Chronicles of a Postage Stamp Gardener: Soaking & Sketching by a Waning Moon

“If you watch the growth of your garden awhile in relation to various phases of the moon, you’ll see some startling things.”

– Duane Newcombe

I’ve had a busy week reading, soaking, sketching and finally doing some planting — all while the moon is waning! Not being much of an artist, I never thought I would be sketching my soon-to-be vegetable garden, all while running in and out of my house to pencil in notes and diagram the placement of vegetables. I’ve caught myself more than a few times staring at the ground daydreaming about when (and if) this pile of dirt will start to grow.

I’m eager to offer you, my loyal readers, more than my gardening trials and tribulations. In the weeks to come, I’m expecting to provide plenty of garden fresh recipes. It’s this hope that keeps me digging and getting dirtier than I’ve ever been before.

This week, I had to decide what vegetables would grow best in my IPS garden. Thanks to Newcombe, Chapter 6 is devoted to this task so I spent time reading about each vegetable, alphabetically listed, to determine which ones I would plant. A few days later, when the moon was at its final stage of waning, I trudged outside, trench coat shielding me from April’s showers, and began to plant seeds. As I dug, I wondered if my past efforts had successfully rehabbed the soil. I gently scattered seeds for peas, lettuce, beets, radishes, kale and carrots. I didn’t worry so much about precise planting since Newcombe says it’s ok to thin your garden later when the plants come up.

I also divided each of my gardens in half and then in quarters or thirds to ensure what Newcombe calls “continual harvest” by planting in subsections 5 to 10 ten days a part. Left to my own devices, I probably would have to throw all my seeds in at once. But

I’ve learned that this staggered planting approach works well for a novice gardener who appreciates a break once in a while.

More next week!