i wrote this awhile back, and am posting it today .. from sunny arizona .. i understand it's raining at home, so won't go on about how wonderfull the weather has been/is here .. see you all soon ..
we are so fortunate here to have access to seaweed for our compost piles .. or for putting directly on our garden beds .. below is a picture of my favourite spot where i go to collect this mineral-rich, natural garden goodness.. as i head down, pitchfork and trug in hand, i am aware that for centuries people around the planet have put their hand to the same task .. there is a continuity of purpose running from them then to me now ..
it doesn't take much, really, to provide what we need for our bed in the park .. my favourite time to harvest seaweed from this beach is in late autumn through early winter .. then there is an abundance of fresh seaweed rolling in on the tide .. already beginning the process of decomposition ..
when the time's right, i head on down with my wheelbarrow, pitchfork and trusty trug .. two trugs full to a wheelbarrow load .. and off i go to our bed in the park ..
i spread the luscious seaweed across the remaining two thirds of the bed .. then, i rake up the bits of leafage left over from the bags of maple leaves graciously left by islanders for the larger garden's compost container, which fellow gardener, donna, has run over with the mulching mower .. the rakings i gather provided more than enough to cover the seaweed nicely .. now the bed will sit, covered in a blanket of natural, island available amendments ..
later, i'll add another layer .. this time of compost .. then, the bed will sit, again, until early spring when all will be turned under .. and dug in .. to sit, yet again, until late may, when we'll begin planting .. whew! .. that's a lot of "sitting" ..
