Going 'round the blueberry grove

Morning temp: 63F
Afternoon high: 77F
Tonight's projected low: 57F
Mostly Cloudy, with a North Wind 1 mph
Humidity: 100%
Moon: O (99% Full)

1. In addition to the garden, M and I have developed a strong interest in fruit-bearing bushes and trees, probably because they grow very well here, they're beautiful, and we can eat what they give us! Also, our home is a two-family, which we share with my parents, J and C. Three years ago, J put in seven blueberry bushes just off the back porch of the house. He tended, trimmed and watered them dutifully, and in their second year they produced many gallons of heavenly blueberries - to think we used to pay $4 for a miniscule-sized container of perhaps fifty berries, good grief : ( ... and now we have thousands, virtually for free : ) This Spring, it seems, M and I have informally assumed the care of the blueberry grove (the bbg, as we call it). So early this morning I laid down 100' of soaker-hose, halled 15 bags of composting leaves up from behind the garden, and mulched the bbg. I also gave the bbs long draughts of magical worm-tea, fertilized the soil with organic bone meal and dried blood, and then gave the entire bbg a good soaking. M discovered the soaker-hoses last Spring, and we've used them ever since; because they water the soil directly (as opposed to broadcasting water through the air and onto plant leaves, as do sprinklers), they use far less water and do a far better job of watering. Of course, the mulch will shield the soil from the hot Summer sun and thus also conserve water. The iron from the decaying leaves will help feed the bbs.

2. Since we're anticipating a large bb harvest, we've also been thinking through some measures to protect the bbg from neighboring birds. We considered simply draping bird-netting over the tops of the plants, but this could easily develop into a royal pain in the ass come picking time. So, I've devised the following plan: the bbg is laid out in a triangular shape, 3 large plants on the back row, 2 medium plants in the middle row, and two new and smaller plants up front. Accordingly, I'm setting three 4' X 4' X 10' posts (which I found simply lying around and thus were free) in the ground around the perimeter of the bbg, one at each point of the triangle. Each post is set at 1' depth, and held in place by gravel heaped in around its base - concrete seemed a bit over-the-top. Next, I'm thinking of running long bamboo poles (J planted bamboo 20 years ago where the back yard meets the woods and it's grown steadily) between the posts, and then draping the bird-netting down the sides and over the top. In theory, this should keep out the birds while allowing the human easy access. We'll see. So far, I've put in two of the three posts - there's a pipeline running underneath a section of our yard, and I need to be certain I won't hit it before I begin digging in its proximity - so it may be a few days before this project is completed. We're not, by the way, anti-bird: we'll left one bb bush unprotected out by the garden. Bon appetite!

3. The sixth garden bed is double-dug, with two two bags of composting leaves worked-into the soil and a two inches of peat moss layered on top. Two thirds of this bed was fairly easy digging; we've been watering the undug beds regularly through the Fall and Winter in order to soften and loosen the soil. The final third, though, was slow and difficult; the bottom twelve inches was dense, heavy red clay. In fact, I could only turn 6 - 9 inches here. I'm worn out.