First "work day"

Lovely day to unload a truck full of compost and meet a few fellow gardeners onsite.  (A community garden really is just that, such a great way to come together with friends and neighbors!).  After getting the compost to our plots, we began laying out lines for our planned garden sections but we'll need to come back to finish doing that and to till the compost in.  Great news: compost is only $20 per truckload since soil tests indicate the plots could really use more organic matter.  Thanks so much for the calls/emails from those wishing to help on short notice.  We should have a more regular work schedule up on the blog/via email once plants are in the ground but we'll appreciate volunteers when we get out there to till (in the next week), finish laying planning lines (soon) and are ready to direct-seed crops (later in April).  Meanwhile, we are trialing informal seed-starting for crops with a longer growing season like tomatoes, peppers and beans for later planting.  Happy Spring!
~Marykaye

calling all volunteers for the garden TODAY (Saturday, March 27)

Exciting news!  Community garden plots have just been tilled by the powers that be and that means our plots are also ready for us to get into!  Garden members Jane and Angie are heading down to Sonnewald's in the morning and will be back on site by around noon if anyone would like to come on down and help unload a truckload of compost and fertilizer.  (Sorry for the short notice but it sounds like that may be the way of the natural world for things such as this). :)

If you're free, we'd love to see you: a quick visit to unload just a couple of scoops or as much help as you can give are both welcome!  Our plots are along Elmerton Avenue near the corner of State Farm road; from what I understand, we're right across from the gazebo on the other side of the road.  We'll also have some seeds if you'd like to pick any up to start some at home for later planting.

Have a great day!
Marykaye

Soil tests results are in!

We just received soil test results from the Penn State Cooperative Extension. The pH of our plots is close to neutral (7 to 7.4), but the bad news is that our soil is deficient in several macronutrients, including calcium and potassium.

Once we've tilled our plots, we'll be adding compost and organic fertilizers to make the soil rich. Gypsum and greensand are on my list of organic fertilizers to buy.

For more information on soil testing services, visit the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences at http://www.aasl.psu.edu/SSFT.HTM

~Angie

Spring is Officially Here!

Spring is officially here with the Equinox last weekend and the plans for our garden are really taking shape as you can see. With our special emphasis on Children, we are planning an area of the garden to be a Fairy garden filled with Sunflower houses, bean pole tents, and a "campfire" area for children to sit on small tree stump stools for stories about the garden and the Fairies as part of their summer of fun. One of our members just donated some great garden supplies for children:

• 10 mini gardening canvas totes in green and blue
• 10 garden work aprons in rainbow colors with ladybug and frog decals( so sweet its crazy)
• 5 trowels and mini shovels for children to young to use the real thing but want to play in the dirt like everyone else (made of plastic with soft edges)
• 5 regular trowels (good for adults too)
• a few blow in the breeze streamers with ladybugs,froggy,sunflowers

We'd love to see more families with Children become members. Its really easy to join, just give us a call. We only ask for a few hours a week to help through the summer. We'd love more volunteers too since tilling and planting will begin in April.


Karen

Getting closer to planting our garden

Another fun planning meeting today complete with great food. (Wish I had a picture of Karen's wonderful polenta but it was too yummy to last very long!) ;)  Designs for the garden are taking shape, including space for a wonderful children's garden and activities; we'll be contacting local women's and children's groups to invite them to join us for free vegetables and classes/activities throughout the growing season.  As of today you can check out our "Children's Garden Bucket List" for more planning details and subscribe for blog updates via email.  You can also leave a comment below if you like.  Hope you join us!

We've got plots!

We're excited to announce we've got plots! Our garden will be planted in

rows 23, 25, 27 & 29, right along Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg.  Having fun so far

just making plans (and enjoying great local farmer's market treats) but

looking forward to getting our hands in some dirt very soon! :). We'd

love to hear from you so feel free to leave a comment if you like.

Have a great day.