Tilling, tilling, tilling

Northern end of garden - soon to host potatoes, onions, and squash!

I know many gardeners who tout the benefits of a non-tilled garden.  In truth, they're probably on to something.  While I spent hours this weekend with the rototiller running, I shudder to think of the gas that was used to accomplish this feat.  And I believe I've read somewhere that turning up the soil in the entire garden can cause dormant weed seeds from deep in the soil to emerge and sprout, nevermind how upsetting it is to all of the little critters living just below the surface of the earth.   Yet I spent three hours, YES, three hours, tilling my vegetable plot in semi-clandestine fashion, with a guilty pleasure at seeing all of the fresh soil upturned and ready for me to dive in and sew my seeds, but feeling that if I were more eco-friendly, I'd only till where I would plant my rows.  Maybe next year.  Until then, I will admire my freshly tilled garden with it's dark, fluffy soil, and dream of the weather warming enough to do some planting someday soon!

Southern half of garden plot - soon to be salad greens, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, dill, peas, beans, and beets (in no particular order).