It may not feel like Spring, but we are getting there. Our radishes are up! There is something particularly rewarding about seeing some green so early.
Also snug under the protection of the greenhouses are spinach, snap pea, dill, onion, mini bok choy and cucumber seeds. All eight of our large beds have been fully planted.
We will let you know when we schedule the next work day. At this point there is very little to do. We do not even need to water the seeds and seedlings because the moisture from the thawing soil beneath - we planted when the deeper soil was still frozen - is all that is needed for their growth. We avoid the temptation to take off the plastic more than absolutely necessary as we do not want to lose the accumulated heat underneath.
Invite someone to join us this year! Best,
Here we go! The forecast looks favorable. If it holds we will be doing extensive planting on Wednesday March 12 at 1pm. If you are able to help, please respond to the SignUpGenius invite you will be seeing soon.
This is a fun time of year with our Square Foot Gardening methodology. There is nothing more satisfying than rolling back the plastic greenhouses and seeing lush green (the spinach is particularly impressive) way before the surrounding environment has awakened from winter. If all goes well, we should be able to take our first harvest to The Open Door in the month of April.
The attached photo is from on this date in 2021. What's with all those masks? And where is our shed, the herb boxes, the interior fencing? We've come a long way.
Again this year we will be sending out only one email, combining two different audiences: to inform our active gardeners of activities and to solicit help; and also to keep staff and others in the loop. We all get too much email. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, it will not hurt our feelings - please let us know.
We hope to see many of you on Wednesday. Like always, if circumstances change we will contact you so please check your email before each session, especially if the weather looks iffy. This first digging in the dirt in 2025 should be fun! Best,
Spring is in the air!
The greenhouse plastic has been up four days, and already our soil has thawed enough to plant our cool weather seeds. We will be a bit more cautious, however, and get past this upcoming week's predicted snow before doing so. Please keep an eye out for opportunities to volunteer - maybe as soon as the week after next.
Now would be a great time to invite someone new to join us this year. Remember that thing about "all are welcome"?! Make sure to tell prospective gardeners that this is not a non-stop commitment. As our giving garden veterans know, you come when you can, others come when you can't! And remember, this is all done to benefit our food insecure neighbors via the wonderful service provided by The Open Door food pantry. With our current environment, probably as important now as it has ever been… We hope your upcoming Lent is prayerful and meaningful.
STB's Giving Gardnes
Getting ready for spring!
Our Giving Garden is off to a good start. Using plastic greenhouses, we planted on March 21st 2024, and already have lettuces, peas, carrots, spinach, radishes and dill growing!
If all continues to go well, our first harvest should be delivered to The Open Door right around Memorial Day.
Stay tuned…