I was doing a bit of a jig and Doug had a big smile on his face as we watched a beautiful sight. A tree company dumping a huge load of woodchips in our driveway! It’s the little things, you know, and this was truly a happy day!

We are on a mission to transform the soil on this barren, windswept, high desert, rocky land into something that teems with life and health. We average 22 inches of moisture a year and we are on city water. Wood chips are a big part of regenerating the soil. We use them to mulch everything. It keeps the soil damp 24 hours longer than without, breaks down and creates a more diverse soil structure, promotes microorganisms, and looks nice.

This will be our fourth season here at this home and in the past few years we have definitely made a difference. I can’t wait to see what 2023 looks like. It will never be a super lush, green oasis like in many states or places that have water, but every plant we add to this land sequesters carbon, builds soil, and creates more and more life.

It is a myth that wood chips are too acidic to grow vegetables in. Think about the lush soil on a forest floor and you get the idea behind using wood chips in gardens. I still need to get seeds and draw out this year’s garden plans, but we are ahead of the game with that glorious, beautiful pile of wood chips in the driveway. You can call the electric company or local tree companies and see if they would be willing to give you wood chips. It’s worth asking!