It’s taken a while to get The Soul Patch Community Garden going this season. Blame it on the wet, cold weather we’ve had all spring. We’re hearing it from other gardeners as well. Few of them could get plants and seeds in the ground and if they managed that much, the weather has been uncooperative in helping those plants to grow.
Erik got out to the garden on May 15 to get it tilled and ready for planting. Spinach from last year had sprouted again in the middle of the garden and had to be tilled up, although not before we sampled some. It was delicious. There were also some volunteer onions, which we kept.
Erik at the beginning of tilling The Soul Patch for the 2011 season.
The spinach returned from last year, May 15, 2011.
Volunteer onions next to the rhubarb, May 15, 2011.
Rhubarb was donated and planted along one edge of the garden by volunteers Carol and Dave.
This past week has been a frenzy of planting by Al Jabs from the Farm of Plenty CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Randall, MN, and Erik. Al has donated all the seeds and starter plants (with the exception of the rhubarb) for this year’s garden. (Thanks, Al!)
Erik and Al made a plan for the garden that should make it very attractive. There are semi-circles and diagonals of plants, along with rows that will graduate in size based on the height of what’s been planted. Sunflowers have been planted around three sides of the garden, which will give it an interesting walled effect. A small patch of herbs has been planted in one corner.
After today’s hot, sunny weather, the new plants (a bunch of which were planted yesterday) are looking a little wilted, so Erik is watering. We’re crossing our fingers that the growing season will be productive now that we’re past our crazy spring.
By the way, The Soul Patch inadvertently made the news a few days ago. The Brainerd Dispatch’s Police Blotter reported “suspicious activity” at the garden. Turns out there were people picking nightcrawlers.
The Soul Patch 