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Everything is new: New location, different growing season, different soil!

Early views of the 5 acres of grasses ranging from wetland to buffer varieties appeared to be amenable to finding a relatively small garden plot for vegetables, though we imagined some challenges. While we were still living in the trailer we attempted to grow tomatoes and pole beans in the native soil. The results were disappointing - early summer didn't provide enough heat to satisfy tomatoes and both grew poorly. One conclusion was that the soil was too poor for growing vegetables.
A soil test and later attempts confirmed this. We were able to grow flowers in containers, but growing in the native soil required major soil amendments even in flower beds next to the house.

We added to the native plants brought in in 2022, additional Blue elderberry, (none of the original survived), Red flowering currant, and red-osier dogwood. The tastes of deer and elk dictated that we put a wire cage around each transplanting is we wanted it to survive.

Later in the year we ordered several plants from a commercial nursery, Burnt Ridge Nursery.

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