My brother, landscaper extraordinaire, came over earlier this week and created some lovely raised beds for us. Most amazing was his sod cutter. It quickly and cleanly removed all of that pesky grass, which he then promptly rolled up in little bundles and deposited in our ever-growing compost pile. We hope to establish some asparagus, plant a cutting garden of annuals (zinnias, larkspur, cosmos, bachelor buttons, sunflowers, asters), and try some greens and herbs.
I'm a little worried about pest control - woodchucks, rabbits, deer, and who knows what else. We live at the edge of forest and field. I think anything tasty will be doomed. We have had great success with a non-toxic spray to keep the deer away from the strawberries. It is a concoction that smells like rotten eggs. We know it works, because last year we didn't spray early enough and one section of the plants was nibbled to the quick. On a walk this evening, I stopped to say hello to some neighbors who were out in their garden. We talked about pest control. Their strategy is to plant crops that have no appeal to pests - lots of onions, leeks, garlic, potatoes, scallions, and the like.
My dear boy spent quite a bit of our gardening time up in one of the apple trees. Just last week he got a cast removed from an arm he broke a month ago. All I could think was, what if he falls out of the tree and breaks another bone, or worse. Then, I had to set aside that mama worry and let him alone. He was so happy.