Mounds of dirt form

On February 14, I dug out part of the front lawn's south slope, which will eventually become an herb and flower garden. However, I look the wood to properly terrace this section, so until I get those materials, I'm going to hold tight. Besides, most annual herbs shouldn't be planted until April, and perennials in July.

On February 20, I dug out half of the flat portion of the front yard and created the first 5' x 10' raised bed (I haven't actually measured the size). By digging the paths a little deeper, I was able to build up the bed quite nicely.

When I went home to Prosser, Washington, for my niece Allison's baptism (I'm now a godfather - look out!), I snagged some sawdust for the pathways. The pictures show just 10 gallons of sawdust laid down; I've got 30 more gallons. The sawdust will play a critical role of keeping the pathways from being too muddy.

You will notice that the soil utterly lacks any humus or organic matter. This will have to be remedied for carrots, tomatoes, onions, and many other vegetables to grow well.