My Chamomile Bed in the woods.
A chamomile bed sounds nice. It's sounds even nicer when you realize I mean a real bed - a place to lie down. I read somewhere - probably in an old Culpepper I have - that long ago when patients were sick they would be gently placed on beds of chamomile - so the crushed leaves of the fragrant plant could soothe them.
Well of course you know I had to have one - even if it took me forever to finally have it. At first I thought to improve what was there - as if - the old logs of the bed were rotted out and the idea of stacking on top of that was just dumb. But I needed Cord so one Sunday I asked him to help me find some old poles and chain saw them to size. He did and suddenly I had a two layer log bed ready to go.
It was up to me to dig out the old one and prep the area. Boys carried the bottom layer up and we got that leveled. At Cord's advice I jammed rocks under the bottom end of the bed to make up for the steep slope.
After that I needed soil mix and the second layer of logs including spikes to keep it together. I took the empty wheelbarrow to my old manure pile where I also have a pile of black gulley soil and arroyo sand. I make a mix, (in 1/3's - or a little heavy on the decomposed manure) and then get a boy to mix it and push it back up the mountain to my garden. In it goes and after a total of 4 loads between 2 big boys - there was plenty.
Cord came with iron and spikes to hold the second layer together and to hammer in iron bars to hold the antique iron headboard in place. Just like that - after years and a few hours, it was done.
The next day I planted an entire flat of Tammi Hartung's vibrant Roman Chamomile in it - 32 plants ready to spread into a luscious apple-scented mat. Think of it as a fragrant mattress pad.
I gave them all a drink of kelp and then we were lucky enough to have gentle rain which helped them transition into the fresh soil.
It was a pleasure just to handle the plants, as well as having everyone help. I won't forget it in a million years.
Next spring it will have a head start and be ready as the snow melts. You can bet I shall document the event when the time comes.
Woo hoo - it's gonna be nice.
Well of course you know I had to have one - even if it took me forever to finally have it. At first I thought to improve what was there - as if - the old logs of the bed were rotted out and the idea of stacking on top of that was just dumb. But I needed Cord so one Sunday I asked him to help me find some old poles and chain saw them to size. He did and suddenly I had a two layer log bed ready to go.
It was up to me to dig out the old one and prep the area. Boys carried the bottom layer up and we got that leveled. At Cord's advice I jammed rocks under the bottom end of the bed to make up for the steep slope.
After that I needed soil mix and the second layer of logs including spikes to keep it together. I took the empty wheelbarrow to my old manure pile where I also have a pile of black gulley soil and arroyo sand. I make a mix, (in 1/3's - or a little heavy on the decomposed manure) and then get a boy to mix it and push it back up the mountain to my garden. In it goes and after a total of 4 loads between 2 big boys - there was plenty.
Cord came with iron and spikes to hold the second layer together and to hammer in iron bars to hold the antique iron headboard in place. Just like that - after years and a few hours, it was done.
The next day I planted an entire flat of Tammi Hartung's vibrant Roman Chamomile in it - 32 plants ready to spread into a luscious apple-scented mat. Think of it as a fragrant mattress pad.
I gave them all a drink of kelp and then we were lucky enough to have gentle rain which helped them transition into the fresh soil.
It was a pleasure just to handle the plants, as well as having everyone help. I won't forget it in a million years.
Next spring it will have a head start and be ready as the snow melts. You can bet I shall document the event when the time comes.
Woo hoo - it's gonna be nice.
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