Time to Sow

I know it’s only January, but it’s never too early to start thinking about spring! Around here that means it’s time to prepare the garden. I’ll be planting onions soon which means I should clear out my beds of the summer crop. I also need to spread some of the compost that’s collected over the winter. So, I took advantage of a sliver of warm weather and got some yard work done. Oh, and the dogs helped too…

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The first step, clear out the mustard greens and broccoli. They were delicious while they lasted, but we’ve had a few freezes and they’ve bitten the dust.
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I cleared out my other bed late last Fall.
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Composting is a great way to reduce your waste. Almost all of our kitchen scraps end up in the garden.
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Zeus spotted something. What is it, boy? A bird? A plane? Oh no, IT’S A SQUIRREL!  
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I got to work cleaning out the bed. Make sure and let your dogs inspect anything that comes from the garden. When they’ve finished you can toss it.
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At first, Hazel didn’t want to help. But then I told her there would be digging involved…
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She jumped right in!
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Alvin was having none of it, though.

 

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Hazel helped me rake up the old mulch.

 

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Good job, Hazel!

 

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“Let’s see, what’s our next task?”

 

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“I know!”

 

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“Let’s pull up these weeds.”

 

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Before spreading your compost, have your dogs taste it.

 

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Idk why. It’s just what you do.

 

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Alvin approves!

 

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Now we toss the compost onto the bed.
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And spread it out. 

 

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While we’re at it were going to cast some Alfalfa fertilizer.  The dogs need to taste that as well.

 

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Throw it on the dirt, and hope your dog doesn’t eat most of it before it hits the ground.

 

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Now it’s time to turn the compost and fertilizer into your dirt.

 

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Your dogs can help too. Mostly by walking around and sniffing the ground.

 

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And we’re finished!

 

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Zeus didn’t really do anything, but he’s proud of himself nonetheless.

 

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Oh, and it took me a minute to remember Alvin couldn’t get out of the garden by himself…