Let’s try this again

So, 2017 was a bust.  Changing jobs (not by choice), family health issues, and assorted other problems proved to be too much of a distraction to actually have a successful garden (or post anything on my site for that matter).  We got a small collection of tomatoes, a few other odds and ends, but the majority either didn’t produce or got eaten.  The only bits that were somewhat successful were the eggplant and the dill weed.  All in all, a disappointing year.

We still have quite a few family health and other issues going, but I have a steady job, and I missed having a garden to work in.  I’m going to put in the effort this year to try for a better outcome.  I’m getting a late start for the aforementioned reasons plus the weather here in GA has been fickle.

So to celebrate my birthday I rented a rear-tine tiller and cleared the ground again.  It was overgrown with grass/weed/detritus and the little electric I have wouldn’t hack it.  I’ve forgotten how much work those monsters are to run.  I had to lean back and keep it from jumping forwarded every time it hit a bit of tough clay, almost felt like I was water skiing behind the tiller most of the afternoon.

Today I got the peat moss, and other dirt condiments spread out on the ground and tilled it in with my electric.  It does a fine job if the ground is already broken up, just can’t do much with hard clay and/or heavy weeds.  Then the hard work with the hoe to make the rows.  The three raised beds were a mess as well, so cleared those out and added peat moss and perlite.  Finally got the potatoes put out too.  Growing those in felt bags this year.  I feel like I’ve been beaten with a dirty stick, but I got the ground ready.  Just have to plant the seeds.

Including a couple of pix of the results…

Raised Beds from above
Yard-level shot
Another shot of the rows from the deck