Harrowsmith – September 2019

70

GARDENING: BRUSHSTROKES OF GIVERNY

I don’tknowanythingaboutthat.

It’sjustcommonsense!See,look

here,forinstance.Here’sthe

blueberrypatch.Anybodyknows

thatblueberriesthriveindamp,

acidicsoilconditions.Sohere,in

thisbitoflowgroundnearthe

pond,thesoilisjustrightafter

centuriesofcedarsgrowinghere.

AllI neededtodowasletthepigs

dotheirthingtoclearit,andthen

fenceit offandplantblueberries.

Theducksliveintheretokeep

theslugsundercontroluntilit’s

timetopick,whentheyare

shiftedintotheorchardfora

monthorso.Easy!Youjustuse

whatnaturehasalreadyprovided

asa framework,andworkwithit,

nottrytochangeandconvertit

tosomethingelse—whywould

youdothat?”

(Common)senseandsensibility

Rose’s“commonsense”isa small

phrasedescribinga bigprocess,

builtonherdecadesofworkand

observationoftheland,water,

plants,animalsandweather

Inventory Day at

Perennial Ridge

Fa r ms

Rose Rogan’s list of available

produce is diverse and

ever changing, just like her

motley crew of animals.

The nightly roll call is not

for the faint hearted! Here’s

the current tally.

• Four dairy goats (and
  spring kids)


• Three dogs (who protect
  the birds from eagles, mink
  and raccoons and function
  as Rose’s doorbells and best
  friends; “if my dogs could fly,
  they’d be perfect,”
  she says)


• Four cats


• Six geese (a-laying and also
  a-braying)


• Forty-six ducks


• Multiple chickens of many
  heritage varieties


• Twenty-two turkeys


• An apple orchard of 84 trees
  (12 varieties) and growing


• Blueberries (eight varieties)


• Raspberries, strawberries,
  loganberries and tayberries


• Garlic, squash, tomatoes,
  rhubarb and so on

ROSE ROGAN