The Community Garden Project 2014 - The First Plot Holder's Meeting
The spring plot-holder's meeting of the Columbia Falls Community Garden was held over the weekend and unlike the cold and damp weather of last year's first meeting, members gathered under sunny skies.
A few of last year's gardeners had given up their plots, for whatever reason, either by choice, or forfeit due to abandonment. There was no problem finding people to take over the available plots, and newcomers had shown up for the kick-off meeting.
Introductions were made, garden rules were reviewed, and our garden administrator discussed a few plans she has for the 2014 season. Landscape fabric will be laid down to cover a green space that is difficult to mow, and new hoses will be purchased, one for each aisle, which are to remain in place next to the plots. A crop rotation had been done in the community beds, and she pointed out that onions and garlic had been planted in beds where the potatoes had been last summer.
A tour of the garden was given, and I snapped a shot of the compost pile before joining the group where the meeting finished up with additional comments and a peek inside the tool shed.
Afterwards, we took another look at our plot. It was essentially weed free as our efforts of putting our garden to bed last fall had really paid off. While pulling a weed or two, we tossed around a couple of ideas about where the bean trellis should go.
In the garden plot next to ours, I watched our neighbor's pick carrots they had over-wintered. They had dug up carrots all winter long, evidently without much difficulty digging through the snow. Weather conditions had occasionally made the harvesting a bit unpleasant, but the results were well worth the inconvenience, they said. The carrots were fresh, firm, and had sweetened as the winter had progressed.
So intrigued by their success, we are considering over-wintering a vegetable this year. (Click here, to find out how to store vegetables in the ground over winter.)
Another gardener had gotten a head start and had staked out their plot for square foot gardening. Square foot gardening is the practice of planning and creating small but intensively planted gardens. So far, it looks impressive. Can't wait to watch it spring to life!
It's still too cold in Montana to plant, but energy was high as our thoughts turned to vegetable gardening.
A few of last year's gardeners had given up their plots, for whatever reason, either by choice, or forfeit due to abandonment. There was no problem finding people to take over the available plots, and newcomers had shown up for the kick-off meeting.
Introductions were made, garden rules were reviewed, and our garden administrator discussed a few plans she has for the 2014 season. Landscape fabric will be laid down to cover a green space that is difficult to mow, and new hoses will be purchased, one for each aisle, which are to remain in place next to the plots. A crop rotation had been done in the community beds, and she pointed out that onions and garlic had been planted in beds where the potatoes had been last summer.
A tour of the garden was given, and I snapped a shot of the compost pile before joining the group where the meeting finished up with additional comments and a peek inside the tool shed.
Afterwards, we took another look at our plot. It was essentially weed free as our efforts of putting our garden to bed last fall had really paid off. While pulling a weed or two, we tossed around a couple of ideas about where the bean trellis should go.
In the garden plot next to ours, I watched our neighbor's pick carrots they had over-wintered. They had dug up carrots all winter long, evidently without much difficulty digging through the snow. Weather conditions had occasionally made the harvesting a bit unpleasant, but the results were well worth the inconvenience, they said. The carrots were fresh, firm, and had sweetened as the winter had progressed.
So intrigued by their success, we are considering over-wintering a vegetable this year. (Click here, to find out how to store vegetables in the ground over winter.)
Another gardener had gotten a head start and had staked out their plot for square foot gardening. Square foot gardening is the practice of planning and creating small but intensively planted gardens. So far, it looks impressive. Can't wait to watch it spring to life!
It's still too cold in Montana to plant, but energy was high as our thoughts turned to vegetable gardening.
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