Planning a new place for planting

I am thinking of planting. Now I know, lettuce aside, I will not be planting anything out of doors for at least another month and a half, but one can hope and dream.

The site at the left is the new garden. It has a bit more shade than last years site, BUT this site is not 20 feet from 5, yes 5, black walnut trees. So even with the shade the garden will be more productive than the pitiful poisoned  one of last year. If you do not know, Black Walnut trees produce a toxin called Jungalone that is toxic to a vast array of vegetation. Most garden plants are susceptible to the toxin and either die outright, die just before bumper crops are nearly ripe (as was the case with my tomatoes last season), or they produce such sad and measly crops they aren't even worth the work. Informative tidbit over.

Back to the new garden. This site is partially shaded for just a few hours a day and I figure lettuce and broccoli will appreciate it. The straw covered portion is only about 1/4 to 1/3 or the entire length. Eventually this will be the area for our 6, 4x12 raised beds, but we are still a few years off from being able to construct those. There are other more pressing construction issues to get to first, like building a duck house under that truck topper...

Yes the garden is right off of the poultry yard and I purposely placed it just there. Some might say I am asking for trouble putting my garden within eyesight of birds, but I think it will be a good thing. There will be a gate allowing the birds, when I choose, into the garden for forage and for pest control and then to keep them out all other times. They will be separated from the garden with a 4 foot fence so I am not too concerned about security. If it keeps them in the pasture, it should* keep them out of the garden.

The placement of the garden has another driving force behind it, convenience. We spend most of our time in the summers in the barn and duck yard. With this arrangement I might actually get some weeding done without having run after someone who is going for the duck yard. I hope I am not constantly running after someone who is running for the back of the house, one can only hope but time will tell. I suppose if it isn't more convenient and safe we will just have to get the play yard up this summer, darn too bad.

Now if I can just get my wonderful neighbor to till it for me all will be right with the world. The Asparigus and Strawberries are still in the back garden for now, as well as all our foundation plantings. I will move the garden plants when we have our raised beds, as they don't seem to be bothered by the walnuts. And the foundation plantings will go back to their foundation homes after we regrade the house in a few weeks. All in all things are going very well.