It was a beastly windy day. I sat at my desk, and then went outside to admire my pile of gold, which cheered and warmed me. I grinned like a cat and cracked my knuckles in a miserly way. What to do with my spoils? Such a heap of plenty! So many possibilities!
Here's the thing. Every year I want to order yards of mulch (the ground-bark-and-wood-chips kind). I do order yards of mulch - for my clients, but not myself. The first urge to call in a man with a dumptruck happens on the first day I feel completely out of control. Everyone's garden is tended but mine! There is pigweed in my strawberries! Pokeweed under my roses! Polygonum in my sweet potatoes! THE BINDWEED IS GOING TO STRANGLE MY DOG!
Yes, it always escalates from feeling all a-tad-unkempt to feeling all we-are-in-grave-danger. I'm crazy like that.
So, I do not order mulch. I partly do not order mulch because I am too busy with paying work. I partly do not order it because I do not want to spend the money. I mostly do not order it because I have this thing about how my immediate environment should provide: I can produce all the organic matter I need here on my lot, or I can pick it up in my neighborhood, for free. That's how it ought to be.
We do produce most of our organic matter. We make a lot of compost, and I supplement by hauling bags of the neighbors' grass clippings home each spring, and in the fall, on community-dog-park-cleanup day, requesting that the waste be kept separate: maxi pads and dirty diapers in these bags; nice clean oak leaves in those bags, and then taking the leaves home. (Later, I sort out the dog poop and, at arm's distance, those things I can only hope are balloons.)
This October, I went to the Starzec farm, had my usual "how was the garlic? how was the hay?" conversation with some of my favorite farmers, and drove away with my usual eight bales of straw. But because I was mulching far less garlic than usual, I had seven bales of straw left over. That is enough for the whole rest of the city garden. Good god, all of a sudden, I was wealthy!
I have been reveling in this fact ever since I realized it. I mulched the blueberries. I might mulch the herbs this fall, but I will horde the rest of my sweet, sweet stash until the spring.
7 comments:
you're cute. i've just been sitting here contemplating mulch for my dirt pile (my sideyard).
You are certainly wealthy...and wise.
Great resourcing from the dog park! And yes, those are balloons.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who lets her own garden go all messy and un-mulched while her clients' gardens are perfectly groomed. This spring I actually mulched half of my own garden before things got away from me. Maybe next year... Anyway, it's nice to know I'm not alone.
I'm so glad to see that someone else reassured you about the "balloons"—I mean, balloons. :) But do keep your dog out of the bindweed... And enjoy your mulch!
Thanks For blog with beneficial informations.
Oh, how I love mulch. I love the wonderful, free compost and leaf mold that we cultivate, but then--there's just nothing like a lovely layer of mulch on top of all that yard gold to make the garden look so fresh and manicured...at least for a week or two! My family and friends think I'm loopy, but I adore spreading mulch. We ordered two trucks of mulch last time, and now I need more for new beds...but first, I'm letting the compost and leaf mold do some work, then till the new beds...and plant the blueberry bushes...and THEN, it will be mulch-time! Yipee!
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