"January is the quietest month in the garden... But just because it looks quiet doesn't mean that nothing is happening. The soil, open to the sky, absorbs the pure rainfall while microorganisms convert tilled-under fodder into usable nutrients for the next crop of plants. The feasting earthworms tunnel along, aerating the soil and preparing it to welcome the seeds and bare roots to come."- Sunset, 1/99
Here in North Carolina, we have been preparing a collection of new planting beds since last November on a local farm that's managed through principles of regenerative agriculture. As a planner at heart, there was nothing more exciting than plotting and imagining the kind of garden we wanted to have come spring and building a solid foundation for all kinds of plant life to flourish!
Getting to Work
As I took advantage of the warmer days this week to plant out our pre-sprouted ranunculi, earthworms were burrowing and poking their heads out as if they were screaming, 'look at us, we've been hard at work all winter long!" (For those who are curious about our soil prep method, here is a picture that gives you a general idea of what we did. We did not follow it to a tee, but we did enough to get things started :)
In a week or so, we'll be working just as hard as the earthworms and all the microorganisms down under. Some days, I'm overwhelmed just by thinking about the hours I'll need for all the chores to be done or reshuffling our planting plans to fit everything in. But most days, I feel nothing but energy from the visualization of all that will be, and the reminder that the field is where I feel most alive, basking in the sun and exercising those stiff bones from having worked at my laptop for too long.
How is your garden coming along? Have you started, or not at all? In any case, be sure to follow along on our season's progress on Instagram and perhaps check out some of our supplies here!
