At some point I may use some of our precious hauled water to water my 3×4 raised bed.  But I am hoping to avoid that.  I have a 15-gallon water barrel but haven’t set up a tarp to direct rain into it.  Besides, it could still freeze & I don’t want to break it.

The slowly melting snow is great for wetting the peat-based potting mix that I bought for the garden bed.

I direct seeded kale, spinach, arugula and lettuce.  The plant is a viola which can tolerate some frost.

I found a use for the potholes in the driveway!  I would rather use this muddy water than the leftover dish water with its bits of soap, grease and food particles. 

Hopefully the cover will protect from critters and evaporation. However it may get too hot or encourage insects or mildew. I am not expecting my first attempt at Alaska gardening to be successful, but hope to be pleasantly surprised.