day to dig

I turned over my garden plots today.

It was tricky to avoid the handful of young borage: I upended one.

I do feel bad for the worms that suffer, and I dug up a few cicadas that weren't quite done growing yet. Creepy bugs, but I'm starting to admire them (in spite of the noise).

Yet glad I finally did this chore, because I dug out a ton of tree or shrub roots that were invading two of the plots, and also unearthed lots of japanese beetle larvae. Ugh. I killed thirty-eight of them. Probably there were more... but at least that's thiry-eight that won't be multiplying and spreading disease in my garden this year.

(I left them on the edge of the garden, heads all smashed, with the idea a bird might make the discovery and eat them. Or a possum, or skunk?)

Also found quite a few acorns the squirrel forgot to collect.

Next garden chore: turning the compost pile, and spreading the goodness around. Then direct-sowing carrots, beets and swiss chard. Then.... the joyful work is just beginning!

Other notes: my first tray of seedlings came up- arugula! And on the deck one of the mint pots is sprouting tiny green leaves.