Old Garden Area

This is the old garden area where I have seven raised beds.  This used to be so well kept.  It was a beautiful garden about 10 years ago.  The picket fence rotted, something happened to the water line that goes to this garden and it became more than I could handle.  In the day, I had a wonderful asparagus patch, blackberries, really the size of quarters along the back rail fence.  I have grown everything in this area.  Three of the raised beds have rotted and they need to be replaced.  This is a little bit of info for you in constructing raised beds.  We did not use cedar and our raised beds lasted almost 20 years. 

I have just been mowing down this area this summer and thinking about what I wanted to do with it.  My other garden area is just about all I can handle but I thought if I could get my raised beds going again that they are easy to take care of.  So my plan is to replace the rotten raised beds and just to mow all the rest of this space.  I have cleaned out the rail fence and I'm going to put blackberries back in that space.  I'm going to use a couple of raised beds for asparagus, one for cantaloupe, one for watermelon and maybe strawberries in a couple.  Anyway, that's the plan.  Gary has already started rebuilding the picket fence for me. 

I had planned on this being an early fall project but after the rain on Monday I got out there and started working.  It was cool and misting rain and the weeds were popping out so easily......well, I over did it.  I majorly pulled a muscle in my lower back.  I don't use prescription drugs but I was thinking I wished I had a muscle relaxer.  My dear friend and cohort oily (essential oils) called and I told her about my back.  I was out of PanAway which is great for pulled muscles and inflammation.  She suggested using wintergreen which I did not have, but I had peppermint and clove which is in Pan Away. I mixed the two oils with a little Jojoba oil in the palm of my hand and rub that over the area that was hurting and within an hour it totally relaxed that muscle.  I was amazed!  Essential oils never cease to amaze me.  So for several days, I didn't do much.  I did enjoy the rain and the cool weather.  What a wonderful blessing and break in the middle of summer. 

Most people I know are concerned about the economy.  A dear friend from homeschooling days called me back in the spring and was asking what I was doing about "prepping."  I think this was a blog entry but I would like to say this again.  Back in the Y2K days we were buying and storing and doing all sorts of things and my friend did too.  That's why she was wondering what I was doing in preparation for whatever is going to happen.  I told her and I would like to suggest to you that all I'm doing is buying heirloom seeds and getting all my garden areas as ready as I can.  I'm also going to prepare or I should say Gary and I are going to prepare a cold frame so we can grow greens in the winter.  This is what I have felt inspired to do other than to have a good medical kit and medical supplies.  If you have room, fruit trees would be nice to have.