Hugelkultur!

     According to Wikipedia, "Hügelkultur is a composting process employing raised beds constructed from decaying wood debris and other compostable biomass plant materials. The process helps to improve soil fertility, water retention, and soil warming, thus benefiting plants grown on or near such mounds."

     This is my first try with Hugelkultur, and I have to say I am very happy about this new adventure.  Yesterday, our oldest daughter helped me in the garden (I have a second Garden Fairy!) and we dug the pit.  See, you dig a pit. I think most people probably dig it deeper than we did, but this will have to do.  Then, with a little help from me and the Fairy, my husband hauled a lot of rotting wood up from our wood lot and we spread that out in the pit.  Then we covered it back up with earth.

     That will sit there and molder until Spring and then I will plant in it.  Not only do I enjoy experimenting in the garden, but that part of the garden tends to be very wet in the Spring, and so now it is a raised bed, and I won't have to fight the puddles!  

Here I am, digging...

Here is the pit filled with rotting wood...

And here is the Hugelkultur bed covered back up with earth...

     We also threw a lot of compostable waste from the garden in before we put the wood in... such as trimmings from asparagus, weeds, old vegetable plants, etc..

     Hopefully, I'll be able to give you a good report next year.