While spending all that time weeding, manuring and mulching, I was able to look more objectively at the vegetable garden beds and our needs. Now that the children aren’t around as often, we don’t eat as much! That translates to not needing as much food out there in the garden.

I decided that I would have 3 of the 5 beds growing perennial crops and the remaining 2 beds for the annual crops – you can see the basic idea in the plan below.

I think that I’ll move the rhubarb from the area in the middle of the asparagus patches into the bed between yams and potatoes. I don’t want to fill this whole bed with plants – I’d like the yams and potatoes to expand to take up more of the space. I also decided to move the Welsh bunching onions from Bed 3 into Bed 1. When it’s time to manure and mulch Beds 1, 4 & 5 – once the perennial plants to die down for winter – I’ll also remove as many potatoes as possible from Bed 1 so that the only potato patch is in Bed 5. I may end up planting the rhubarb in Bed 1 instead of Bed 5. Anyway, you get the idea….

Today, I took the first step toward achieving this plan. I dug up the Welsh bunching onions and replanted several in Bed 1. Before replanting, I mixed sheep manure into the soil. I also spread manure and mulch onto the old onion patch.