Challenging Days in the Garden

The heat has been a challenge to work outside! 

But I am glad to move on with the garden project.

Work day - Wednesday, July 20

Late in the summer afternoon I set some raised beds, dividing two specific spaces: one for plants to grow and the other for a gardener to walk. 

This small garden bed will provide plants roots more room to grow, keeping moisture from evaporating. Stepping on garden soil will compact the area. 

Work day - Thursday, July 21

We decided to start working in the garden earlier, at 8am this morning, because the forecast for today was predicted to be one of the hottest days of the summer, about 95 degrees here in Lebanon, NH

I was very lucky to share the tasks with the New England Climate Summer team.

Tasks done:

- Identifying the composter bin

- The paths along the crops were nicely finished

- Stakes were placed beside the tomato plants

- Radish, carrots, beets and flowers seed were sown

- Watering and some weeding - to keep plants happy and healthy

- Glass, metals and other materials were collected in a container

- Flowers bed was weeded

- Basil seedlings transplanting

- Added composted manure.

Van, sowing carrot and radish seeds

Almost at the end of our work and talking with the team leader, Van, he asked what else he should do before sowing the seeds in the open rows.  He was standing there holding the seeds in his hands.  I said, “Just be you!  Put love in what you are going to do and nature will take care of the rest.  Just be connected!”

Transplanting basil seedling 

Work day - Monday, July 25

The tomatoes are looking great among the sweet peppers, eggplants, squash, green beans. The transplanted basil seedlings survived the heat. 

Looking at these seedling popping up, make me think that what Van did on Thursday, took effect, because now the these seeds are emerging happily from the ground.

More stakes were brought for cucumber and squash plants.

Pastor Jill planted a special variety of seeds, cabbage Earliana, ideal for small garden they grow fast and their heads are big orange size [5-6"], she tried too a succulent mix of lettuce, too. A corner of a bed was used to plant some cilantro seeds.

It started to pour in the right moment!

A thank-you card from NH Climate Summer Team

Summer-Fall EMG Project

After recently receiving my Master Gardener certification from the Vermont Extension Master Gardener Program, I decided to lead a garden project at LUMC church.  A couple of months ago, the Staff Parish started inviting members of the Lebanon United Methodist Church, Lebanon NH, to volunteer in a garden project at the church parsonage.
We decided to wait until early July, for our new Pastor, Rev. Jill Robinson and her family to arrive and settle into the parsonage, before starting the project. The exciting day arrived July 14, 2011 when the garden project was approved by the VT Extension Master Gardener and we were ready to get started.

My first step was to take a look at what was already planted in the garden and then I decided to teach the volunteers how to improve the garden by organic standards. With my new-found knowledge learned through the Master Gardener Program, I am eager to share that knowledge with the volunteers and help them learn to enjoy the pleasure of working with the earth.

Work Days:  Thursday July 14, Saturday July 16 and Sunday July 17 

The meeting began identifying what is in the garden, where the compost bin should be located, what weeding needed to be done, what garden tools were needed and making a list of items needed such as compost manure, fertilizer and seeds.

Diagram of the garden

The following were found in the parsonage garden:

- 8 tomato plants [big boy, sweet cherry, sun gold varieties]

- 6 mix of sweet pepper

- 12 green beans

- 2 squash

- 2 cucumbers 

 Weed were overtaking and burying the vegetable crops. 
So, the next plan was to start weeding. 

Weeding started changing how the spot looked.

It was then time to plan how to build raised beds using the soil. The idea is to have some paths to go through rather than having a flat area where stepping in every everywhere can be disturbing to the vegetable crops.

Some calendula flowers, sunflowers and parsley were transplanted.