The Garden is BACK!

Tue, Mar 23

The United Children’s Garden is home to various themed areas.

Butterfly Garden
Sensory Garden
Vegetable Garden
Herb Garden (new this season)

After the winter dormancy, the perennials (plants that come back year after year without reseeding) are beginning to grow again from the ground up, and the spring vegetable garden is filling with seedlings.

Over the winter, we layed down a thick mulch of straw from hay bales to protect the ground and add organic matter back into the soil. This month we pulled aside the top layer of mulch (there was at least six inches of straw everywhere) and formed pathways through the garden. A pathway is important in a garden so feet cannot wander through the planting area and compact soil. Every area of the garden is accessible from one path or another. Instead of forming a grid, we chose a more organic looking approach with curved paths and circular or odd shaped planting areas. The picture below shows the garden with mulch and pathways, but the pathways are not easy to discern.

Early in March, we seeded lettuce, beets, carrots, and kale in a few sections, all of which are growing. This week we have been working on transplanting small broccoli, kale, chard, chinese cabbage, lettuce, and other cool weather/early spring crops. Remember we have these for sale right now. Today we planted sugar peas also.

As soon as the threat of a freeze is gone, we will be preparing to transplant or seed the warmer weather/late spring crops: cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, peppers, okra, corn, beans and many of our herbs for the new herb garden. Hopefully in another month, you will be able to the fruits of spring gardening.

And on a parting note,
Our resident peach tree has blossomed!

Cheers,
Clyde the Quail