Holes to go

Risa wants to try out her new Ho-mi, or "Korean Hoe." The weather for once is cooperating. Let's gather up our flats of peas, corn, and butternut squash and our kneeling bench and head out. Wait! First, let's admire the irises and stuff. Sorry about the ornamental poppies, they're over two weeks behind, this year.

So, let's get down to it; ground level. Risa doesn't know what she'd do without her bench.

First, we pull away the mulch. This is a lasagna garden, so one of the layers down there is flattened cardboard (with plastic tape and labels removed). It's very soggy and pulls aside right along with the straw, compost and grass clippings.

Next, open the earth a little. The tool is heavy enough to whack right in, one-handed -- just like swinging a hammer or hatchet. Ignore the camera strap at stage right!

Grab a pot, invert it, squeeze, lift it away, flip the contents into the hole right-side-up, and tamp.

Now pull back some of the mulch over the "hill" to hide the tender starts from the starlings, who are being bad this year. They're attracted by the "disturbed soil" look of the black potting mix, seems like. They dig up seeds and crack them, hence the emphasis on pots this year.

Done? Great! Bump down the bed a ways; only seventy-one more holes to go...