Only Three More Wednesdays until Plant Sale and Open House!

Squash blossom

Both Cathy Alfano, VegHeadz Coordinator, and Peggy McDonald, Past and Interim Coordinator, gave us some good updates on garden happenings this week.  

The grape arbor has been finished. Thank you to our team of Peter, Glenn and Michael, it looks wonderful.  The grape arbor crew leveled out the sand under the arbor, put down cardboard, and mulched the edges of the grape arbor. 

Grape arbor— nice details —
notched cross beams, heavy wire mesh
across top and decorative support braces.  

We need more cardboard boxes to lay as mulch foundation.  No shiny coated or waxed boxes please.  If you’re feeling really charitable, please remove any non-paper tape and plastic shipping labels.  Boxes should be broken down and flattened.  Please place them under the blue tarp by the bees. There are only a couple of boxes already there.  We often have mysterious deliveries.  

Thank you! 

Army worm damage

There have been several sightings of army worms on the vegetables. Be on the lookout for leaves that look like swiss cheese. Our IPM method is to first physically remove all caterpillars you see and then use BT, Bacillus thuringiensis, an organic pesticide dispensed in a compressed sprayer. You need to spray under every leaf for the best coverage. We also use BT powder for those pop-up sightings of caterpillars.

In preparing for the Open House, to quote Extension Agent Mark Tancig,  it's all about the weeding (and mulching).  Mulch can be spread without cardboard, but a cardboard layer first definitely works better.  The paths get the rough mulch. In the flower beds either leaves or fine mulch will work.

The old arbor is undergoing a make-over. Michael, Peter and Glenn will be spearheading the rebuild. The times and dates will be set soon. If you are interested in helping with tools or ladders, let Cathy or Peggy know and they’ll keep you informed.

Dwarf  Cavendish bananas
returning after a hard freeze.
  

There was a mysterious VegHead working in the garden last week because the Dwarf Cavendish banana stand was cleared of all dead leaves and stalks. Thank you for removing another task from our to-do-list.
 

This Wednesday Laurie cleared a strip on the west side of the garden and added cardboard and mulch. Mike trimmed the Cry Baby tree (Erythrina crista-galli, often known as the cockspur coral tree), which had a number of dead limbs. So we should be able to seek shade safely now!

Nancy worked planting and weeding the patio garden. Jeanne brought her granddaughter to visit and worked on her beds. Jeannie planted another pumpkin in B bed. It’s interesting to see the very different sprouting times for the varieties of corn planted in the B beds. She also harvested 5 yellow squash and a zucchini from the A beds. Many more squash appear to be on the way and the plants are looking beautiful. Joanne, Glenn, and Peter also tended their beds.

Even though there’s work to be done, the garden is looking lush. The pollinator garden and flower beds are bursting with color and crops are sprouting in every bed.

Only three more work days till the Open House on May 13.  Thanks to everyone for their efforts today – and all the work you’ve all done so far to make it so lovely.

The garden is bursting
with Spring abundance

Flowers to attract pollinators
and good bugs is an important garden
element.  We have many.  

Hugelkultur bed in foreground, library seed test beds,
pollinator plant beds,  and herb beds in rear backed by old arbor moved
from Second Harvest a number of years ago, and being renovated this year.