This Week at the Garden: Spring Transforms.

Lots of good work is underway at the garden. Spring has arrived, and we are harvesting the fall plants and planting some spring ones. Here, a kale stir-fry is being prepared for the Monday garden meeting. Kale is high in vitamin C and iron, and delicious cooked with garlic, onion, and olive oil.
We are lucky to have an outdoor stove at the garden. Here the volunteers cook up the kale, with the succulent pockets keeping close watch on the other side of the fence.
Ilyse found a shady spot to lead a knitting skill-share.
This was the first bed to be harvested, double dug, and amended. The Friday work day was exciting because lots of people showed up and participated, and then shared in the harvest of red mustard and celery. The baby plants above are lettuce, which we started in our own green house.
The Monday work day was very sunny and productive. Here we all got our hands dirty while planting the remainder of the bed with brussel sprouts. I think the new lettuce and brussel sprouts will enjoy their shady home under the tree.

Adventures in Poop.

It is funny to ponder my evolving relationship to poop over the last few years. In my pre-gardening years poop was something that was joked about or something that was gingerly stepped over on the sidewalk. No longer a laughing matter, I now see the limitless possibilities and conversations present in poop. (O.K., it's still funny.) What animal did it come from? How long has it been aged? How much nitrogen is present? How many beds can be amended and how many plants can be nourished from this poop? Be it goat poop, horse poop, or worm poop, most healthy plants start with some kind of manure.
The goat and straw manure we picked up from City Grazing was an exciting addition to our garden. We have the goats above to thank as well as their human friend, Carla. Getting the compost to the garden was a big adventure. It involved shoveling poo into bags on the most rainy day of the week and getting the borrowed van stuck in the mud. There were many opportunities for laughter and 'character-building,' and now with the combination of good weather, compost, and new seedlings, the time is right for spring planting.

Gardening in the Rain

This week in the garden, the rain didn't stop us from working together and getting to know one another. Being the time of the Spring Equinox, we have many new beginnings upon us. I've really enjoyed getting to know the different faces of the garden, and what each person enjoys doing in the space. The Monday garden meeting was informative for me, as a few of the regular volunteers shared how they relate to the garden. What I learned is that there are many different roles the garden plays; some people come to connect with other volunteers and participate in the skill shares while others come to connect with the plants. The garden space is truly one where everyone can participate and feel good about themselves!

Above, the soup donated from the Zen Center kept us warm during the meeting. A cute reusable bamboo spork was given to each volunteer to help cut down on waste.

We created more pockets for succulents or herbs. They are pretty simple and inexpensive to make and really add detail and beauty to the fence.

Because so many vegetables were planted last fall, we have quite a spring harvest on our hands. Exciting! Really, look how excited Ilyse is! Harvesting is one of my favorite things to do in the garden... it's so nice to eat the food one has worked so hard to grow. These winter alliums got very big and everyone got to take some with them on Monday. We also harvested fava tops, celery, and kale. Once we amend the beds, it will be time to plant summer crops. Come by the garden to share the harvest and lend a hand for spring planting!

Skill shares at the garden.

This last week at the garden, there were many exciting opportunities to get our hands dirty, meet new people, and learn new skills. On Friday we had our first herb skill share with Finn! We harvested chamomile, lavender, and mint to dry for tea. With both a medicinal herb bed and a culinary herb bed, these perennials and annuals are a thriving and lovely addition to the garden.

This rose-scented geranium is just opening into a bloom! The geranium is happy and healthy, so we were able to propagate a portion of the plant and integrate it into the vertical gardening along the fence. I enjoy breaking off a leaf and rubbing it to release her uplifting aroma. It is one of my favorite smells in the garden, and it's no wonder the essential oil is used in aromatherapy. The ancients believed the scent of rose geranium healed a broken heart, and advised those afflicted to soak in a bath infused with her leaf. Skeptical, I tried this at the farm where I worked and it did in fact sooth my nerves.

This pineapple sage is also thriving, with its fuchsia flowers reaching up to touch the sun. The botanical name of sage, Salvia, is rooted in the Latin "Salvare," which means "to save." This hints at the potent medicinal qualities of sage. The Salvia family is large however, so we have to be mindful of the different properties of each variety. Pineapple sage is used as a tea for digestion and as a general nerve tonic, and also as a culinary herb to lend a mild citrus flavor to chicken, salad, or salsa.

On Monday Christopher led a informative skill share on plant life cycles. We learned about the differences between annual, biennial, and perennial plants. We talked about double digging and urban gardening and I am excited to use those skills to grow more vegetables in the space.

The two artichoke plants are a highlight of the garden. They have become massive and are producing many flower heads. How fascinating that the artichoke plant is actually a domesticated thistle and that the part we humans eat is the flower of the plant. It is fun to think about the parts of the plant that we harvest to eat and how it may be quite tiny compared to the whole of the plant. Now is a good time to become involved in the garden as we are coming into spring planting and emerging from the slow period of winter. Help us plant, join in a skill share, and participate in the fun. See you at the garden!

Introducing: Sam McMullen.

Hey Folks! I am Sam, the new Garden Educator. I am very thrilled to become a part of the Growing Home Community Garden family. Participating in activities such as herb drying and planting seeds with 6th grade students has been exciting while making connections with the current volunteers and new peer mentors. As spring approaches, I am looking forward to planting warm weather crops and watching the garden transform. Hurray for tomatoes and basil!

I am returning to the Bay Area after a year-long internship at Slide Ranch in Marin. There I learned about bio-intensive organic gardening, milking goats, and chasing chickens. And then I taught students how to do all these things during their day to week-long visits. The internship expanded my skills as an educator and sparked my passion for helping students connect to their food and their larger natural community.

I fancy goats, herbs, and oral history and my favorite vegetables are brussel sprouts. Stop by the garden and say hello!