NOTICE: the leaks in the garden have gotten more severe. We will be turning the water to the garden on and off, to try to reduce the flood. If you go to the garden and the water is turned off, please return at another time. The water will be on intermittently as we work to quickly repair our leak(s). Now is a good time to use your water tower!
Special thanks to Bill, Daryl, and Scott for bravely accepting the water repair challenge!
Thank you gardeners for your patience!
Finally a cool morning! It felt great to be in the garden, and we had lots to do!
The garden is lush with our summer sunshine and rain. Our first focus was harvest! So far this year, we have donated 1,800 pounds of produce to area food banks! (And that doesn’t include our melon harvest at the workday!)
We had a large group of volunteers, so we divided into groups. We had a brave group of compost-carers, water-tower construction crew, and a herd of “buffalo” in our wildflower prairie.
Our wildflower patch supports native wildflowers, which would have been trampled by herds of buffalo before we all moved in. To replicate the buffalo, gardeners grabbed hoes and shovels to break up the soil. These “hoof prints” make a great place for the wildflower seeds to germinate. The bees appreciate the efforts!
We are working to add new water towers to each plot. Remember, a water tower is not a replacement for regular watering; they help even out the water and keep our soil moist even on hot days. Additionally, some of our water spigots are leaking. We are aware and will make time to repair them all at once; unfortunately the repairs will be a challenge and will require shutting off all water to the garden, so please be patient and avoid using the damaged faucets for now.
Now is the time to plant “cole crops,” such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. It’s nearly time to harvest summer crops like black-eyed peas and basil. If you were able to keep your tomatoes alive this summer, look for a fall harvest soon. Keep harvesting okra! Remember, okra is the only crop that we can help our neighbor gardeners harvest—some will be ready to pick every day!
Our next workday will be Oct. 10, 9-11 a.m. See you there, and happy harvesting!
Beautiful cool weather is predicted for our upcoming garden workday, this Saturday, September 12th, from 8-10. Join us as we work to place the bases to our water towers, swap seeds, plant wildflowers, and discuss fall crops.
Our engineer and builder Scott Cherry has completed the stands for the new Water Towers. If you would like to add a tower to your plot, follow these steps.
1. Grab a stand and dig a shallow trench for the back legs and level.
2. After leveling, set the front legs so they rest on the wood beams of your plot. Use a drill and star bit (found on bench in shed) to attach the two predrilled screws to the beam.
Add a barrel, attach soaker hose, fill and you are done.
If all this seems too much to do in 106 degree heat…No Worries! We will be installing these during our Garden Workday, September 12.
Thanks again to Scott, Abdel, and for whoever installed a stand and water tower for me!
It sure feels good to get to the garden!
Despite the early workday and the heat, we had a great crowd. The focus of our workday was adding cardboard and mulching our paths, harvesting produce, and working on the compost heap. A special thank-you to the Young Men’s Service League for working so hard on cleaning up our compost bins!
We achieved a lot and were able to make some nice donations to the food bank. It feels good to be able to share our bounty!
We are entering The Epoch of Okra! Normal rules about harvesting other plots are suspended now that it is okra season—okra needs to be harvested almost daily, so please help your neighbors harvest!
We are also welcoming volunteer food delivery drivers, so please let Dan know if you are interested in helping.
Special shout-out to Abdel, who is helping us procure barrels, and to Scott, for designing and building our new “water towers.” Each pair of plots will eventually get a water tower, which will help conserve water while helping our plants stay damp even in the heat.
We will have our next workday starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 12. See you there!
Our workday is this Saturday, August 8th, 8-10 am. If you have some large cardboard boxes, please bring them to the workday. We need to cover weedy areas with cardboard and mulch. Thanks!
Our next workday is this Saturday, August 8th, from 8-10 am. We will be getting some help from the Young Men’s Service League, and will talk about preparations for a great fall harvest! Come and join us to learn more.
Join us Saturday, July, 18th, at the garden for our Garden Workday. We will start a little earlier, 8 – 10am, to try to beat the heat. The plan is to harvest, clean, weed, turn compost, and swap seeds and stories. Also, we will meet and discuss plans for the garden. We will observe social distancing and wear masks. Bring a hat, and any seeds you have to give out. (If you don’t have seeds…don’t worry…we will give you some)!
