Photos Around the Farm in May

May is a busy time of year. Spring has just settled in and it’s getting nice enough to work outside.

This is the time of year we start our spring cleanup. Here are the first things I tackle.

Cutting back older shrubs.
Removing any perennials that didn’t make it through the winter.
Picking up the twigs and branches that always find their way into the garden bed.
A general assessment of what new project to take on….this year it’s a new herb garden.

bright red strawberries growing in the may garden — Strawberries growing wild in the field from an abandoned veggie plot.

Fresh peas growing in the garden. — Fresh peas growing in a container are plump for the picking

big blue geranium blooms — The geraniums were spectacular this year.

big purple clovers blooming in may — Clovers are blooming in big bunches.

animal burrow hole in the garden — I found a rabbit hole – one of many discovered during the cleanup process.

The beginnings of the new herb garden you see below was created from recycled materials. I started with some scrap wood rescued from the curb outside a rehab facility. I inquired if I could have a few pieces & they were more than happy to let me haul it away. What they pictured as trash, I saw as perfect compartments for a new herb garden.

green layer of my lasagna herb garden — The new herb garden created with recycled materials – this is the green layer

I started in an unused section out back that receives great morning sun. First I laid down some cardboard to block the existing grass and weeds, then moved the scrap wood on top – there are actually 3 sections that I fit together as best I could.

I didn’t want to spring for fresh bags of soil, and the pile of dirt I had available wasn’t the best for planting, kind of on the sandy side. So, I amended what was on hand with garden waste in a loosely translated lasagna method.

The first layer was cardboard. Next came the grass clippings – I always bag the first few cuts of the year for this very purpose. I layered in some compost & soil from other areas of the garden, then repeated this process adding a heavy layer of soil on top since I wouldn’t be waiting months for the first 2 layers to decompose before planting.

leaves makeup the brown layer in my lasagna style herb garden — I added a nice helping of leaves gathered from around the garden.

brown compost layer of my lasagna herb garden — Then mixed in some compost & added a thick layer of soil -will let it sit a bit, then I’ll be ready to plant.

I’ll let it sit for a few weeks, mix it well then start planting in June. The organic matter will break down over time & feed my plants in the process.

Enjoy the other photos from around the farm this time of year.