Softer ground
Softer ground
We have put leaves and vegetative matter on our back garden over the years. While pulling up golden rod and grass and alliums out by the fence today, where we have loaded leaves there in the past. The ground is soft and the weeds come up easily, I found the softness of the ground notable.
I thought of hard ground, ground so hard a shovel will not penetrate. I thought of all the digging I have done over the years in hard ground. The exercise has probably done some good for me. As for the soil, bringing it alive was not done by digging. Over years we have top dressed with leaves in the fall. I have compost rings at easy distance in the yard in case I go out and pull a few weeds, there will be somewhere handy to deposit handfuls of green plants. When we move the rings, the soil underneath is soft and the compost is rich.
I planted two trees (Paw Paws) today in places where last year I had compost rings. The ground was soft, it also had a feel of wonder. Digging the holes for the trees was pleasurable. Micro-organisms and worms have taken up residence there and transformed the rock hard soil. The soil is soft, fertile.
I would like to put in a word for the magic of the soil. Soft and friable, yes it is. Brown and full of broken down humus; that too. Better than the sum of all of these things, many factors have come together to support the vibrancy of the soil. A soil scientist does not know all the principles and critters involved, so I will call it magic. Our garden is not only a place I go to plant vegetables, a place to keep storm water from the cavernous sewer; allowing and freeing water to seep and flow into the ground water system, or repirotranspire into the atmoshere. Our garden is a supportive and meditative place, a place I want to be a part of.
Posted May 31 2009.
We have put leaves and vegetative matter on our back garden over the years. While pulling up golden rod and grass and alliums out by the fence today, where we have loaded leaves there in the past. The ground is soft and the weeds come up easily, I found the softness of the ground notable.
I thought of hard ground, ground so hard a shovel will not penetrate. I thought of all the digging I have done over the years in hard ground. The exercise has probably done some good for me. As for the soil, bringing it alive was not done by digging. Over years we have top dressed with leaves in the fall. I have compost rings at easy distance in the yard in case I go out and pull a few weeds, there will be somewhere handy to deposit handfuls of green plants. When we move the rings, the soil underneath is soft and the compost is rich.
I planted two trees (Paw Paws) today in places where last year I had compost rings. The ground was soft, it also had a feel of wonder. Digging the holes for the trees was pleasurable. Micro-organisms and worms have taken up residence there and transformed the rock hard soil. The soil is soft, fertile.
I would like to put in a word for the magic of the soil. Soft and friable, yes it is. Brown and full of broken down humus; that too. Better than the sum of all of these things, many factors have come together to support the vibrancy of the soil. A soil scientist does not know all the principles and critters involved, so I will call it magic. Our garden is not only a place I go to plant vegetables, a place to keep storm water from the cavernous sewer; allowing and freeing water to seep and flow into the ground water system, or repirotranspire into the atmoshere. Our garden is a supportive and meditative place, a place I want to be a part of.
Posted May 31 2009.
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