny thing when your in the garden and time slows...You see so many deeper lessons. You see even in obstacles the planks had to be set just right in order for the greater pit falls to be avoided. He had to make sure the board were set up just right to make the course run as directed.
God must be pretty busy teaching and building things up to set us just right to make it through the obstacles we each face.

Well I gathered the books and papers, seed packets and camera and was off to the porch when.

It began JUST THEN to rain lightly
a refreshing sort of very light big drops release.
Sorta like tender tears that fall big when ya see what your suppose to see.

NOTE when I spoke of salting the earth I was speaking in poetic term...I mean to sprinkle the amendments as one would salt.