This morning it was a cool 60-something degrees when I headed out to feed the chickens. As sometimes happens, I ended up wandering around the garden as well, so I took some photos.

Here are the Grocery Row Gardens from the leading corner off the main path:

I love the framework this system creates. If you get the bed and path spacing right, you can go crazy inside the beds themselves. There is a wide range of plant species inside each of these Grocery Rows. (Read more about the system in my little book Grocery Row Gardening.)

Just in this photo I can see cannas, sweet potatoes, asparagus, chaste tree, marigolds, apples, pears, fig, pepper, cassava, strawberries and ginger.

The cassava are really flying now (tall plants on the left):

We are clearing out the spent crops of spring and summer to make gaps in the beds:

These gaps are then planted with fall vegetables:

Note how the vegetables are planted around perennials and trees. That’s a Japanese persimmon in the image above, with broccoli seedlings emerging beneath it.

Speaking of emerging, there is a plantation of mushrooms coming up at the edge of our terra preta bed. Guess they found something good to eat in there!

Yesterday we almost finished building a new chicken tractor.

It’s too heavy to move by dragging so we’re going to put some wheels on it today and see how that works. We put some predator-defense skirting wire around the base to keep animals from digging under and taking our chickens in the night. Now we have to figure out how to make that work with wheels as well. We’ll figure it out. The tractor is super robust, which is why it’s heavy.

Meanwhile, farther out in the gardens we are making beds and planting them for fall, winter and spring harvests:

Some crops are already coming up:

The insects have been an issue but Rachel sprayed last night with some liquid Sevin (Gaia forgive us) and they seem to be gone this morning.

Finally, the green onions we planted last year are still multiplying. These were from the grocery store!

Onions on the left, cassava on the right:

Tomorrow we should get a lot more done. The weather is fine and sunshine is expected.

Finally, I leave with with the passage we read this morning during our family devotions:

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.”

-Colossians 3