Upper Garden

Scott Nearing wrote of having two gardens in Vermont. He found the upper garden less likely to be damaged by late frost. We find that frost does indeed roll downhill. Here is the start of our upper garden. 90 square feet are planted with squash and potatoes. The glaciers left actual soil here. Stones are few and the yellow subsoil is deep. This is a real change from our main garden where stones are abundant and the useable soil is thin.


Squash borers were the driving force for this new garden. Every year these pests destroy our crop. This year we will try a remote location and see if we can hide our squash from the vine borer moth. If that fails, widely spaced garlic can be fall planted here. Several square miles of wilderness start here so there is some concern about critter damage. Raccoons could climb the fence but it is not known if they relish squash or potatoes. Woodchucks will have a clear shot at digging under the fence. Perhaps I will get a clear shot at them. The treasure of thick soil guarantees that this garden will be larger next year.

One might wonder why this field is mowed when it is so far from the house. An old camping trailer was placed nearby when we first acquired this land. This spot is my favorite and I frequently walk here. Evening campfires sometimes happen here as the full moon approaches. Tonight might just see moonrise by firelight.