Community Garden Update: Putting the Garden to Bed for the Winter

On the eve of a winter storm expected to bring blustery winds, snow, and frigid temperatures, the Community Garden was put to bed for the season.

Dense fog, much like in a spooky Halloween movie, enveloped the garden, and River's Edge Park, making for a damp and cold experience for our last garden meeting of the 2013 season. Chores needed to be done before winter conditions set in, and upon arrival, we saw some fellow gardeners had already gotten started.

Our plot - long, rectangular, middle-left - was cleaned weeks ago.

Having cleaned up the last of our vegetable garden plot several weeks ago, we were there as community members to help clean-up and winterize the garden. There was plenty to do, as was pointed out,  and we decided to weed the strawberry patch, clean up an abandoned plot, and also dispose of diseased squash plants from one of the community beds. In addition, we weeded the entrance garden plot, stored wire cages in the shed, and swept up the landscape fabric around plots.

Strawberries will do well under the snow, over winter.

Mallory weeds the strawberry patch while Eileen turns the earth in an abandoned plot.

David shovels up the ground near an abandoned tomato plant.

Other community garden members arrived and took down the hops, planted bulbs, and winterized the berry bushes. The compost pile was turned, and clumpy and matted material was broken up. All pitched in and pulled together to put the garden to bed for winter.

Other garden plot holders clean-up before the storm.

There was a sense of closure to the garden. The plots were being returned to their earthen states after having given birth to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The Community Garden Project was a success and tending our garden was a pleasure. The fruitful rewards of our labor will be enjoyed over winter.

Next spring, we will return to the garden.