Irrigation and compost

I am a very happy beginner gardener!
I so like my compost soil!
It is so brown and so different from clay soil I have here!

I planted my parsley as borders on future tomatoes bed. I hope they will be happy here.

 And I also have an irrigation on my garden! We have had sprinkler system, so I was testing it today and see that one of the head in right next to my strawberry bed and one other is outside but close to garlic-onion and future squash bed.
I am happy I not cover the sprinkler heads with bricks or something else!

May be it is not good to water over the leaves, I will see later, but I am happy!

Red Russian Kale - is not Russian?

Today I planted my Kale outside, it is Red Russian Kale and I wonder why it is called like that?

 I asked and it seems that nobody in central Russian knows about kale at all. Why it called that? only after the red color? Because Soviet Union associated with red color?  Interesting part. Please leave your comments if you know something - I am just curious!

My bricks garden getting better, as I think, I added more raised beds, I just need more compost!
I am trying so hard to get even more!
The compost that I put on my 2 first beds last year turned to such a good soil! black and reach!
so I definitely will composting again and again. Some beds are covered with black plastic so the composting process will be finished. I hope I will get the good soil till it will be time to plant tomatoes and peppers!

Composting

Yesterday I bought a composter! I was thinking about a small composter for my new garden over 2 weeks. I usually have a big, huge compost pole, no  - compost field at the very end of my yard in the woods.

I am collecting leaves and other brown-green stuff over 3 years, but maybe I am too lazy / busy, I know, maybe I have too many leaves, maybe because of the woods shade, the decomposting process is very slow, and pile is big and not high enough.

 I call it my compost mine. I do not turn it, just damp leaves each time in different places.
In fall 2010 we got a huge harvest of .... acorns! 

 and those acorns are still visible.
I know I can do better than that, I understand it and usually I have enough partially decomposting material for my flower beds. This year I put some stuff in wire bins, I hope it may helps to speed the process.
And I think that have a small compost pile next to the garden is a good idea, I was thinking about making a  bin from trash can, but I still have to buy a trash can. Maybe I can make a 3-bin-system, but I still buy the lumber or pallets, and I do not think the 3-bins will be very esthetic.

And yesterday I sow this one, on sale for only $30! The new small trash can cost 19.99! and there are holes for air, side doors for compost. It looks very nice to me.
I filled it with last fall leaves, some compost, and kitchen scrap, watered it. I promise to turn it each other day and in a month I will make a report what's going on.