A fair trade

I have shared many ventures with Cathy, mainly related to selling our pottery.  But we tried a new one a few months ago...she'd decided to also have a raised bed garden plot next to mine at the Carver Center, here in Black Mountain NC.

The aloe is spread out for the first time, with some space between plants!

Alas, Cathy had other things that were always more important to do, and her bed just sat there full of weeds.  My offer was to trade some clay which I'd purchased in exchange for her bed, which she'd rented from the Rec department.  She was agreeable, so last Sat. I pulled all the weeds from it.

She has plenty of clay at this time, but I gladly traded the one bag that I probably wouldn't use for this patch of dirt.

My first plot, with beans, sunflowers, basil, tomatoes, marigolds and coleus!

I've got a lot of things that are root-bound at home, having lived in pots through winters for several years.  They are first to go into this fresh black dirt.

The Kalanchoe is blooming, and will probably become twice this size with room for growth.  I've had this plant for over  30 years, in various growths off the original.

Maybe these giant sunflowers will produce blooms someday soon! I planted some which are deep red, and am looking forward to them.

These are the second crop of sunflowers in a second bed

Two bean plants have begun to produce some little green beans

And I also purchased two sweet potato slips which are hardening up in soil in a window at home.  I've already transplanted a half dozen basil plants also.  I'm afraid my new plot will not be able to contain them all.  So it's going to be first come first planted.

Today's quote:

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.

Carl Gustav Jung