As this whole move has progressed we have often listed the things about the farm that we will miss. This list always included the sunsets and sunrises, privacy, the forest, birds, wild life and especially the quiet. But it was a shock the other day as we moved plants that one of the things I will miss most is the "dirt." The prairie where we now live was formed over tens of thousands of years by wind blown dust and silt called "loess" from dry regions to the southwest. This high prairie was formed in much the same way as sand dunes. The topsoil is 18-24" deep and you can dig a hole the size of a bathtub and never ever find a rock. It is rich, heavy clay and very fertile. I have gardened in it so many years that I was taking it for granted. For the most part it is fabulous except for a very few plants that require extra good drainage. This photo was taken of my gpa's roses on the barn in 2002. I moved a start of this rose.
The new house is in the "valley." Millions of years ago melting glacial ice dams in Montana sent floodwaters hurtling into this present-day Spokane Valley. Over the years it has been a continuous river bed or flood plain. I was immediately aware of this the other day with the first thrust of the shovel. .... solid sand and gravel. I should have thought of this and now every trip from the farm we make during the move I will be bringing 5 gallon buckets of my rich fertile soil.
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