Growing the garden, a project by project look at how the garden has changed and developed since the 2015 revitalization.
REGIONAL DISTRICT OF BULKLEY NECHAKO – May 30, 2016
Compost Demonstration Area PROPOSAL Development of a Compost Demonstration Area in the north east corner of the garden which would include: the installation of a triple bin composter, a rotating barrel composter, a vermicomposting planter, and keyhole garden.
RESULTS: Key hole garden, triple bin composter and rotating barrel composter in the background. |
Red Wiggler worms at work, eating organic kitchen waste and turning it into beautiful black compost. Another benefit is the use of any liquid that collects in the bottom of the bin as a concentrate to be used as a liquid fertilizer. used as a liquid fertilizer.
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Entryway/Teaching Garden
PROPOSAL
The Entry way/ Teaching garden would consist of some raised beds and garden structures around the parking lot off of Nault Lane. Would allow for the display of some interesting and unusual food crops that combined with flowers would form an edible landscape.
RESULTS:
PROPOSAL
The Entry way/ Teaching garden would consist of some raised beds and garden structures around the parking lot off of Nault Lane. Would allow for the display of some interesting and unusual food crops that combined with flowers would form an edible landscape.
RESULTS:
The construction and growing forward of part of the edible garden June through September 2016. This raised bed contained: Cherry Tomatoes, Black Kale, Cabbage, Amaranth, and Sunflowers.
This edible garden included rainbow coloured Chard, green Onions, purple Snow Peas, and golden Snow Peas. Antique marigolds were used as a companion plant to repel insect pests.
These planters are a welcome element at the entry way into the garden. Our intention is to label the various plants to better inform interested gardeners.
BURNS LAKE & DISTRICT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION - April 29, 2016
Construction of Communal/In-ground beds
PROPOSAL
Construction of Communal/In-ground beds
PROPOSAL
The original garden had a large unused space on the east half of the fence area. Our plan was to better utilize this portion of the garden with the addition of in-ground beds. They would provide a location for communal crops like potatoes, raspberries, strawberries, and rhubarb. And if required: overflow space for additional gardeners.
This project included the excavation of two 8 foot wide by 80 feet long by 20” deep beds and haul of all the old fill material and trucking of suitable material to make up garden soil to refill.
RESULTS:
This project included the excavation of two 8 foot wide by 80 feet long by 20” deep beds and haul of all the old fill material and trucking of suitable material to make up garden soil to refill.
RESULTS:
Photo taken of the completed in-ground beds from the north east corner of the garden August 2016.
The BEFORE picture taken in October 2015 shows that at least half the fenced area of the garden was under-utilized. This was originally a playing field for the Immaculata School. The BLCGS president, Tracey Payne, played on this field when she was in kindergarten in 1968. The playing field was constructed of highly compacted fill. When it is excavated you can see a variety of boulders, gravel, broken concrete and even some crumbling bricks. Not really suitable material for planting a garden. The yellow paint lines outline two 80 foot long by 8 feet wide in-ground beds.
The generous donation of the use of a dump truck by Lakes District Maintenance allowed the trucking in large loads of better materials to make a garden soil.
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The soil stock pile waiting to go into the long beds when they are excavated.
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A combination of peat based soils, brown fill type material, well composted cow manure and sand, was mixed into the long beds. They were excavated to a depth of about 20 inches.
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With the use of a dump truck from Lakes District Maintenance and backhoe work provided by Silver Sky Farms (Trent Payne) the community garden received an additional 1300 square feet of in ground growing space. There are also 2000 square feet of gardening space available in 20 raised allotment beds. The remaining soil stockpile will be used for the planting of raspberries, strawberries, and rhubarb in 2017. It will also be used to fill some yet to be constructed accessible garden beds and to top up existing garden beds as needed.
ROTARY CLUB OF BURNS LAKE – Under Construction
Replacement of Garden Shed and construction of Sandbox Shelter
PROPOSAL
Replacement of Garden Shed and construction of Sandbox Shelter
PROPOSAL
The Burns Lake Community Garden Society would like to proceed with the replacement of the existing shed, originally built in 2002, with a somewhat larger shed (10’ X 12’) with an attached covered area that would bring the foot print to 16’ X 24’.
There is no foundation in the existing shed. The 2X4 base plate of the wall rests on 2” concrete paver stones. The shed is sided with OSB that has been severely weathered and is rotting in several places. The roof shingles are in very poor condition. Its small size is insufficient for the storage of tools, hoses, the lawn mower, wheelbarrows, buckets, soil amendments etc.
The proposed new shed and attached covered area would be constructed to meet existing building codes. Concrete footings for posts and the floor area in the shed would make for a safe and secure building. The covered area would provide a shaded resting area with benches. The additional roof overhang would provide protected wall space for bulletin boards and a gardening information kiosk.
RESULTS:
There is no foundation in the existing shed. The 2X4 base plate of the wall rests on 2” concrete paver stones. The shed is sided with OSB that has been severely weathered and is rotting in several places. The roof shingles are in very poor condition. Its small size is insufficient for the storage of tools, hoses, the lawn mower, wheelbarrows, buckets, soil amendments etc.
The proposed new shed and attached covered area would be constructed to meet existing building codes. Concrete footings for posts and the floor area in the shed would make for a safe and secure building. The covered area would provide a shaded resting area with benches. The additional roof overhang would provide protected wall space for bulletin boards and a gardening information kiosk.
RESULTS:
The new construction of the garden shed as it appeared in September of 2016. A 10 foot by 12 foot lockable shed will be built in the northeast corner of this shelter in spring 2017. The floor is bedded with crushed gravel. The large overhanging roof area will shelter a communications / information area. Large chalk and bulletin boards will be placed on the shed walls with some seating for resting out of the sun and rain.
Backfilling the post holes once the concrete had set. The metal bracket plates ready for the upright timbers.
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The Rotary crew on their regular Wednesday night in the community garden. It requires lots of willing volunteers to take on a large building project. Gordon Douglas (centre picture) of the Burns Lake Rotary Club, has led this project since its inception in March of 2016.
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The upright timber posts going into place. These 8 X 8 timbers were donated to Rotary from Thatsa Timber Ltd.
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The header beams in place waiting for the roof trusses to be lifted into place.
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Garth Schienbein (left) and Brent Pederson (right) securing the truss work to the beams. There is no electricity available in the community garden. So all construction work had to rely on battery powered tools or the use of a power generator.
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Lakes District Early Childhood Development Committee – SUCCESS BY 6 – February 25, 2016
Sandbox / Roof Shelter courtesy of the Rotary Club of Burns Lake
PROPOSAL
Purchase of supplies and materials to build a covered sandbox at the community garden.
RESULTS:
Sandbox / Roof Shelter courtesy of the Rotary Club of Burns Lake
PROPOSAL
Purchase of supplies and materials to build a covered sandbox at the community garden.
RESULTS:
A super-sized covered sandbox, for some super-sized fun. All wood surfaces in the garden are treated with a non-toxic Lifetime brand wood preservative. Once this box was placed under the roof shelter donated by Rotary, it was filled with clean dry sand donated by Randy Wilson Contracting.
Once the old garden shed (extreme right of the picture) is removed; this sitting area will be relocated into the natural outdoor courtyard in front of the sand box shelter and next to the new garden shed.
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The sand box set into place on a floor of crushed gravel. Recycled roofing tin lines of the bottom of the sand box to prevent weeds from growing up through the clean sand.
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The timber frame and trusses of the sandbox shelter going into place.
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BURNS LAKE & DISTRICT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION - November 20th, 2015
Metal Security Gates and Garden Hoses for water delivery
PROPOSAL
Gates
Now that the garden has a new dedicated access road from Nault Drive we have to re-assess the gate situation to prevent the possibility for vehicles to drive right through the garden to the Immaculata Church parking lot on Third Avenue.
The BLCGS would like to convert the existing 15 foot opening in the fence in the North West corner (Church side) of the garden to a 4 foot walk-gate.
We also would like to install a pair of 6 foot, metal swing gates, as a service access for the delivery of soil and other bulk items to the garden on the Nault Drive (south side) of the garden and an additional 4 foot walk-gate as pedestrian access from the new garden parking lot on the Nault Drive side of the garden.
RESULTS:
Metal Security Gates and Garden Hoses for water delivery
PROPOSAL
Gates
Now that the garden has a new dedicated access road from Nault Drive we have to re-assess the gate situation to prevent the possibility for vehicles to drive right through the garden to the Immaculata Church parking lot on Third Avenue.
The BLCGS would like to convert the existing 15 foot opening in the fence in the North West corner (Church side) of the garden to a 4 foot walk-gate.
We also would like to install a pair of 6 foot, metal swing gates, as a service access for the delivery of soil and other bulk items to the garden on the Nault Drive (south side) of the garden and an additional 4 foot walk-gate as pedestrian access from the new garden parking lot on the Nault Drive side of the garden.
RESULTS:
The blue walk gates in the community garden were constructed by Tracey Payne. This is the gate that leads to the Immaculata Church parking lot off of Third Avenue. It also provides access to the large church owned swing set at the edge of the community garden.
The BEFORE picture taken in September of 2015 after the waist high grass had been cut with a large tractor driven deck mower. Up until that point this was the only vehicular access into the garden.
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The six foot metal security gates that lead into the garden for the delivery of soil and other bulk items. The new parking area is to the right of the metal gates.
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The newly painted pedestrian gate from the parking lot into the south side of the community garden.
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The BEFORE picture taken as the fence in the South East corner of the garden was relocated by Village work crews to accommodate the new access road from Nault Lane. A four foot pedestrian gate was installed for access into the garden from the new parking lot.
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Garden Hoses
PROPOSAL
A closer look showed that the previous water delivery hoses were only ½ inch in diameter and of undetermined age and in poor repair, having been left outside for a number of years. The BLCGS would like to purchase: FOUR new 5/8th hoses, each 50 feet in length, and FOUR new nozzles to attach to the ends. Currently there is only one working nozzle in the entire garden. The four new hoses and nozzles would attach to the underground water delivery pipe.
RESULTS:
PROPOSAL
A closer look showed that the previous water delivery hoses were only ½ inch in diameter and of undetermined age and in poor repair, having been left outside for a number of years. The BLCGS would like to purchase: FOUR new 5/8th hoses, each 50 feet in length, and FOUR new nozzles to attach to the ends. Currently there is only one working nozzle in the entire garden. The four new hoses and nozzles would attach to the underground water delivery pipe.
RESULTS:
VILLAGE OF BURNS LAKE – October 13, 2015
Labour, Equipment & Materials, to create a new Garden Access
PROPOSAL
To create a safe and secure access point into the community garden that would be suitable for all ages of participants.
Mayor and Council voted unanimously THAT staff be directed to create an access point to the Community Garden from Nault Drive and general upgrades to the garden property; AND THAT staff be authorized to enter into a FIVE YEAR LEASE AGREEMENT with the Community Garden Society.
RESULTS:
Labour, Equipment & Materials, to create a new Garden Access
PROPOSAL
To create a safe and secure access point into the community garden that would be suitable for all ages of participants.
Mayor and Council voted unanimously THAT staff be directed to create an access point to the Community Garden from Nault Drive and general upgrades to the garden property; AND THAT staff be authorized to enter into a FIVE YEAR LEASE AGREEMENT with the Community Garden Society.
RESULTS:
The new garden access from Nault Lane via 1st Avenue and adjacent parking lot to the right of the photo to accommodate at least six vehicles.
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The BEFORE picture taken in September of 2015. All vehicles had to enter the garden from the Immaculata Church parking lot off of Third Avenue and then pass under the swing set to come through a fifteen foot opening in the garden fence.
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The water source pipe for the garden had to be relocated to allow for access into the garden. The privately owned metal shed on the right of the picture had to be relocated off of the Village owned right of way.
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This is the new view down Nault Lane to First Avenue. The metal garden shed has been relocated to the left of the right of way and the rough subgrade is in place by late October of 2015.
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The water source pipe in its new location, waiting for the installation or the underground water delivery line.
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The fence was removed by the Village works crew. The site is now ready for stripping to prepare for the new access road and parking area.
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Fence posts and wire were re-configured to accommodate the new parking area.
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The posts for the new service gate being installed by the Village of Burns Lake works crew. The late October weather is cooperating and the changes to the access were in place before snow fall.
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The new fence and gate locations are complete. The parking area stripped of debris and ready for gravell-ing.
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The crush material sloped to connect the garden to Nault Lane.
The additional crush material to complete the parking area was donated by Lakes District Maintenance. Again the use of a dump truck and backhoe service from Silver Sky Farms made these improvements possible.
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Later in the summer of 2016 additional amounts of crush were added to level and widen the parking area to accommodate safer parking and backing up maneuvers.
The completed parking area in July of 2016. A very professional looking job and a long way from the days of backing a dump truck under a swing set in order to deliver a load of garden soil.
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Northern Health - PARTNERING 4 HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE – October 29, 2015
Garden Restoration (Clean up, Picnic Tables, Chairs, Fruit Trees, Signage), Governance, Water Delivery, Soil Improvements, New Garden Beds, Workshops
PROPOSAL
Re-establish the community garden plots and to expand the activity base. Planning to provide accessible garden sites, a place to socialize, support and learn from each other. Provide educational activities and promote food sustainability.
RESULTS:
Garden Restoration (Clean up, Picnic Tables, Chairs, Fruit Trees, Signage), Governance, Water Delivery, Soil Improvements, New Garden Beds, Workshops
PROPOSAL
Re-establish the community garden plots and to expand the activity base. Planning to provide accessible garden sites, a place to socialize, support and learn from each other. Provide educational activities and promote food sustainability.
RESULTS:
The picnic tables and seating area in the Burns Lake Community Garden. Now an inviting and restful place for all in the community to enjoy. Surprisingly the garden has become somewhat of a destination for visitors from the surrounding neighbourhood.
The BEFORE picture taken August 2015. Upon viewing the garden for the first time BLCGS Director Rande McMurray said “The first thing we need to do is make this place look like there is at least some HOPE of making a garden here.”
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Though the garden had been established in 2002 by 2015 the whole site was extremely overgrown with grass and infested with Canada Thistle. Just four participants were using six of the then seventeen garden beds.
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A tractor mounted six foot deck mower was used to cut down the tall grass, small saplings and brush. Both inside and outside the fences area. Where possible the Canada Thistle was dug out by machine. The initial clean up of the garden resulted in three tandem dump truck loads of debris and rotted wood being removed from the site.
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After the work bee on October 5, 2015. The excess grass has been cut away. All the garden beds were double dug by a group of 20 volunteers and the thick stands of barnyard grass and roots were removed by hand. It took approximately 20 volunteers more than 60 hours just to remove the grass from the raised beds.
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The same garden view in May of 2016. Four new cedar raised beds have been added and bring the total number of beds to twenty. Bed seventeen was eliminated to make way for the underground water line. Notice that the area for the new garden shed and sandbox shelter have been stripped. All twenty raised beds have gardeners responsible for them.
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A load of peat based soil being delivered by Doug Price was combined with a load of brown fill material donated by Blair Wilson Contracting and a load of composted cow manure donated by Alfred Horning. All three loads were thoroughly mixed with a front end loader. A common mistake made by beginning gardeners is to use only top soil which is generally made of peat or heavy organic material. This kind of soil is highly acidic which inhibits the uptake of nutrients. Most commonly found vegetable crops don’t thrive in this soil type. It is also difficult to maintain the proper level of moisture in peat soils. The water either runs off the surface or the peat soil becomes so saturated that the plants suffer from oxygen deprivation.
On October 5, 2016 the Burns Lake Cadets assisted in the transporting of the new soil into the raised beds. Notice that the mixed soil stockpile is brown not black as is typical of a peat based soil.
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The orientation of the original beds did not allow for filling with a machine. The renewing of these raised beds required significant amounts of hand labour. Without the assistance from the younger cadet volunteers most of our participant gardeners would not have physically been able to carry out this task.
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On October 24, 2015 approximately one hundred and fifty feet of trenching was dug for the underground water delivery to the raised garden portion of the community garden. The trench was dug by machine but had to be hand filled because the beds are to close together to allow machine access.
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This is one very hardy group of volunteers. This job took several hours in the cold.
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The chunks of sod were resettled at the top of the trench. By late summer in 2016 you could not even tell that we had trenched so extensively.
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There are a lot of garden tasks that are suitable for children and the BLCGS always encourages families to come out together. Even if some just watch and play. It’s a great opportunity to experience what a group of people working together can achieve.
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Each of the distribution boxes on the water delivery system contains a tap and a drain. All hoses are buried which makes tasks live grass cutting and trimming easier.
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By early May 2016 the original beds look ready for planting. The grass area of the garden is regularly mowed by volunteers. This task along with the associated trimming - “whipper snipping” takes about four hours every week in the early part of the summer and once every two weeks in August and September.
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The first of the garden crops are emerging. The 2016 garden year allowed the BLCGS executive the opportunity to observe what gaps there were in participants gardening knowledge. Clearly what to plant and plant spacing are topics for future education, along with information about soil building and proper watering techniques.
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Four new twenty foot by five foot by 18 inch high raised beds were added in May of 2016.
All the raised allotment beds at the community garden are very generous in size. The majority of participants at the garden are seniors. There are a few young families, single people and apartment dwellers. There are also beds cared for by young adults with disabilities through Burns Lake Community Services.
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By August 2016 the Burns Lake Community Garden is looking abundant. All the raised beds are growing well and participants are harvesting vegetables to eat. The grey square at the centre of this photo is an access hatch for the underground watering.
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The raised beds in the Burns Lake Community Garden are for the most part 20 feet long and 5 feet wide. One hundred feet of growing space is sufficient for most families of two. Some gardeners with larger needs used two garden beds. The BLCGS can facilitate this as long as there is no one on the wait list at planting time.
Tumbler tomatoes with parsley and other herbs in pots on the picnic tables. Some areas of the garden; including flowers in pots, are designated “share and care”. Help with care – watering mostly, and you can harvest a share. Membership in the garden includes an obligation to share in the care of all communal spaces and crops in the garden. Participation in at least four hours of general garden maintenance (not just the care of your own designated bed) and upkeep is mandatory.
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Our initial funding allowed for the purchase of some fruit trees. The BLCGS hopes to continue to invest in the long term of the garden by planting additional edible fruit trees and shrubs. |
From mid-May to the end of June the BLCGS holds a Tuesday night in the garden starting at 6:30 PM. It’s an opportunity for beginners to receive assistance from more experienced gardeners. As well as a way to take care of the many general garden tasks necessary in the early spring. These evenings were very successful and enjoyed by many and the BLCGS will offer them again in the spring of 2017.
From mid-May to the end of June the BLCGS holds a Tuesday night in the garden starting at 6:30 PM. It’s an opportunity for beginners to receive assistance from more experienced gardeners. As well as a way to take care of the many general garden tasks necessary in the early spring. These evenings were very successful and enjoyed by many and the BLCGS will offer them again in the spring of 2017.
Morris Williams Elementary School squash planting session
In mid-May 2016 the BLCGS hosted the Grade 1-2 class from Morris Williams Elementary School in a squash planting session.
This is a particularly good age group to work with in the garden. These kids were really excited and intent on doing a good job at planting their baby plants.
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The children made their own customized plant markers to mark their transplants.
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We had a great sense of accomplishment helping these young gardeners and hope that we have more opportunities in the future to work with school age children.
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In September of 2016 the BLCGS delivered a basket of Spaghetti squash to the kids at Morris Williams Elementary School.
BLCGS supported workshops Winter of 2015/2016
In the Winter of 2015/2016 the BLCGS sponsored two workshops at the College of New Caledonia. One on selecting vegetable seed varieties for northern gardens, led by Tracey Payne. Another on cultivating Micro Greens led by Nathan Nicolas.
As always children are encouraged to join in. Here Nathan and Gwyn Nicholas are teaching young Milena Peters how to seed a tray for micro greens for production. Nathan kept the attendants involved further via the Lakes District Local Foods Facebook page with photo updates of the greens growing.
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Micro green supplies
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Attendance of the seed selection work shop was excellent. Many people of various levels of gardening expertise came to hear from Tracey Payne.
Northern Health - IMAGINE GRANT – 2018
Extended the garden’s edible landscape and communal garden areas by adding fruit trees and shrubs. built an educational courtyard including a fire pit for chilly nights and wiener roasts; and constructed a veggie wash station to clean produce efficiently at the garden.
In 2018 we Built a Large Greenhouse!
2019 - Growing the Greenhouse
Plastic buckets make up the beds of the greenhouse, with plans to do built-in beds in the future. The sides of the greenhouse roll up for easy heat maintenance and an irrigation system for watering.