Back to Eden Gardening and Hugelkulture and other non-conventional garden methods

I called my tree service company. I can now call them MY TSC b/c they took down trees for me! Left a message that I could use about 6 more loads. 1/2 hour later, their truck shows up with an awesome load of oak! Lots of green leaves mixed in with the chips. I had them back up and dump it next to the green house at the end of the orchard run. So, I can spread that load without even using my WB, for the most part. Perfect timing as the wind was lifting the cardboard b/c I had run out of chips. If they bring me more loads, I'll take 3 loads at the opposite end of the orchard, and 1 more at the middle, and 3 loads at the front of the garden. I'm hoping to be able to put down tarps at front of the garden so it will make lawn clean up easy. When I put chips on the garden, I can just remove the CP and then cart the chips straight back through the garden. At most, won't have to move them more than 40'.

lazy gardener said:

Weather has finally cooled off enough that I can do a bit of heavy labor outside. I was able to start the chain saw by myself today! I've been given an unexpected blessing of a week off from work, so, doing what I can do on my own in HK area. Have the bed marked out with string, so it hopefully stays along it's intended path, instead of jigging and jogging across the slope! It will not be parallel, but that's ok. One end is likely to be a bit wider than the other. So, I'm taking it slow and easy with the chain saw, only bound it up once in a felled tree so far. Slow going b/c I have to limb a lot of stuff that either blew down, or we knocked down last year.

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I don't think I could run a chainsaw. I can do a jig saw, skill saw & table saw, but my joints wouldn't be able to take the vibrations from a chainsaw. I've really never had to run one since my husband used to be a logger for many, many years.

Sounds like your HK area is coming along. I would love to see a pic of it one day.

henless said:

I don't think I could run a chainsaw. I can do a jig saw, skill saw & table saw, but my joints wouldn't be able to take the vibrations from a chainsaw. I've really never had to run one since my husband used to be a logger for many, many years.

Sounds like your HK area is coming along. I would love to see a pic of it one day.

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We bought a smaller one 2 seasons ago, specifically with the intent that I would be able to start it and use it myself. It does do a fair amount of vibrating, and I certainly can't use it for any length of time. But, I can use it, and there's empowerment in that fact. By far, my favorite shop tools are the chop saw and the cordless drill. My hands often hurt after a day of playing. Even holding a paint brush for any length of time will do that. The rest of my body has it's issues also. Some times, at night, I take inventory of aches and pains by labeling "what doesn't hurt". That list is shorter!

It's been a while since I have been on this thread...or any for that matter. It's such a busy time of year! We have been working in the garden a lot. We have everything cleaned up from the season and have been working the soil, so we can get it cleaned up enough to a point where we can do no till planting.

We expanded quite a bit also. The garden is a little over 1500sq ft now, but still need to clear another area for winter squash and melons. We had them in with other veggies and I'd rather not do that again. A couple weeks ago, we planted over 100 garlic and have been hauling leaves ever since. We want to leaf mulch the whole garden, but there are only so many leaves and so much my arms can rake lol.

I weighed my first HK squash before sending it off for my son and DIL. It was a blue hubbard, weighing in at 18.2# There are ~ 9 more to be weighed, as well as about 6 F1 giant buttercup/red kuri crosses. All from an area that is about 6' x 8'.


The vole that was tunneling under the hay bales surrounding the cold frame in the garden decided to pop a hole right up in the middle. Last night, I took him a treat. PB and chocolate chips. Voles love chocolate chips. Says the vole, "Chocolate chips are to die for!" And he did.

Chocolate chips Where did you get that from? Sounds interesting. How many chips do you use at one time. Do you know if it works on Moles?

Every body likes chocolate. I have the best luck placing a chocolate chip in the middle of a dab of peanut butter in the plastic snap trap. Placed the trap right in front of his hole. He never even came all the way out of his hole to get that snack before getting caught. Are you sure you have moles? Or do you have voles? I don't know if it would work on moles. http://slideplayer.com/slide/3449944/

Bet he died happy and with a squashed smile on his face!

I never checked.