Gorilla Gardening

Several weeks ago our local non profit health care clinic was looking for someone to revive their dying and overgrown flower bed.

First thing I did was say YES! we would do it. "We" being us three Community Garden coordinators.

I was ready to go buy $20 worth of marigolds, but Peggy said "Wait, I have a better idea."

She got on the phone and called our dear friend, Sun, who is a Master Gardener and has incredible gardens that lots of people like to go see.

Sun said she would donate some of her home grown perennials to the clinic flower bed.

I drove over immediately to get a few.

Sun met me in the drive way, grabbed a wheelbarrow and swung into action.

I followed.

She didn't just pick out a "few" plants, she carefully selected 20 well potted perennials that would work well in the partially shaded flower bed at the clinic.

She laid them out the way they should be dug into the soil.  I took a photo so I would remember.

Sun was excited to be able to help us complete a project and I was excited that the flower bed was going to be so much more beautiful with her plants than they would of been with $20 worth of marigolds.

We packed my truck with plants.

I made a phone call to my sister gardeners for a spontaneous meeting and "dig party."

I drove to the little 10x10 flower garden and waited for the other gorilla gardeners to arrive.

The little garden has been neglected and taken over with weeds, hemlocks and junk.

My garden friends arrived at 7 pm and one of the business owners across the street came to help us as well.

Pulling up the monster hemlocks required some real muscle.

Composted horse manure was donated by a friend.
2 bales of straw and dozens of paper grain bags were collected to keep the weeds from taking over after we planted.

The digging, planting and laying down of the compost, paper and straw took several hours, and it got dark.

I had to turn the truck headlights on so the planting group could see what they were doing.

The flower bed came out great and every day another plant blooms.

I finally got a photo of the flower bed yesterday after 8 days of rain.
Most of the flowers have bloomed, but you get the general idea.
The grain bags and straw have almost eliinated all the weeds.

Next year the plants will expand and their blooms will be more numerous.

Stay tuned for the next project!
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Saturday Scenes

Busy morning.

The hens decided to dig up the pansys that I had just planted.....

 

I headed to recycling with 5 bags of paper, cans, glass, and 50 plastic containers.

On my way I went to see the herd.

The cows were itching off their winter coats and the calves were enjoying the shade from inside the old pig shelters.

 

I wet and checked out the community gardens to see who was planting this morning.

 Earlier in the week the community garden plots were measured off and the deer fencing started to go up.
Its been a very intense project getting this garden ready for people to raise their own healthy food.

I will post a more detailed blog post about it next week.

The two pullets are now free ranging further around the property and have been exploring all the blackberry bushes and the asparagus patch. I am so happy that these two have not turned into roosters like the rest did.

All the inside plants were moved outside to enjoy the sunshine this morning.

I love this yellow hibiscus.

I hope the snow is really gone.  A week ago we had a small snow squall and a downpour.  Some places got 5-12 inches of snow. My garden and coop was covered with about 2 inches. What a sight it was!

 

 The hay across the road has been raked into windrows so it could be blown into huge trucks and transported to the local dairy farm.  They were trucking the green chop out until 9:30 last night and started again at 6 am today.

They have processed several hundred acres in the past 2 days.

 

 A local green thumb gardener donated 20 large perennials so that the local health clinic could beautify their little flower garden at their driveway entrance. I volunteered to go get the plants this mroning and organize a planting party for tonight at 7 pm when it is cooler to weed, plant and mulch.

I traded rhubarb for these plants.  All different kinds and all different colors.
In a month my garden club will come to this location for a full garden tour when everything is in full bloom.   

 

On my way home I saw the cows in a different field up on a hill, under the apple trees, chewing their cud and swatting at flies.

My favorite cow, Wanda, recognized my truck and gave me a nod of acknowledgment.

Time for lunch.

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and beet greens.  Beef from my farm friend, potatoes from my garden last fall and beet greens from another farm up the road.

What have you been doing today and what did you have for lunch??

Happy June!!
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