Some Cabbages, No Kings

I know I’ve mentioned our island’s new community gardens to you before. Yesterday Paul and I were out for a walk with my new camera and we peered over this deer-resistant (never say deerproof, you’ll hear them laughing out there and moving in for the challenge!) fence to see what the driving force behind that project has done in his own back yard. Very impressive, I’d say, for a January garden. A few years ago, we all watched curiously and admiringly as this man and his wife built the raised beds, the solid fence (you can’t see the wires strung for an additional two feet of height), the mason bee boxes mounted on those posts at the back of this photo, the practical and decorative climbing structures. He’ll have great drainage and lots of sun (at least, as much as we get in this climate) where he is, but he’s had to put considerable effort into enriching the soil. Look at the results, though. Orderly, productive, beautiful, soothing somehow.

I’ve just cropped and zoomed for this next photo, but I absolutely love these giant cabbages (are they Savoy? with their crinkly leaves?). Having peeked over this fence, I’m especially excited about Paul’s new project (the man gets quite restless after a few days relaxing and starts coming up with projects in the yard and/or house — I’ve taught him not to prune without asking first!): He’s built three raised beds in an underused section of our yard — the section’s a bit short on sunshine, but there’s a weedy maple that I wouldn’t feel at all guilty about removing, so it might be workable. Certainly, we manage to get raspberries to ripen nearby every year. I’d love to have vegetables growing in our yard again — it’s been years. Carrots, anyone? Kohlrabi?