Community Garden Bliss

HOW TO START......

   Personally, I think the first thing you need to do in planning a garden, is select a site.  That will give you an idea of how big your garden will be and what to plant.  Make sure the spot gets plenty of sun. Some plants need as much as 8 hours a day.  Don't forget a nearby water source.

   As you can see this spot on the right is way too shady with all the huge fir trees.  I don't worry about the soil, as we fertilize with lots of alpaca poo.  We've discovered that it gives the soil an amazingly rich dark brown color.  Plants love it.  More on paca poo later.

   We found the perfect spot that was twice as big as originally planned.  Finally, I could create the perfect garden.  Several years ago, while cutting out magazine photos, there was the "Garden of my Dreams".  Then, after starting boards on Pinterest, low and behold, the same photo popped up, so of course it got pinned onto my board "Garden".   Plus, I taped a few garden photos to a large piece of paper and hung it where it could be viewed everyday.  That way, it had to manifest in my life.  Some of the ideas below.  My favorite is top left.  Mainly, I love the fencing (oh, and her big hat).

I marked out our space with small wooden stakes and string, then my hubby, Robert rototilled inside the lines.  If you don't have a rototiller, borrow one from a friend.  Lots of people own them and only use them once a year (there are some things I just can't justify purchasing).  Give them a nice veggie basket, invite them to dinner or  give them something homemade.  They always appreciate the thought.  And, whatever you do clean the equipment before giving it back.  If it was full of gas, return it that way.  If you break it, fix it or have it fixed.  Or, some day they may want to borrow something from you.

     Borrowed Rototiller                                                         Hubby Rototilling

 

We decided to make it a Community Garden, so others could enjoy the serenity of our place, work in the garden and share in the harvest.  We will also, take some of the harvest to the food bank at church.

Clarice Shaw hard at work in the garden planting bush beans.

Do you see my fabulous fence Robert and I made???  We used fallen limbs

 from the fir trees on our property.

                                 Loren teaching Robert how to make his special tomato cages.

                                            And look at the progress of our kale in just over a month.

                                             

Teepees made from our fir tree branches with beans and peas climbing them.  I don't like the look of pvc pipe in the garden, so I'm trying to stick with all natural props, etc.

                                                 

             Alpaca poo or my other coined term "Alpacanure" is used on all our plants.

Our dill has gone nuts.  I have to keep cutting the seed flowers off and trimming it down,
in order for it to continue to grow and give us more herbs.  Also, those are the bushes Clarice planted less than a month ago with tons of beans to pick.

 It has been created from my favorite garden photo, at the top of the page.  Hooray.

The harvest has a just started and what a great flavor everything has; fresh produce from a garden is sooo much better than what we get in the stores and we haven't used any pesticides, just Alpacanure (alpaca poop).

Angie, one of my community garden friends with her Aunt who is visiting from out of state.


Loren decided to thin the cherry tomatoes for room to grow.  Next, it's
Alpacanure time on those babies.

Cyndi finally joined the Community Garden Group, hooray.

Pumpkin leaves getting huge.

More crops for the food bank - took 16 pounds one week and 20 the next.

As you can see the pole bean plant is growing like crazy.

Lola visiting the garden - needed some shade

The cucumbers are yummy and these yellow tomatoes - oh my,,,,,,,

Lola and her mom,  Cyndi

My fabulous snow peas that I didn't even share with my hubby.  Bad, eh???  Well, next harvest I might let him have some.  Wait till you see my teepee.  Next blog on how to build a teepee.

This is a must for my garden or at least somewhere in the yard.  Will keep you posted.