An Argument Against Raking

Every spring one of the rituals we all feel good about, and many enjoy, is the raking of garden beds. Removing all that tired-looking debris from the autumn, ground down by the ravages of freeze and thaw and snow cover, is a horticultural form of spring cleaning. And like all de-cluttering it feels like an accomplishment. You can see where you've been and feel virtuous and proactive. Right?

Well, maybe not. It is true garden beds look tired when they're untouched and they look organized and tidy when they've been raked. But when we clean them up what are we actually doing to those beloved beds?

My unraked garden bed looking admittedly a little bleak

But early species crocuses brighten it up a little 

When we rake the beds are being stripped of nature's way of returning fertility to the soil. Fallen leaves,  dead annuals and the die-off of perennials are all sources of organic material. Many resources have been taken from the soil by the plants in order to produce leaves, flowers and perhaps even fruit or nuts. The residue from the previous season is nature's way of sustainably replenishing that fertility. That garden trash is food for the microbial and worm life in the soil and they, in turn, given food and opportunity, will turn those raw materials into a vast array of nutrients. Without this ongoing feeding of the soil we are starving it. No wonder we love Miracle Gro and petroleum based artificial fertilizers. When we aren't nourishing our dirt it responds to any sustenance, even something totally artificial and nutritionally deficient. This is sounding so familiar; it's funny how the analogy of soil to people and the food for both is so completely parallel.

It is interesting to note that when we take a walk in the woods we don't look at the humusy forest floor and think, "Yuck, I need to organize some volunteers to properly rake this woods". A helpful reminder that so many of our prejudices and aesthetic biases are all about context.

Second growth woods with its carpet of fallen leaves

In fact, healthy woods are an example of a sustainable ecosystem in action. Death and regeneration follow each other as amounts of sunlight change. Fallen trees rot into the ground providing fertility and increased microbial and fungal life. There is a storied profile to any mature balanced forest. The top layer here in Ontario is hardwood trees, below are understory trees and then further down shrubs and perhaps rambles. And then there is the forest floor. Depending on availability of sunlight and soil profile there could be ferns, mosses, perennial 'weeds', ground covers and in the spring the lovely "ephemerals", ramps and at different times of the year, mushrooms.

This fallen tree will eventually return entirely to the earth

Here the stump of a felled tree - almost unrecognizable as anything but rich humus earth

There is enough soil on this exposed rock to sustain clumping grasses which will prevent water and wind erosion

A smattering of beech saplings taking advantage of the extra sunlight provided by the opening up of the trail

A bramble growing in a sunnier spot at the edge of the woods

A self seeded conifer

Even this old split cedar fence will add to organic richness as it breaks down

If gardens aren't raked, as the season progresses the embedded plants will grow and hide some of the offending mess. The organic cover will act as a thin layer of mulch conserving moisture, suppressing weeds and maintaining a much more even temperature. And the microbial life in the soil will slowly transform the raw organic material into a richer, crumbly dark chocolate cake - looking soil. Real alchemy.

Some leaves have pulled away at the base of this sugar maple revealing a beautiful dark soil

Change is possible. It is not that long ago that virtually every front yard was planted in that monoculture we call a lawn. Now it is an exception to see a front yard given over to nothing but grass. The next transition is to seeing garden 'waste' as garden 'gold'  - a resource to be treasured and revered.

It is worth remembering that the Great Dust Bowl of the 1930's happened in an organic, that is a pre-petroleum-based pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer era. But it certainly wasn't a time of sustainable agriculture. And the biggest genocide perpetrated on the soil was stripping it of its cover. Denuded of perennial grasses there was nothing to hold the topsoil in place. Grasslands, like forests, are an example of a balanced and sustainable ecosystem. And what grasslands and forests have in common is there is never a single square inch of exposed soil.

One year I had a neighbour who I didn't know very well volunteer to visit me at the farmhouse and do some work in the garden. I was thrilled because there is always much more to do than I can handle. I was aghast when she proudly pointed out to me that she had taken the initiative to carefully remove every bit of debris from under the rhubarb plant. Little did she know that I deliberately tuck all the leaves I cut off the harvested stalks around the base of the plant. Rhubarb is a perennial and a heavy feeder. Because of both characteristics it needs lost of organic material to keep it strong and long-lived. It is also very sensitive to drought and will send up flower shoots and stop producing new stalks very quickly if, without a protective mulch, it is allowed to dry out. I'll never know if my volunteer interpreted the expression on my face as shock or awe.

So let's raise a glass to indigence - at least in regards to raking our gardens. Like people, they really look much more attractive fully-clothed than naked.

Spring in the Don Valley

The farmhouse is still buried under snow and ice while spring has sprung here in Toronto, farther south and closer to the lake. And so a photo essay on the signs of spring - human, flora and feathered fauna in the Don River Valley.

The metal "detecters" are out

Buried treasure?

A fence festooned with DSV, the invasive Dog Strangling Vine

Each DSV seed head has burst open laying the ground for this season's infestation 

Scylla hasn't seen the light. The ice in the tunnel under the railway track looks like primordial concrete!

Dealing with fallout from the Dec. 22 ice storm

Moving the debris for chipping 

The arborists, back on the road again, after rowing across the river to reach the west bank

Scum caught in the relatively stagnant "ditch" between the DVP and the bike path

Ducks gathering on a sandbar in the sun beside the fast-moving swollen Don River

A Red winged Blackbird, the first harbinger of spring

The valley is filled with the distinctive call of Red winged Blackbirds

Spring is really underway when the Robins arrive

Trees stripped of their foliage reveal bird nests

A home of another sort on the bank of the river

Another invasive, Japanese Knotweed, which won't stay downtrodden long

Garlic Mustard, yet another invasive species to our woods and forests

Stinging Nettle, a biennial native to many parts of the world, including North America

Some welcome colour in the monochromatic landscape, a Highbush Cranberry with its red berries

And a stunning stand of Red Osier Dogwood

Back in Riverdale Park East squirrel nests are visible in many of the big hardwoods

a weekend of "selfless service"

This past weekend my good friends Avo, Edie and Diane came up to the farmhouse to help me out with their skills and company for a spell of "selfless service" as Alex would say. The big project was to rebuild the pumpbox by the pool. The plan was to use the original pumpbox as a template for its replacement.

The old box was falling apart but seemed upon closer inspection to have been built well. (When the box was originally built the pool people got the address mixed up and actually built it at the wrong property. They only realized their mistake when the owners came home and told them they had never ordered the work - although they did appreciate the effort!)

The corner of the lid broke off last weekend

 The plywood had warped over the years pulling the screws out in the process

The first step was to buy the materials; lumber and hardware. But before that a sustaining lunch was in order.

Diane and Edie admire the beautiful spread they have laid

The only real stumbling block Avo anticipated was how he would cut the notches for all the pipes that feed through the box. We bought a drywall knife but, not surprisingly, it didn't really cut it on 5/8" plywood. So, in true country style, I called my neighbour, Charlie, to see if he had a jigsaw he was willing to lend us. He came through so off we went to his workshop. While Charlie did locate the saw, blades were nowhere to be found. Luckily a neighbour of Charlie's, Larry, was at the farm cutting the  grass. Larry did have blades. So after nearly an hour at Charlie's, Larry's workshop was the next stop. This was the most beautiful, well stocked and organized workspace. Someone could spend many happy hours there and the evidence was all around in the form of plane mobiles made from pop cans and innumerable woodworking object d'art.

By mid afternoon we were back at the house ready to start. Avo worked single-handedly to cut all the lumber making a schematic for reference and labelling each part alphabetically for help in assembly.

Plywood beginning to be cut into the necessary proportions

Any job is made so much easier with the proper tools so Thea  takes a discriminating look at the selection

Avo using the jigsaw to cut the first notch

He scores!

In the time honoured tradition of adapting materials at hand for other uses,  the cooler finds new life as Avo's work saw.

While Avo worked in the garage Diane vacuumed the pool and I weeded.

Diane taking five from vacuuming

After inadvertently running my thumb down a rose cane, Edie got an opportunity to perform a little surgery to remove thorns from my left thumb.

As long as I can't see what's happening it will be fine....

By late afternoon it was time for sustenance in the form of appetizers by the pool.

Compliments of Diane; rose wine, smoked salmon, crostini, olives and Edie's traditional offering of Brie  

Cocktail hour also included podding the peas for dinner and the freezer.

Diane and Edie looking conspiratorial, or are they simply podding peas?

The next day it was time to start taking down the old pump box. Avo took many photos to make sure we had something to consult once the old pumpbox was disassembled. And then it was time to start assembling it.

Nailing down the battens

Avo worked tirelessly and with great patience (and very little help). My fractured wrist meant I was able to do very little "heavy lifting". There was a bit of a challenge removing the back of the old box but ultimately with a little bit of "brute force" it came off.

The erection of the new box went amazingly smoothly thanks to Avo's unfailing good humour and his alphabetical labelling of all the individual parts.

The two more difficult (because of access issues) sides are up

And now the four sides await the two part lid

The next morning was devoted to final details; securing the chains for the lid, adding the trim to the top of the box, securing the latches.

Avo attaches the chains to the lid

We made a small miscalculation buying lumber and so the box awaits four additional battens.

Avo signing his name to his creation!

This blog is dedicated to Avo, with thanks!!