Garden pretty

April 17, 2009

This time of the year is all about gardening. Yesterday was spent in the kitchen garden (when I wasn't helping kiddos with sewing projects, babysitting slugs named Peanut Butter and preparing meals). Unfortunately the garden as whole doesn't photograph very well right now; there's not much growing.

But if you get a little closer there is a lot of beauty to be found. One of the pleasures of photography is finding these beauties in otherwise blah surroundings.

So here's a couple tips for taking better garden photos: If the whole scene is rather lifeless (like the photo above) get up close and personal and find the pretty pictures where you can. And take photos in the morning, evening or on an overcast day because bright afternoon sun is very harsh lighting for photo taking.

And what exactly was I doing in the garden yesterday? So glad you asked. I love to talk about my garden.

Dug up the old carrot bed just because I like to dig.

The sunflowers will be planted there and in the bed next to the wood pea trellis next month.

Dug and added compost to the pea beds under the white antique bed frame.

I picked these up at a yard sale a couple years ago. I knew immediately what I wanted them for when I saw them. I hang a net on them for the peas to vine up.

Cleaned up the herb & butterfly bed against the house.

Pruned last year's butterfly bush growth and used it to build a pea trellis (see below).

Contemplated where to move my strawberries that are taking over the garden.

I'm thinking a concrete bunker might be needed.

Partially turned the compost.

That is one heavy job I tell you. I've been working on our compost for almost 4 years. We now have 3 separate compost areas. Leaded soil compost, kitchen scrap compost and pruning compost.

Built a trellis for more peas, where the tomatoes were last year.

I used branches pruned from the butterfly bush and other odds & ends I've been collecting over the years. We have no trees on our property (the neighbor's maple shades part of our yard thank goodness) so I have to be creative in finding wood for garden projects.

Dug and added compost to the new pea bed.

Oohed and awed at all the beautiful worms I turned up.

Built a little bed for the creeping thyme, using the no-dig/newspaper/lasagna method.

I started that thyme from seed last year and it survived the winter. I'm hoping to nurture it along so I can make a stone walking path, planting the thyme between the cracks.

Planted the shell peas and snap peas.

I added inoculant to the peas, we'll see if that helps boost the yield or whatever it is that inoculant is supposed to do.

Admired the little seedlings in the raised bed.

I finally have something to show for all that hard work of building the raised bed.

</ul> Oh, and one more photo tip. If you're taking photos of plants growing in dark soil you'll need to fiddle with your exposure so that your camera doesn't automatically overexpose the shot and "wash out" the soil.