Sometimes it all seems overwhelming. But it is usually not as hard as it looks. We are moving forward on Phase One of the permaculture plan for the property. First I cleaned up the raised bed, planted the garlic and tossed the old hay in the raised bed. In keeping with working from temporary to permanent, we had set up the next space with "milk crates". Yes, that was the space she wanted. I cleaned up the space and the milk crates, put down cardboard for weed control and waited it down with the crates. That space is ready for next season. It sounds like a lot, but it only took an hour. Next I get ready to put in the fence posts. This is all following the process from the Garden Planner and Design Workshop in the classroom. What plans are you putting in place to get ready for next season, or solve challenges encountered this season?

The biggest garden that I am working with right now is a raised bed that is 3 feet wide and 12 feet long. This is the demonstration garden for the Garden Planner and Design Workshop. This phase 1 garden is nearing its completion point with me slowly filling the bed with beautiful, rich soil. It doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. I fill the bed up every year with the leaves that fall from the trees, the small twigs, and any compostable material that won't attract critters. I buy eggs in paper cartons so they can go in there as well. The ash from the wood fires that I burn for ceremony and outdoor cooking is a good mineral source but don't over do it. Lawn clippings can be a good nitrogen source when they are mixed in with dry material. This year we had some grassy hay left over from other projects, so that went in the raised garden as well. The cautions: Watch out for herbicides. If any of the material has herbicide residue, it can kill vegetables. Weed seeds in the material that you put in the bed can cause issues next year. The soil that you are building can go out of ph balance. If you put crop residue in the bed, be sure that you are following crop rotation principles with the residue as well as with the crops. I put tomato and potato residue in one section of the bed. Next year, I will be careful not to plant tomatoes or potatoes in that area.

This is the last session of the Garden Planning and Design Workshop. Let's move forward the easy way. One tiny step at a time. The entire workshop is in the classroom. Follow this step by step process to get the garden that you want.

Just for full disclosure, I love blackberries. I love to forage for them when they are OUT of the garden space. They are tasty and oh so healthy. But there is a scrubby area just off of the property where I am designing a permaculture food system. Blackberries spread through runners and are invading the garden space. So today's Stump Auntie Vicky: Figure out how to manage the invasion of the blackberries. The challenge: They are coming in from a "city owned" space that is unmanaged. The property owner has physical limitations that do not allow intensive management of invaders. The process: As a part of the clean up and prep for fencing, I will be cutting back the blackberries and digging out as much root as I can. (They are medicinal, so I will be using them.) Over the next few weeks, I will be researching management techniques that hopefully will keep the blackberries in the wild areas where they contribute to the abundance of the area without becoming a management problem. The Question: Can I develop a win-win plan? Or do I owe the owner of the property a STUMP AUNTIE VICKY prize? Put your 2 cents worth in the comments. Check back to find out the results.

I found this book on discount when I was in college. I would have to say that this might be the best investment that I have ever made. Investing in knowledge and skills is always a good investment. Vegetable and Herb Gardening was published by Consumer Guide. This copy is printed on newsprint and bound in hard back. The pages are yellowed and brittle, but this is still the first book that I reach for. It has a bit of everything that you need for successful resiliency gardening from growing, to harvest, to preserving. This is geared more towards conventional style gardening, but the information is easily translated to tiny gardens.