Our First Garden Work Day Schedule
March - April, 2012

Work begins at 9:00 AM
but call Dick (704 807-1148) if you must begin later.

Thursday, Mar 29     Apply Lime to Garden
  
Friday, Mar 30          Henry Owen to till garden
                                      Mix in Compost
                                      Rake at least one raised row for lettuce

Saturday, Mar 31     Erect Deer Fence

Saturday, Apr 7        Rake and shape raised rows

Saturday, Apr 14      Transplant seedlings

Saturday, Apr 21      Plant from seeds

Saturday, Apr 28      Finish up all April tasks.

We Got Dirt!
It won't be too much longer and we'll be planting here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkRboA6xmNE&context=C43884daADvjVQa1PpcFNlxI5lYtf2aA_QSfuxVWNXu3ErqNZ1t_U=

Garden Plan and Plant List

Here's the latest plan of our garden.  We'll be pretty busy setting out all those plants in April. 

http://plans.garden-planner.net/uploads/plans/219296.jpg

Compost -

Providing The Most Beneficial Soil Nutriants For Our Garden

Bonnie has been doing a great job of composting.  One of our piles already has several layers of green and brown.  She's been watering and turning.  At this rate, we'll have a bunch of that "black gold" to make our veggies grow big and healthy sooner than we thought.  She has contributed books and handouts that explain how to do it, and how vegetable plants benefit from using it. 

Thanks everyone for bringing in your kitchen waste.  We must have received 15 or 16 lbs. of egg shells, coffee grinds and leafy kitchen waste last Sunday.  If you want to contribute from your kitchen, simply save it in  bags or seal-top, plastic containers  and take them to one of the benches in the back yard.  Bonnie will keep it together until it's time for another layer.  Thanks for this information, Bonnie:

Also, she asked that we remove the strings and tags from the tea bags and please leave out sticks and twigs from any leaves you bring.  They would eventually break down, but at a much slower rate.

Henry Owen, Program Director, giving us the benefit of his practice presentation about Friendship Gardens. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MY-7_GDk3KQ&noredirect=1

Here is some dialogue that may be of interest to everyone at church, regarding our forthcoming water usage and expense:

On Tue, Mar 6, 2012 at 9:16 PM, Beth Ann Robinson <badland1@bellsouth.net> wrote:

Thanks again for all of your efforts on this project!!! I really think it will prove worthwhile for years into the future.

Is there anything we can do to collect the water coming off of the roof? I don't think we have downspouts, but I'm sure there are some other creative ways to harness that valuable resource. I hope we can consider any options. Thanks.

 

Hi Beth,

 

I haven't figured out  how we can capture all that water.   I would love it if someone would take this rain water project and run with it. I have found a source of plastic, food-grade barrels in York, South Carolina, where they're sold for about $40.00 each. However, I've looked at the downspouts around our building, and their design presents a problem.   They end very low to the ground and were installed behind the stucco, inside the walls, where we can't easily get to them.   There is one pipe sticking out of the brick wall under Tara's office window that might be used somehow.   The slope of the land drops off sharply toward the garden right under it, and it might be possible to bury a barrel or a succession of them down the hill to catch the water coming out of that pipe. (Actually I haven't confirmed yet that it is, in fact, a downspout.)  The roof above it has no gutters, so I'm not sure where the pipe comes from.   It might be running under the foundation a long way from the flat part of the roof, over the office hall, or classrooms.

I guess this first year will be a sort of a "proving ground" to see if we want to continue this project annually.   I am encouraged so far, by the participation, interest and expertise that has been shown by everyone, and I hope it will become a regular event for us.   I hesitate to do any permanent alteration to the landscape without going through the PAC, Property, Board, general membership (or whichever is appropriate) approval process, until we know the garden will be an annual project.  Let's do some brainstorming and kick some ideas around.

We want to make sure that the cost of such a water-capturing contraption is not so expensive that it substantially reduces any benefit.   Any ideas you might have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dick