The Most Important Day of the Year

I have just returned from the third meeting of the Columbus Growing Coalition Meeting (which I'll blog about next week with all the nitty gritty details). So, I'm very jazzed that the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden will be breaking ground in two days -- Saturday, April 9, 2011 – beginning at 9:00 a.m (until 1:30 or 2:00 p.m.) for our third fantastic year of growing vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. This is the single most important day of the year at the SACG and sets the tone for the rest of the year. Luckily, we have a core group of seriously hardworking and dedicated gardeners who make all of this possible. If you read this blog regularly, you would think that all of this comes together effortlessly, but it is really the result of a lot of great volunteers.

On Saturday, we will be doing the following (as time and weather permits):

• Pick up litter -- and there is a lot of itL



• Spread Mulch (which Wright's Tree Service will be delivering this week). Please bring a garden rake, shovel, gloves and wheelbarrow/cart if you have one.



• Hook up a gutter and downspout to the shed;



• Hook up rain barrels



• Hook up gates
  


• Put signs back up



• Spread peat moss on plots to raise the pH



• Replace fence in southwest corner (with wire fence and steel fence posts)



• Flip the compost bins



• Mow grass



• Plant blueberry bush



• Paint shed (weather and time permitting)



• Weed flower and other beds



• Till the garden (if the soil is workable; otherwise we'll do that on Sunday afternoon or next week). This will be the first chance we've had to use the new rototiller that the Cougar Group gave us last year and I can't wait. Charlie has volunteered to till the garden, but knowing the men, they'll all want to take turns using this giant power tool. As long as I don't have to do it . . . . .



• Mark plots



• Thin strawberries (and pot them to sell as a fundraiser)



• Grab Botanical Interest seeds from the bags which Linda gave me on Tuesday.



• Start planting:) I have lots of seeds and seed potatoes

We still have 8 plots available if there are readers out there who want to join us gardening this year. Ms. D is generously providing us with the use of her grill so that we can have hot dogs for lunch (instead of cold cuts like the last two years).

Last Saturday, I spent the day starting seeds. Some of them had already sprouted by this morning and I'll share some at the end of May. When they get bigger, I'll put them in the portable greenhouse (pictured) which my mother gave me in 2009 for Xmas. (Nice investment for $35).

I also have pictures of fun from the Opening Day of the last two years so that you can have some idea of what to expect. If it rains, all of this will take place on Saturday, April 16.

Be there or be square!