The kitchens garden is all about planting and growing. Trees, bushes, all of it. Wild fairy gardens. No Mow Lawns. Wilding fields. We are 17 years in and already this little property has become a kingdom of movement and sounds and rustlings in and around and under the trees. (When I arrived here there were three old elms around a little white cracker box house and two mulberries by the barn so the land has come a long way and it is thanking us).
Yet I am always surprised by I see a little wild creature living its whole life way down underneath the canopy that the trees are creating.
For example – These fat toads.
We have lots of water in our well so I left the swamp hose running under a stressed lilac yesterday and when I came back, I saw a toad lazily hopping from one bush under another to get closer to the water. He just sat there in the damp earth. Thinking whatever toads think.
Every time a big terracotta pot cracks or breaks I pop it into the garden to become a hiding place for toads.
I got my wish and a bumblebee spent a good part of the day in the glasshouse (sleeping mostly – bumblebees sleep around 8 hours in a 24 hour period and love to take catnaps in flowers). Which meant that I left the door open so he could get back out when he was ready. (I was tying up the tomatoes so it was nice to have the company of a sleeping bumblebee).
I also hand pollinated a few zuchinni as they are already flowering profusely.
He is sleeping on a potato plant leaf in the glasshouse. A potato, I hear you say; in the glasshouse? Well, I answer, it was sprouting in the kitchen so I just popped it a corner of soil in the glasshouse. I mean – why not right? We will see.
Bees and butterflies at work in the flowers.
And birds and of course the obligatory rooster. The lilacs are fairly humming!
The corridor paddock has become a parking spot for the tractor accessories. The yellow contraption is the hay mower. That is a curtain to make sure the hay lays into a row.
At least in here I don’t have to mow around them.
Ever so slowly this region is warming up. I am glad it is slow. The gardens are doing so much better with a slow rise in temperatures. However – no rain still. So I am watering. I need all my plants well established and well mulched but the time I go away to NZ at the end of June.
It is Memorial Day here.
A day for remembering for some and a cook out for others. Or both. As usual I have been wandering the gardens for greens and tasty weeds to make a monster green salad to take to Johns family lunch.
Have a lovely day!
Celi
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Going forward (as I settle into a rhythm and after chatting with Darlene this morning) I am going to publish the recordings at the same time as the written chapter for ALL subscribers. So you have one email instead of two. And for the paid subscribers (thank you so much for supporting me to write and read) I will have an extra podcast for you from June 1st – the TKG podcast – it is a work in progress and might not be the same two weeks in a row but I thank you in advance for your critique!
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The Kitchen's Garden 
40 responses to “Plant the trees and they will come”
Unbelievably I have been here for 35 years, 10 on my own, 20 with John and now back on my own. There were two immense maples and a fragrant red cedar when I came. Sadly one maple went down in a 100mph straight wind but I have added many many trees and flower gardens. Now it’s my paradise, yesterday the sky was a brilliant blue and I looked up through the giant maple’s leaves to see a breathtaking color combination. The bright green against the bright blue was stunning. My favorite place is a swing chair on the back deck, it gets quite loud with the birds squabbling at the feeders and the bees buzzing. Who needs more than this?
Indeed Sherry! the image of you sitting in your swing chair on the back deck is so lovely. I wish you SO MUCH JOY! out there in your hard won paradise!
hooray
Yes!!!
All the small creatures are welcomed in my small garden space as well! I walk through the areas I need to weed whip before I start to make sure the toads will be safe. When I water I always look out for the sleeping bees so they won’t have a rude awakening. I talk to everything in my yard and I do believe they are more comfortable because of it. I love that you have a closeness and respect for the creatures in your world as well.
Thank you for sharing your world in pictures and gentle words.
You are most welcome Dorie – thank you for watching out for your bees and talking your way around the garden ! Delightful.
Beautiful