Overcoming Clay

A Growing Challenge Update

One of the biggest garden discoveries I have made since moving to the farmhouse* is that the plot of heaven I have purchased stands on 10,000 square feet of SOLID clay. I am saying that if I wanted to start a career as a potter I would never need to purchase any clay. Indeed, it is sticky and thick and heavy as a Victorian widow's veil. You were hoping (if you're a gardener) that I was going to tell you that there is some magic way to transform clay into...not clay.

There is no such thing as overcoming clay. So I lied to you. And I'm mildly sorry for it. Except that I'm not. There are blessings inherent in clay earth. Aside from the fact that none of us would have such fine dishes without it it retains moisture and it is loaded with nutrients. Drainage is really the biggest problem with clay soil.

Believe it or not, lots of things can grow well in clay soil. If this wasn't true the Pacific Northwest would be a wasteland of cracked packed empty dirt. Instead it is a lush landscape in which, among other things, roses flourish. There are only two things that you can do to improve the performance of clay soil:

• Amend it lavishly with organic compost every year. EVERY YEAR. It will take years, but your clay's texture and drainage will begin to improve immediately and continue to improve as time goes on. Organic matter breaks down fairly quickly which is why adding a ton of it just once won't get long term results. For long term results you need long term practices.

• The other thing you can do to help plants grow well in clay is to add calcium to the soil (every year if you live in a wet climate) because clay is often slightly (or incredibly) acidic. In wet climates you will lose calcium every year because it is a water soluble mineral. In some situations it may be wise to get your soil tested to find out just how much calcium to add.

It is clear that this garden is going to involve the use of mostly raised beds. Which I love anyway and was planning on using. What I thought I would be able to do is move in and plant a few things directly before having to build beds. Since this is not going to happen (except for the roses I planted after a backbreaking session of removing quadruple layers of "weed cloth"** and mixing the mulch in with the virgin clay) I cannot plant any of my seeds for the growing challenge yet.

So I planted up a very pretty (and very small) glazed pot that my mom gave me with spinach. I will show that when sprouts have appeared. It felt like quite a triumph to finally participate in the challenge. Like all gardeners here in the Pacific Northwest I have been completely crazy to get into the dirt but the weather has prevented me. This week there is supposed to be more rain but I will be building my raised beds anyway. Once I have those filled with the kind of soil and compost that doesn't compact just from looking at it cross-eyed I can garden in the rain all I want.

Our move is complete now. Philip and our friend Jim got everything from the old house over here. My feeling is...we have too much crap. Other people should have more crap than us (this is an arbitrary opinion based on nothing in particular but a desire to be able to smugly say that others have a lot more than we do.) I have to admit that part of why we have so much is because we are still hauling around the inventory from our defunct retail business. So it's not exactly like we have been hoarding crap because we want to or anything.

In fact, we all know how hard I worked to sell off all my inventory. I'm not going to use that term I used to use to describe myself and my relationship with money. I've decided to embark on a new relationship with money in which it comes to me like a dog when I whistle.

I managed to get to the Hillsdale farmer's market with my friend Nicole yesterday and got some fabulous produce. I really wanted to buy some ricotta but as I mentioned before, they are charging a ransom for it and so I'll just have to learn to make it myself. I got tons of cilantro (HEAVEN!!!), lots of dark leafy greens, three small heads of cauliflower, one tiny bunch of asparagus, and best of all....six tiny heads of tender Romain lettuce!

For dinner last night I made a cilantro pesto with home made fettuccine, canned corn (brought as a gift from our friends), home canned diced tomatoes, black beans, and Parmesan. It was wonderful! Oh, and roasted potatoes. I have missed fresh cilantro and wanted to put some seeds of it in one of my small pots but discovered this weekend that I haven't got any cilantro seeds.

We have had a full week-end. There were some sketchy bits like when the toilet overflowed (always a favorite moment) and we had to call a plumber to unclog it which Philip had to help with. It turned out that there were leaves helping to clog the line which must have accumulated quite a while ago since there are no trees on our lot at present. The line wasn't old though which is great news. There was some challenge hooking up the washer and dryer as well and it's very important that it was finally successfully hooked up since I am officially on my last pair of clean underwear today. I would rather go commando than wear dirty underwear.

I almost just made forty comments about the unsavory sight of large butts without the genteel confinement of undergarments but decided that perhaps that might finally truly gross the world out beyond recall.

My studio is now absolutely completely packed to the brim with stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. I'm going to have to face it soon since I'm hoping to get a little sewing done before my trip. The carpet in their is a pretty pink and grey Victorian style fancy number and I was considering painting the walls either a spring green or a dove grey. Nicole votes for dove grey. I have been wanting to do a grey wall for a long time but have been a little afraid. My writing/sewing room is going to be my personal sanctuary from which boys will be largely excluded, unless it is to come in and admire how feminine and awesome I am. I loved my orange studio but I am ready to do a really girly room. Dove grey is a color that is supposed to look great on me and so I would look good in it, in theory. Since my ego has been stupidly fragile lately, that's not a bad plan.

We are off to Lowe's now for fencing materials to keep the dog from terrorizing the neighbors and wood for raised beds! Ha! Wonderful! And I will get more paint chips too.

**Four layers of non permeable heavy duty black plastic. Non permeable weed solutions are not healthy for your soil, in case you find yourself tempted. Be sure you're putting down something that lets water through.