Things are starting to move quickly now on the Highlands Urban Garden in Virginia Highlands Park. We are in Phase III and ready to plant. Remember if you haven’t signed up to volunteer in the garden, you can do so here: https://forms.gle/5E825znQDQSJrS99A This is important. Also, any minors must be accompanied by an adult. We seem to be generating a lot of interest on Sunday afternoons. Encourage a friend to join you in volunteering, even if it’s just for an hour or so. Here’s the project website. All are welcome.
Here’s the schedule for the next two months of work days:
Tuesday, April 6, 4-7 pm: 1) Team meeting for observation and communication; 2) installation of irrigation material in plots 3-6 (where soil has been turned over); 3) Group 1: planting of seedlings (spinach, Swiss chard, Bok choy) and seeds (pole beans, radishes); 4) Group 2: Wrap corrugated material around cement block bases for water tanks; 5) water. Let us know if you have started any seeds to donate seedlings.
Future Work Days: We will try to keep to a schedule of biweekly work days and let you know the tasks to be done at each meeting. We’ll do quick checks during the off weeks. Tasks that remain include: Installing fence posts for netting; installing water tanks (with art work now being printed); connection of irrigation system to water tanks for watering; installing trellis arches; installing netting; additional planting in late April; watering; and harvest! Harvest days may be variable however: when the produce is ready, we have to harvest no matter what our schedule is.
Sunday, April 11, 1-4 pm: Team meeting for observation and communication; Install fence posts for netting; install water tanks (with art work now being printed); connect irrigation system to water tanks for watering; install trellis arches; more planting, watering. If you have old tennis balls to donate, bring them to put on top the 24 fence posts, yellow if possible.
Sunday, April 25, 1-4 pm: Team meeting for observation and communication: Weeding, Watering; planting of seedlings (e.g., tomatoes, peppers); planting in cover crop plots 1-2, 7-8 where the soil has not been turned over.
Saturday, May 8, 1-4 pm (avoiding Mother’s Day May 9): Team meeting for observation and communication; Weeding, Watering; more planting if needed; harvest?
Sunday, May 23, 1-4 pm: Team meeting for observation and communication; Weeding, Watering; harvest?
We’ve had a number of donations, both in kind (e.g., netting, seedlings) and money. But one of the biggest donations is our indefatigable FOUA leader David Sachs. He lends not only his extensive farming expertise, but his time, truck, tools, energy, and general good nature. Many thanks to David.
– Carol Fuller, Livability22202
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