Progress on the Rock Wall Garden
One of my focus projects at the farm is restoring our rock walls and turning the area around them into a place of beauty again. Many of the rocks have fallen down and the wall is overgrown with weeds and scrub bushes. Recently, I spent some time working on the rock wall and adding some rich barn dirt. Here’s some of my progress.
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Progress on the Rock Wall Garden
Down by the barn, we have this amazing rock wall but it is overgrown, falling down, and an eyesore. Over the past few weeks, I have been pulling back the weeds and exposing the rocks so I could start rebuilding. It’s definitely hard work but so very rewarding to see the wall coming back together.
My next step was to fill in the area above the wall with rich dirt from the barn so I can plant some native flowers in that space to help with weed control throughout the year.
Our barn has not had cows for many years, but the deep dirt on the floor is rich and perfect for this project. It just requires quite a bit of shoveling and moving with the wheelbarrow.
After multiple trips back and forth with the dirt, I have a spot ready for the flowers to be planted. There were some daffodils growing right on the driveaway area where vehicles were going to run over them, so I went ahead and moved them into the new flower bed area.
Now I just need to wait till the weather is a little warmer so I can plant some more flowers in the new flower bed.
I’m always ready to learn something new about farming, gardening, and growing a sustainable homestead. Here are the two books I’m currently reading.
The Sustainable Homestead
If you’re like most homesteaders, the dream is to make the most of your land by working with it, not against it. From capturing water and building strong soil to helping your animals live their best lives, The Sustainable Homestead is about making your homestead stronger by achieving synergy between what can seem like different parts.
In this book, new and veteran homesteaders alike can find detailed information to put to use this year, this month, even this week! Angela—also the co-host of the HOMESTEADucation podcast and author of the Little Homesteader/Little Country Cottage series of children’s books—has spent more than a decade building and strengthening her small acreage homestead and shares the lessons through chapters covering site selection, soil, growing, animals, the role of the homesteader, and much more.
Buy on Amazon.com
Tiny and Wild
Whether you live in the city or in suburbia, perfect places for a mini meadow are everywhere:
- A small corner of the yard
- The pocket-sized area between the house and driveway
- Along a property line
- Flanking the front walk
- Around your mailbox
- Tucked next to the front stoop
- At the center of the vegetable garden
- In a raised bed
- Containers, deck boxes, and patio pots
- In the sliver of land between the sidewalk and the street
Buy on Amazon.com
The plant lists and charts in Tiny & Wild share the best plants to include in your micro prairie, and Graham offers plenty of practical advice on planting your meadow from seed, transplants, or mature plants, depending on your budget, the site, and your timeline. Plus, learn how to care for your wildflower planting, including tips for watering, plant care, and weed management.
Have you ever worked on a historic rock wall? Got any stories or pictures to share? It’s hard work but so very rewarding! I’ll share more progress pictures as I get more work done!
