Thinking of Spring

Seed catalogs are arriving and it's not too early to begin to plan a garden. I've about thrown away the tiller since reading the advice of Masanobu Fukuoka and Ruth Stout. Last year I dismantled our above-ground pool and installed a maintenance-free garden using Ruth Stout's approach. The ground was solid rock and hard clay. Layering sand, manure and lime, covered by spoiled hay yielded an acceptable garden despite a cold wet summer. The tomatoes grew over 6 feet tall! I have never spent so little time working in the garden - no tilling, hoeing or weeding beyond a couple of straggling weeds. Why work so hard when the garden grows great by itself.