Fall plantings

Today we put in some fall plantings. In the big bed, I scattered some oats seed that will be used as a cover crop/green fertilizer. I called Tom Peterson at Appalachian Sustainable Development to see what type cover crop they recommended for this area. Not only did he tell me about oats but he also set me up with some from his personal stash on his organic farm here in Abingdon. He also told me about Merci Farm, an organic gardening and farming supplier in nearby Lebanon, VA. Very nice of him.

In addition, we also did a planting of garlic. It's a white, soft-necked variety that I got from Ellen Reynolds at Beagle Ridge Herb Farm in Wythe County. That's where I've been going for classes as a part of the Virginia Master Naturalist Program. The garlic bulbs should be ready for harvesting sometime in early July.

The spinach and lettuce that went in the cold frame have begun to sprout. It's so fun to see green growth as everything else is dying off. The leaves, however, are gorgeous this year.