Friday, May 11, 2012

The Latest on the Garden

What we Accomplished this Past Weekend:

Sunday, May 6, we had a less strenuous and shorter workday.   28 households (35 people) turned out.
Orange ribbons were placed on the new fencing and refreshed on the existing fencing to help protect unobservant animals from running into the fencing.
The beds were raked and flattened in preparation of planting. 
A wire fence was installed in the cucumber bed for the plants to grow on. Cucumber seeds were planted.
Carrot seeds, turnip seeds, radish seeds, beet seeds, fava beans, and derby beans were planted as well as tiny leek plants. 
An abundant harvest was reaped consisting of butter crunch lettuce, red leaf lettuce, arugula, kale, and beets.  
We made our first donation of the year, spinach and a bit of broccoli, to Our Daily Bread. Many thanks to Catherine Washburn for making this delivery.
The beds were each labeled with crop markers made from metal window-blind slats that Allen Bush donated.

Announcements made at the end of work:

1.  Celebrity tomatoes and cherry tomatoes will be planted this year in approximately 4 beds.
2.  Neil Curran, Mount Washington resident and an accomplished vegetable gardener, has generously donated the fence posts that were installed last week. He also has tomato cages and some other supplies he will be giving to the garden.  As a small token of our appreciation we will be giving him $50.
3.  And from the never-give-up-department, Larry informed us that he received verbal permission from the Parks Department to obtain ducks since the city restriction applies to residences only, not city parks. He has already obtained a dog house to house the future fowl.  







Thursday, May 3, 2012

Saturday, April 21

SATURDAY April 21:  18 people from 14 households came to work today and installed metal fence posts  around the perimeter of the new garden.  Cement was poured to secure wooden gate posts for two gates with thanks to Hugh Pocock's leadership. Two water towers were installed with rotating sprinklers, thanks to Daniel Jacoby.  Free wood chips were delivered to the garden this week from AAA Tree Service and work was begun covering the garden paths with the chips.  Spinach was harvested.  The plan was to have a consecutive workday on Sunday, April 22, but we were rained out and the work postponed to the following weekend.

Saturday, April 28: Today's turnout - 28 people from 22 households.  Weed whacking was done around the entire perimeter of the garden and a now experienced crew made short work of moving the entire pile of wood chips onto the garden walkways.  The new beds were raked. Horse radish plants and green bean seeds were planted.  Wiring was run along the tops of the fence posts and fencing was strung and secured to encompass the expanded garden.  Our first crop of arugula was harvested along with more spinach.  

We work again this Sunday, May 6, at 10:00

All the best,



Naomi