Work Day in the garden

I believe summer is upon us. Our weather has gone from nice spring to scorching hot. No gradual increase in temperature so we can get used to it, just straight to the 90's.

With these hot temperatures, our gardens may begin to suffer. Adequate moisture will be critical if we don't get timely rains. Water early in the morning or late in the evening. This allows the plants to absorb water, less evaporation, and less water use. It's also cooler for the person watering. Plants in pots may need daily watering as these tend to dry out faster. Keep up your feeding schedule with your fertilizer of choice, I am watering in liquid sea weed once every two weeks, and have been happy with results so far. Weeding is of course a never ending chore, apply more mulch as needed. Monitor plants for bugs or disease, early detection is the best strategy. Take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water, and enjoy some fresh food.

This past weekend, we had our first work day in the garden. With the help of family and friends, the last four beds were filled with soil. Two were mulched with alfalfa hay, I will have to get more to finish the rest. We transplanted 10 volunteer chile pequin plants from another bed, I hope they survive the move. If they don't, I have many more. The "wailing wall" was restacked, and repositioned to make it more stable. It looks great. We had a lot of fun, although it was very hot, and shoveling 4 yards of soil is hard work.

As we left that afternoon, the garden looked different, but it also felt different. I felt tired, but relaxed, and had a great sense of accomplishment. But what I felt the most was a sense of peace, and love. A feeling of community. I believe that comes from family, friends,and community coming together to take care of each other. It's parents teaching their children how to take care of themselves and others. It's all of us caring for our family, our community, our planet. This garden has been touched by many loving hands, and I hope many more will join us next time.