This little 9x16-foot garden is one of this year's winter projects. I call it the Outhouse Garden because it's on the way to the outhouse. Though small, it was a considerable amount of work -- setting the retaining wall in concrete, straining the rocks out of the dirt and then wheelbarrowing it to the garden, gluing together the pvc irrigation pipes, and painting the wall. But the end results looks intentional, which is an important aspect of a project like this.
I drive the rototiller up the dirt ramp on the right. I tilled in about 3/4 of a bale of alfalfa hay, which is all the dirt would hold. Then I sprinkled the remaining 1/4 bale on top as a mulch. I'll be leaving this garden fallow this summer, but will irrigate it to activate the weed seeds, and will till the weed seedlings every month or so throughout the summer. This spot was a weed patch for several years, and I want to get rid of as many weed seeds as I possibly can. I will eventually run an overflow pipe from the 1100-gallon water catchment tank to the garden.
This view shows the two rows of sprayers facing each other. This is overkill, but ensures an even irrigation pattern. I have the sprayers close to the ground so that the water will hit the plants and remain in the garden.
The all-important drain valve for the buried irrigation pipe. Frost can penetrate a considerable distance through a thin retaining wall like this. Note to self: it is necessary to actually open this valve before the first freeze.
Scattered hay makes a nice pattern picture.
