My tools of gardening.

No matter how many gardeners I run across in my travels, they always seem to have a few tools that I have not seen before.  Whether that would be a generational hand me down like an antique weathered trowel one of their parents used or a random item they picked up at a yard sale, they always have seemed to peak my interest.  If pursued, most of the gardeners can relate a story or memory that made the tools more than just that - a tool.  No, these have a connection that goes far beyond the utilitarian purpose the item serves.
So, that got me to thinking about some of the tools that I have accumulated throughout my years of gardening. I don't have any that I would say are generational hand me downs from my side of the family as my parents were not enthusiasts of gardening.  But, I do have some beyond the ordinary tools that I have acquired or bought.
For instance, I have a hoe that was given to me by my father in law that his dad used many years ago.

 As you can see, it isn't something you are going to find in any store, flea market or yard sale.  It is kind of rough looking but has a very menacing look to it.  I cant remember ever seeing tines that big and thick on a hoe.  I have used this untold times in my garden and I can tell you, it is very effective at loosening the soil and removing deep rooted weeds with little effort.  But beyond that, I have memories of my wife's grandfather and I can envision him taking this hoe and swinging it with authority.  I am sure this piece is the result of him taking the head piece and fastening a new handle to it.  He was just that kind of man.  And therein lies the connection.




Another piece I have is what I call a root killer.

 Much like the hoe, it also came from my wife's grandfather.  It doesn't look like it, but it too is a heavy piece.  Seems that he had several pieces that were of this ilk.  I know this is because these were probably made during the 40's or 50's when almost everything made, was made to last.  And, attesting to this fact is that they are still around and I have continued to use them.  I did in fact use this to remove a stump last year.  Sure, there probably was an easier way but I do get a kick using these.  I can attest to this pieces' heft and it's strength.  It is a fitting testimony to both that generations grit and the pride they put into their work.  



And yet another piece from Grandpa's collection - I didn't realize I had so many until I started this blog entry - is an old wooden handled potato fork.  At least I think that's what is called.

I haven't grown potatoes but maybe this will give me the motivation to do that.  

Next, is a pitch fork that probably is for bailing hay.  I can attest to it's ability to reach way down into my garden soil in the spring.  I don't have any hay so I had to re-purpose it.  

Next is a sifter that I use on my compost.  And, yes, I pulled this out of grandpa's garage.

You can see the aging and I was told that he built it himself.
The next piece may bring back good or bad memories of when you were young, depending on your age naturally.  I actually do remember using one of these and I have used it here in my yards.  See, before there was the invention of the weed whackers, we had to use this.                                            

Oh man, I spent countless hours in my parents front yard pushing and pulling one of these contraptions.  It did the job alright but it was and still is kind of a back breaker.  I bought this at an antique store in Annville Pa. called The First Floor Attic.  I have used it since then but generally only in the Spring to cut a definitive edge.  Then I use my weed whacker to maintain the edge.
And finally, I bought this piece at the same store.

I wasn't sure what it was actually but I later found out from my wife that it was a chicken feed spreader.  Who knew there was such a thing?  Well, besides my wife that is.  I saw it and figured it would be a good compost spreader.  I actually use it to spread almost any soil amendment I use such as vermiculite, sand or peat moss.  It works really well and doesn't overload me.

So there you have it.  My collection of old tools still in use in my gardening endeavors shared for the whole world to see what my family and friends have known for many years.  That I am a bit fanatical about my gardening and the tools I use.  Hopefully, this has been a bit of a walk back into your past or an enlightenment of what people used over the years.  I get a sense of when I am using these, that I am reconnecting to the past in some way myself.  I hope you have enjoyed it!  Until next time, Happy Gardening!         

  

2016

Simple enough of a heading, eh?  2016 - a new year and a new garden.  I usually make this long list of plants I want to grow and come up with plans on how I want to grow them and where I will place them in my three beds.  This year - not so much.  Veggie gardening is actually quite simple so I have no idea why I have complicated it so much.
See, you as the gardener have to master the basics.  The vegetables have to do all the hard work. After all, they are the ones out in the elements that must endure pests, fungus's and good old mother nature and all she brings to bear.  So. you have to really be great at the basics.  And the most basic of all items is your soil.  A good soil will bear good plants and a great soil will bear great plants.  I believe a plant derives much of it's strength and resiliency from the soil it resides in.  That's why two neighbors can and often do, get widely different results.
Soil can be tricky for sure.  I'm not sure I have the best soil I can get but I do believe I am moving in the right direction.  Last year was the third year I planted a cover crop.  I can't say enough about cover crops.  My plants last year were much more vibrant and certainly more productive.  I never gave away so many tomatoes as I did last year.  I am going to have to rethink how many of them I am going to grow this year.
My soil is the result of several organic practices that I have adhered to over the last 5 years.  It takes time to develop an organic based soil.  It's been a long time since I used any types of chemicals on my plants.  That was my first step and it had pain associated with it.  When I first started, I lost some plants to wilt and other diseases.  Painful as that was, I can now say that I haven't seen that type of loss in my gardens for the last 3 or so years.
Having gone through that, the goal now is to enrich the soil with the nutrients and structure that will support the plants through almost anything that can be thrown at it.  It sounds like a scary proposition but, in reality, it isn't.  One of the many gifts of doing a cover crop is that when you cut the plants down, you are leaving the root structure of the Rye in place in the soil.  Those roots add a certain framework for the plants to burrow around and establish deep and firm roots themselves.  They also retain existing Nitrogen that is in the soil, meaning that the nitrogen will be available in the spring to your crops.  Without the rye, nitrogen will leach to varying degrees from the soil over winter.  As the roots of the cover crop roots decay over the summer, they slowly release nutrients to the soil and thereby the roots of the new plants resulting in more vibrant and productive plants.  It has been very noticeable over the last two years to both me and my neighbors.
It's mid January now and the cold of winter has taken hold in the mid-Atlantic region.  I have done my seed inventory and determined what seeds I definitely don't need to buy to augment my gardening this year.  There are some I need but I can wait for the time being.  One thing I will do in the next week is seek a source of organic manure.  While I don't use a significant amount of it, I feel that it is a good augmentation of my compost and peat moss that I use throughout the summer season.
There really isn't a abundance of things you can do in the garden if you aren't growing winter vegetables now.  I need to prepare my tools and I also need to clear the area where I start and grow my seeds. My wife and I went to a well known garden supply store here in Baltimore yesterday that is curtailing their garden operations.  I was able to get some structures from them that I intend to use in my garden  although I haven't quite worked out how yet.  We shall see.
Well, that's all for now.  Until next time, happy gardening everyone!