The South 40

Yes, We now are sharecroppers...lot#21 at the Suisun City Public Gardens is ours. I landed lot 21 as it was right next door to Ms. P who is OUR resident (well...almost) plant expert. Her patch of flowering sweetpeas is the wall that separates our little patch (100 sq. ft) of parched desert-like and weed infested soil from hers.
I framed the 10 X 10 ft space in with 2 X 6 inch pressure-treated fir yesterday morning. Then I went to our old house across town and brought over a shovel without a handle, a rake in similar condition, a broken hoe, a plug planter device and our ancient rusted but still serviceable wheelbarrow with the rotted handles. So we are set, sort of. Then this morning I ventured out to the plot to find a large cadre of church folks (mostly men) cultivating, digging, spreading manure and having a generally boistrus time of being mini-farmers on about 10 plots the church had leased from the city of Suisun. I spent the next hour and a half pulling remaining weeds, and hauling sand/soil mix to my plot to prepare it for planting...maybe Monday. So what am I going to plant? Tomatoes are my number one crop, I use many tomatoes in my cooking and your own fresh, just picked are better than anything you can get at a conventional grocery store hereabouts. Most come from Mexico this time of year, hot house raised and green as grass so you have several days to wait until they age-ripen to a bright red. No...they aren't terrific...but I only buy Roma type as they sauce better anyway and aren't ever watery.
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I'm back from the Plot, put down a layer of newspaper (helps retain water) and then 10 large wheelbarrow loads of compost. The bed is about 7" deep now with a clay base underneigh. Forecast is for rain on Tuesday so I'd like to get my first seeds in before hand. I orderred some Roma tomatoe plants, some eggplant and basil as seedlings from Territorial Seed Co. in Oregon. I've used their seeds before and have been quite pleased with their vitality. Should be here in a few days according to the web site.