The Straw Bale Garden: Getting Started

The straw bale garden is underway! I told myself this would be the year I did it, the year I started an edible garden. My spine said "make sure you make it a raised garden" and my checkbook laughed. I happened upon a website a few months back about straw bale gardening. I bought the book on Amazon for about $12 and got to reading. Some of the pros that convinced me to give it a try was how it was cost effective compared to building raised beds then filling them with good soil, there should be no weeding necessary since the straw and potting mix are not contaminated like soil can be, and it needs less water. And if it really doesn't work out for me I can always build beds next year so I figured why not try this first!?

The kids helping plant some marigolds. Our chicken Rasin sneaking into the shot on the left.

The bales of straw (not hay) had to be conditioned for 12 days before I could start planting. Of course, day 12 was the first day of Danny's work week so I got started planting. Do you know how hard it is to do anything for more than 5 minutes before a diaper needs changed followed by a potty break for Olive, then a potty break for me, oh hurry and put Lola inside because the mail carrier is coming, the chickens are trying to jump up to see if what I'm doing involves them scoring some worms, aw crap a kid just skinned their knee and needs a band-aid, "mommy I'm thirsty", "mommy Liam took MY shovel", it's already nap time? ... let's just say next time, planting day will be on a weekend when Danny is home. Today is day 3 of planting and I still have some seeds to get in around the sides followed by some echinacea flowers along the back. I'll get some photos up as soon as the planting is up and then more when the seeds start sprouting out!

I'm achy, sunburned and exhausted but I think it's all worth it!