The excavating work is finally done. The topsoil has been spread out restoring our view of the meadow, and providing a place to plant the garden. I spent a day raking and leveling the grade to prepare for seeding, and spread the seed. The stock price for Aleve went up that day.
We have used three blends of seed provided by Michigan Wildflower Farm. The first is a blend for use over drain fields that has a number of native grasses and wildflowers, but does not develop extensively deep root systems like the native prairie grasses. The second is a blend of seven fescues that are all very drought tolerant and require no watering in our climate. They are very slow growing, and will only get about 8” long. It can be mowed if desired to look like a lawn, which we might do if we are planning to entertain, but otherwise we will let it grow naturally. This seed is planted next to the house in about a 15 to 25 foot exclusion zone for potential food sources provided by seed bearing plants. The third seed mix is a wildflower and prairie grass mix that is designed to attract wildlife. This covers any remaining open ground that was disturbed during construction or as part of the restoration. The original owners had installed a gravel driveway that did not suit our needs, and we removed it after using it for construction, and are restoring it to native plants.I did design the irrigation system with the help of my new friends at Tractor Supply Company. They inventory a small solar panel, a 1/12 hp DC pump, and storage batteries. With various pipe and fittings, I will have a solar powered irrigation system going by the end of the weekend. Our 1,000 gallon cistern filled up after one ¼” rainfall, so we needn’t worry about conserving water for our small garden as that is a fairly average rainfall in this area. We can install a broadcast sprinkler system rather than a drip irrigation system, and still have plenty left over.
I had constructed a shed to be used later for a greenhouse, for use as a tool shed and field office during construction on top of two 6 x 6 wood timbers. I located the shed out of the way during construction knowing that we would need to move it afterwards. I installed two eyebolts in the timbers, and with the help of the excavator's bobcat and a cable, we towed the shed to its current location near the garden, and on top of the rainwater cistern. The solar panels will fasten to the roof of the greenhouse.
Judy has started planting the garden, with tomatoes, squash, a couple of berry bushes, and a pumpkin plant. We should have corn, and beans by the weekend, and then we need to install a fence that the deer won’t jump over, and the bunnies won’t burrow through. I will have to stand out there in a straw hat and a rake like Mr. MacGregor.
We did have one casualty for our experiment already. The water treatment system we were so excited about has been returned to the manufacturer for a refund. We were getting a rotten egg smell from the water which is caused by a bacterium that munches on oxidizing iron. Our iron content it turns out is pretty high, and that particular treatment system did not do anything to help in that regard. We are still looking at other treatment options that will be more comprehensive without using salt. Salt can cause health issues, changes the texture and flavor of the water, and it is constantly adding salt to the aquifer, which is not good for the long term.
