WEEDS BE GONE!!

We had the best weed-getting crew out today!!  The sunshine is helping our plants grow really well, but also helping the weeds grow...so the weeding party was really important!  THANK YOU!!

 Nope!  These aren't weeds...they're lettuce and spinach that is bolting...meaning it's done growing the good stuff we like to eat...and they need to be fed to the chickens!!  *_*  Good job, girls!!

 

SPECIAL THANKS!!

Wanted to give a special thanks to Kim Nielsen, Gary Zabriskie, and Rod Hunt for their extreme efforts in fixing the major (or seemingly!) problem where some of the timers weren't working, thus some of the beds were not watering automatically.  A lot of digging, testing, changing out solenoids, trying new things, etc., didn't solve the problem!  Thankfully, the weather turned cold and the garden didn't die due to lack of watering.  And then Kim found the solution with some help from Google.  Voile!!  Everything is working in tip-top shape. 

So much effort from so many people is what has made the Santa Clara Community Garden continue on in such great fashion!!  Ten years for a community garden is quite a feat!!  And it has served so many purposes for so many people!!

Thank you!!

Zucchini, Cukes and Squash...Oh My!!!

Yes, Dorothy, we had another great day in the garden!!!  We're making some good headway on getting the sprinkler pipe re-installed, thanks to Frank's efforts!! 



And the weeds don't stand a chance against the helpers who came from Turn Dreams. 

 
Olivia and her mom got the yellow squash planted!!

Liz planted the zucchini and Christina and Sarah worked on Armenian cucumbers and Cruncher Muncher cucumbers! 













MaryAnn and I worked on moving water lines that are still useable, and Lea and Bob Porter planted the Herb bed!  It's always amazing how much gets accomplished in one hour!!
Thanks for the help everyone!!  Please be sure to pick spinach and lettuce whenever you need it!!  We won't have it for very long, so use it while you can!!

Tomato and Pepper Planting Party!!

Getting ready for the garden party...

 
 

 Great workers showed up to plant 58 tomato and pepper plants!!  After a little bit of training, everyone became experts in how to plant a tomato plant the "right" way...at least for the Santa Clara Community Garden...dig a wide "bowl" that's a little deep, then get the root ball broken up, lay the plant on its SIDE...yes, its side!  Then careful bury the root ball, and the stem, only leaving a few inches of leaves above the ground, but still within the bowl.  This protects the plant for the April winds that will be coming, while creating a central watering area for the plant.  Works very well!!

Our watering crew did a great job!  Thanks Ben and Matthew!

The Peppers Possey had their system down!!

Some pretty great onion planters were working hard, too!!

 Even the youngest of volunteers helped out!!

 

And plenty of sunshine for everyone!!

 

LOOK WHAT HAPPENED in ONE HOUR!!!

Republic Waste Services probably didn't think I knew what I was asking when I said, "Bring me as much compost as you can...we can use as much as you can bring!!"  Well, they brought us a LOT of compost...and it was PERFECT!!!  Look what happened two days later when we got the word out that there would be a work party on Saturday morning . . .

. . .People started arriving at 9:00 with their shovels and wheelbarrows, and some even arrived IN their wheelbarrow!!  Helpers came in all sizes and ages, and everyone worked together!!  We got 18 50' long beds composted and smoothed out, and we still have enough compost for the other 6 beds, and to see us through the summer...hopefully!!!  

We love using this annual "winter thaw" that only lasts about 2 weeks before getting cold again!  It's a perfect time to get our early crops of peas, beets, lettuce and spinach in.  And with all of this help it didn't take long at all!!

 What a great turnout!!!  Many hands, and wheelbarrows, make short work!!!

 WHAT AN AWESOME WORK CREW!!

And it's a wrap...in just one hour!!