Garden Mashup – Twisted Weeds

Summer rain

A while back…waay back in early May…we had unseasonably hot weather, here on this lovely island in WA. state. 83 degrees plus a bit of humidity? Unheard of…

Since then, no rain, until two nights ago. Cloudy yesterday, today just a little sun. It looks like the clouds are gonna win.

While cloud gazing, I discovered a guest.

The garden is appreciating the days of moisture; the soil is not drying out. My sad attempt at growing wildflowers: I didn’t remember they should be planted in the fall, I was so excited. Then the birds kept digging in the soil…so few survived until they finally had a place to be transplanted to.

Sad…

But there is so much happiness elsewhere, since the rain. The lavender!

The apples!

The elderberries! Which of course the birds are eating before they get any size to them.

And the mystery yellow-flowered bush ninja plant. Which I will now try to identify.

I do believe this is Santolina rosmarinifolia. It is described as a culinary plant, used in Mediterranean dishes, commonly known as the olive herb because it lends an olive-like flavor to food. Hmm, I will have to try it.

But back to the raccoon in the tree. When I approached the tree, he climbed higher. When I went inside, he came down and then up the next tree, then wash, rinse, repeat…He seemed to be heading in an easterly direction. I think he wished he was a squirrel, able to jump from tree to tree.

We watched him for about 15 minutes, during which time our cat begged us to subscribe to this Cat Channel. I would if I could, Echo.

But ultimately, coons are not garden-friendly, so we won’t be asking him to stay.

Garden mayhem in all its beauty

Here in Twisted Weeds chaotic garden, we aim to work less and enjoy more. This doesn’t mean that we haven’t worked hard in the past, but as we age we aim to hardly work at all. The mighty husband built fences, then we planted hazelnuts and dwarf apples, disturbing the existing plants as little as possible (such as ferns), with the exception of stinging nettles. I harvested them and steeped them in buckets of water, using the tea as fertilizer.

My husband planted roses. I knocked down a ridiculously steep mound (left after the area was originally logged) and turned it into an herb bed after adding some unfinished compost. I planted rosemary (king of the hill), lavender, comfrey, oregano, sage and thyme (they eventually disappeared under the rosemary, lavender, and oregano), and an unknown flowering plant that I bought in a 4-inch pot because it seemed like it would grow anywhere.

I planted this mystery under a tree in the middle of our driveway but quickly realized it needed more sun so I transplanted it at the edge of the herb bed. Oh my…it has become a woody shrub. As soon as it flowers, I’ll try to identify it. Meanwhile I chop and drop around the edges, trying to keep it from devouring the narrow path and everything else it encounters…

There are also a few berry bushes in this chaos, as well as an elderberry and a couple of attempts at raised beds. So far only potatoes have withstood the rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and birds. I shall continue to try…but not too hard.

It is definitely the survival of the fittest in this messy but beautiful place.

Don’t even ask what is all there…oregano everywhere, weeds too. Volunteer potatoes. I love it all and it returns the favor.

Hügelkultur in nature

I like to think of this as hügelkultur but if I’m wrong, well, it won’t be the first time. I will never claim perfection, since I lean into chaos. Then again, maybe that is perfection? After all, nature leans into entropy, the definition of which is the natural tendency of things to lose order…a loose definition, not the scientific one…

And my mind wanders back to nature’s way of regenerating, even when we humans have tried our best to kill something. This is where hügelkultur and regenerative gardening melt into each other. Let’s start with cutting down a tree. In my own yard, this art of killing living things perfected by humans since they were created/evolved has not stopped the tree stump from nurturing new life. Perhaps a bird ate some berries and then stood on this stump while defecating, depositing some undigested seeds along with its poop.

Elsewhere, a tree fell in the forest – or maybe was cut – and this happened, eventually…

This picture, also in my yard, shows the ultimate regeneration: a fir tree growing on a very old tree trunk. It’s hard to see, because the fallen tree has almost become soil over many years, but this is a fir tree, a fruit bush, ferns, and other plants growing out of what was once a fir tree.

What I marked is actually the decayed tree trunk that now is a low mound of what I call almost-soil.

My yard looks messy; weedy; “lumpy” because it was never “landscaped” after being logged back in the 90’s and before, leading up to this house being built, and then added on to about 5 years ago. Heavy machinery takes a wicked toll on the earth.

So we mow less and less each year. It’s a compromise between my husband and I. He likes a mowed lawn, I would rather toss out native seeds each fall and see what grows. The compromise is that he mows less and less each year, making sure the street view is mowed so that the HOA stays happy. He leaves plants around the singular trees in the yard. And he has fenced 3 areas that were meant to be gardens but now two are left to nature (keeping the deer out so a few things we planted can grow tall enough to not be impacted so heavily by the deer.)

I planted some herbs and flowers in the third area, which is the only area that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day, and that is where I have one raised bed and a few apple and filbert trees. The raised bed is still accessible to squirrels so I’m not expecting much to grow there. Fingers crossed. So far, one potato plant volunteer from the “compost” I added and a few peas are surviving. Since I can now water it sufficiently with ease (a sprinkler), I’m hoping something will grow.

There’s always another season, another chance. Meanwhile, I’m basking in sporadically warm sunshine and the intensity of spring green. Green blessings to you all.

This year’s gardening mashup

I’m all over the place this spring, but my madness makes sense to me.

I’m a mashup of chaos, raised bed, hügelkulture, and regenerative gardening. I started my raised bed with a base of small branches and unfinished compost, then topped it off with planting soil. I put all the seed I had (leftovers from past growing seasons) in a small bowl, mixed it up, and scattered it across the bed. Before I turned on my rainforest mist sprinkler, I walked over the bed so as to compress the seeds into the soil a bit. Then I added water.

Regenerative agriculture is my current fascination. The idea is to never leave the soil uncovered, never tilling, and never using fertilizers or chemical pesticides, herbicides, etc. I think you get the picture – organic no-till gardening.

But I highly recommend two documentaries: “Kiss the Ground” on Netflix and “Common Ground” on Prime. I watched the first many months ago, but just recently watched Common Ground. What most impressed me was the story of turning a part of the Chihuahuan Desert (which stretches from northern Mexico into Arizona and New Mexico) into a verdant grassland simply with carefully managed cattle herding.

This just blows my mind. You have to see it to believe it. I guess I’ve been prejudiced against cows, but grassfed and with enough pasture to rotate them out frequently, they are an incredible asset. And I can attest to the amazing flavor of grassfed beef.

The cows are mimicking the role of the buffalo before the colonizers all but wiped them out.

If enough of my seeds germinate despite the omnipresent squirrels, I’ll post some pictures in coming weeks.

My faovorite weather blogger calls this “beautiful satellite imagery”

I love ya, bro but really?

Seattle is the red star. I’m a little NW of that. Being in a somewhat clear area is encouraging but obviously the optimism is only temporary. And “cold unstable air”? At least in the present moment everything is stable, just the tiniest wisp of a breeze. But it’s 45 degrees, man. Not sticking my hands into cold wet soil today.

There are weeds to be pulled, chaos to be pushed back, oregano to be pulled/harvested/burned, and a seedbed to be watered (that I can do) because this is the second day of no rain. Just the seedbed today, just the seedbed…then go back inside to another cup of coffee and a day of writing.

It’s not even May yet…May is usually iffy, June is sometimes iffy, the NW joke is that July 5th is the first day of summer…

Gardening, procrastination, blogs, and the Oregano Wars

My spring gardening gets along well with my procrastination. I have no heat pads nor do I have space for starting anything indoors, so instead I occasionally water my one raised bed in the garden area where I’ve planted peas, chives, and wildflowers and my one container outside that has more wildflower seeds in it. Last night it rained some, so no watering necessary today.

Instead I read other garden blogs. I’m gathering a list of things I can do indoors that are kind of garden-ish. I’ve learned how to make seedling pots out of newspaper –https://youtu.be/7dlGQP81yfo?si=H2OzgO4jqOlmVczt ; I only made one and am thinking of it as garden origami. It’s on my desk full of odds and ends. Now I have reduced the constant clutter. Maybe if I make 999 more, my garden will do well this year…meanwhile, I’ve done a tiny bit of recycling and housekeeping…

I sprouted some scarlet runner beans to test viability and potted one sprout because I couldn’t stand sending them all to the compost. And I found a few inches of space on a table by a window…

I read about a rookie gardener, gardening with a friend for support. I choose to garden with a plastic lawn chair that I can drag along with me, useful when getting up after kneeling or the ultimate support – break time.

To those of you who have space to force bulbs indoors…I salute you! Now is the time most of those babies are blooming. I did this once, years ago. I may bring in a daffodil this year.

Outside, I’m starting to wrangle with my worst decision ever…oregano plants that have spread everywhere. A few plants many years ago have appeared everywhere, threatening to take over the world. I love oregano; how was I to know there were two kinds, the kind that stays in one place and the kind that rivals the squirrels in ultimate real estate takeovers. I think I must have planted Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare), which propagates by seed and by underground runners.

I should have planted it in pots. However, my time machine is currently in the shop, so I am slowly cutting it to the ground, and pruning again later in the season before it flowers. Anything not containing seeds will be composted, seeds will be burned. I will only be able to partially contain it, but this will have to do. It is even growing between the pavers on the driveway…

“Dealing with Oregano” replaces my sporadic indoor exercise program, weather permitting. I leave those decisions to the Department of Procrastination.

When is less more in garden design?

Far be it from me to tell you what you can and can’t do in your garden…go for it, whatever your “it” is…

But for me, there are lines in the sand.

Garden gnomes are a hard no. Ok maybe one cute little guy peeking out from behind a bunch of plants. A gazebo would be nice. Maybe a scarecrow. But this? Maybe I got lost at Disneyland as a child, or was locked in a closet…this gives me PTSD and claustrophobia.

And this…maybe in a palace garden somewhere…

But not in my garden. I like more green, less sesame street. And spaces…

Overwatering. I will never do this because my husband turns off sprinklers when he thinks my garden has had enough. Even if the sprinkler is emitting a mist (which I try to leave on overnight once a week during August and whenever it’s dry).

As you can see, less is more in my garden when it comes to garden decorations, masses of neon colors, and floods. When is less, more in your yard and garden?

Wake up your soil! Gentle techniques to prepare raised beds (because earthworms hate mornings too!)

Spring is creeping around the corner, and if you’re finally raising your head from your winter slumber, maybe you’re aching to see green again! Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or a newbie ready to turn that patch of soil into a paradise of produce, prepping your raised beds early gives your plants a head start. Let’s dive into the steps to wake up your garden, once it’s dry enough that you won’t destroy the soil structure. Be gentle, because earthworms are not morning people, and like to hide in the dark.

Step 1: Assess the Condition of Your Raised Beds

Winter can be rough on raised beds, so start by giving yours a once-over. Check for:

Rotting or damaged wood (if you have wooden beds) or shifting structures.
Soil erosion—has the soil settled too much?
Weeds or leftover plant debris from last season.
Pests or fungal issues lurking beneath the surface.

If anything looks amiss, now’s the time to repair, reinforce, or replace as needed.

Step 2: Wake Up the Soil

Winter can leave your soil compacted and nutrient-depleted. Here’s how to refresh it:

Loosen the soil with a garden fork, but don’t overwork it—you want to maintain that rich structure.
Add compost—about an inch or two—to replenish nutrients.
Incorporate organic matter like aged manure or leaf mold for improved texture and fertility.
Check soil pH and nutrients with a simple test kit; adjust accordingly with amendments like lime (for acidic soil) or sulfur (for alkaline soil).
My preferred method of adding to compacted soil in a raised bed is to create a grid of small trenches by pulling aside a few inches of soil, adding compost or leaf mold into the trenches, then covering with the soil you moved. This creates ridges. I plant between them, then change the placement of the ridges each year.

Step 3: Boost the Microbial Life

Healthy soil is teeming with beneficial microbes that help plants thrive. Encourage these tiny helpers by:

Sprinkling worm castings or water with compost tea.
Mulching with straw or shredded leaves to retain moisture and warmth.
Avoiding synthetic fertilizers that can disrupt the natural balance of soil life.

Step 4: Plan & Organize Your Planting Layout

Raised beds offer prime real estate, so be strategic about what goes where:

Rotate crops to prevent soil depletion and reduce disease risks.
Companion plant to maximize space and deter pests naturally.
Consider early season crops like peas, spinach, radishes, and carrots, which can handle cool temperatures.

Step 5: Set Up Any Needed Structures

Spring weather can be unpredictable. Get ahead of the game by:

Installing hoop houses or row covers for frost protection.
Adding trellises for climbing plants like peas and beans.
Setting up drip irrigation or soaker hoses for consistent watering as the weather warms up.

Final Step: Mulch & Water

If you haven’t mulched already, do it now, and then water lightly daily. You want to keep the bed moist but not soggy.

Get Ready to Grow!

With your raised beds refreshed and ready, you’re set for an abundant gardening season. Whether you’re growing fresh greens, root veggies, or flowers, your early prep work will pay off in healthier plants and bigger harvests. Happy gardening!

Not quite ready for spring gardening…

Me in the garden the other day, staring down at my “raised” bed:

It’s not clear, I know…I know…let me try to explain…

I pushed half of the soil aside with a rake, then placed small fir branches, then I stepped on them to break them up a bit and pack them in. I then shoveled some duff from under the fir trees into a wheelbarrow and dumped that in. Duff is this stuff under a couple trees, not sure what it is, maybe some sawdust from long ago logging, also what’s sluffed off of a rotten old stump, fir needles, and ?

On top of that went some half finished and finished compost along with some worms, then I pushed the soil back over the top. Then I looked at the other half and realized I was exhausted.

Yes, I’m that old and out of shape. Baby steps all over again. I decided to skip the hügelkultur on the second half of the bed, my bad.

The next day I pushed a small trellis into the middle of the bed and planted peas on one side and sweet peas on the other, without bending over. I made a shallow trench with a piece of bamboo, kinda tossed in the seeds, and pushed the soil with the back of a rake to cover.

I scattered chives seeds around the edge and onion and milkweed seeds over the rest of the bed. And called it done. Putting off watering until later…but about half an hour after I came inside, it started raining. And rained off and on for the rest of the day.

Many thanks from a weary ol’ gardener. But now I water with a watering can every day.

Fall and Winter: What’s a gardener to do?

1. Sleep deeply under warm wool blankets, dreaming.

2. Fall: yard and garden cleanup, mulching, admiring foliage.

3. Winter: Bundle up in a wool sweater while sipping tea from your herb garden and looking at seed catalogs. Plan ways to outsmart the squirrels and bunnies.

4. Read a good gardening book –

Novice Gardener’s Guide to Raised Bed Gardening