The last time I posted on the raised bed garden was back in May after it was just built. It was so exciting to see my vision of a circular Medicine Wheel raised bed garden come true! Next summer I will add a second row of triangular boxes and begin incorporating elements of the Medicine Wheel.

Back in May it looked like this: (click here to see the post)

I planted potatoes, peppers, a variety of onions, leeks and garlic, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, Swiss chard, red and green cabbage, kohl rabbi, tomatoes and a number of herbs.

A week and a half ago, the garden looked like this:

Brussels sprouts…

Leeks, onions and garlic…Red cabbage…

These raised beds have been very little work so far this season. I haven’t had to water yet as we have been receiving plenty of rain. I have only weeded a few times and there were only a few small weeds to pull. My main job so far has been keeping the slugs off of the brassicas. I have been picking them off by hand and then sprinkling diatomacious earth on the plants (which dehydrates and kills the slugs as they travel over it). This works very well until the rain washes it off and I have to reapply. Tonight I will sprinkle some woods ash around the plants and then put out a few half-filled trays of beer (the slugs apparently drown themselves in it while heartily singing pub songs). I will also put out small aluminum tart trays with a slice of cucumber in it (apparently the slugs hate the smell of the chemical reaction between the aluminum and the cucumber which drives them to drink the beer conveniently located nearby). I’ll let you know whether I am successful this year. Last year by mid-summer I had a lovely row of green cabbage one day and just the naked spines of the plants after a week of rain (and my neglect). This year I would like to enjoy the brassicas myself, thank you very much!