The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul. — Alfred Austin
I’ve finally got the plot planted at Roseville Community Garden
I’m fortunate to be able to resume a favorite hobby this summer – gardening – and I’m hoping it also encourages me to blog and photograph the results (including recipes for what I grow). I’ll be including photo updates throughout the course of the year, so be sure to read this post to the end, as the “baseline” photos appear at the end.
After two years of wait-listing, I finally received my much-anticipated 15′ x 15′ garden plot this spring at the Roseville Community Garden, located on Hudson Farm West – a private farm straddling the Byram & Andover Township borders – which the organization is granted use through the generosity of Mr. Peter Kellogg, the property owner. It’s a wonderful location and a fantastic opportunity for Byram residents to garden, given that 99% of Byram is rocky and wooded, as well as over-run by herds of marauding, hungry deer.
I was happily informed when I first arrived that nearly every tool I’d need was provided on site through the Garden: hoes, rakes, shovels, weeding tools, wheel barrows, hand tools, and a Bolens roto-tiller. All I needed was plants or seeds and some sweat-equity to get my garden started!
Being perpetually behind in my personal life, I didn’t start cleaning up the plot until May 5th, and did not realize the amount of effort that would take. It had been abandoned last year, and was completely covered in thickly matted tall grass and weeds. Better finish “later.”
Well “later” became two weeks, due in part to uncooperative weather and prior commitments, and did I ever under-estimate the work involved! On Saturday I returned, determined to get this project finished this weekend. Three-plus hours of clearing yielded four large wheelbarrow loads of weeds & debris, and nearly two hours of amending soil and roto-tilling later, and the plot was ready to plant. But I was too beaten up by the roto-tiller – and light was quickly vanishing – so I called it a day.
I came back late Sunday afternoon to avoid the mid-day heat – having mapped out a grid for planting on Saturday night – and I was ready to go! How tough could this be, as it’s less than half-a-thousandth of an acre? Ha. Guess what. 225 sq. ft. is a pretty big freaking garden. And my aging back and knees are loudly telling me that today.
So proceeding according to plan, modified slightly as I better read heights and distances on seed packets “in the field,” the various rows and hills and patches of seeds – along with a little bit of Miracle Gro Shake and Feed – were scratched into the garden soil. I bought what I thought would be far too much seed, but it actually worked out pretty well. Apply water, and presto! Herb & veggie heaven begun!
Here’s a list of what I’ve planted:
Herbs:
Vegetables:
- Chioggia Beets
- Danvers 126 Carrots
- Kaleidoscope Carrots
- Cherry Belle Radish
- Crimson Giant Radish
- Broccoli
- Fennel
- Ruby Red Swiss Chard
- Parris Island Romaine Lettuce
- Bloomsdale Spinach
- Black Beauty Summer Squash
- Waltham Butternut Squash
- Early Acorn Squash
- Cucumber
- Sweet Red Peppers
- Kung Pao Hybrid Peppers
- Pepperochini Hot Peppers
The bulk of the planting is done, except for a half dozen tomato plants and some started-from-seed pepper plants that I need to put in this weekend. For the tomatoes, I’m figuring a cherry or grape variety, a Roma variety, a yellow or heirloom plant, and a couple of hearty Early Bush or Super Steak varieties. Depends on what I can find at local nurseries this weekend (starting with my favorite – Byram’s own Lockwood Farms).
As promised, here are the “baseline photos” of the garden property. Hopefully the results will be impressive.
The “baseline” shot of the plot at start of the season, looking west/northwest. May 19, 2012
Another “baseline” shot of the plot at start of the season, looking to the northeast. Needless to say, some of my neighboring plots are out-of-control-with weeds. The Garden’s barn and storage area is at the rear. May 19, 2012
And one last shot, the plot at start of the season, looking south across the grazing field for the farm’s herd of Black Angus. May 19, 2012
Two of my new garden friends watch intently as I prepare the garden plot for planting. I’ve named them “Prime Rib” and “Hamburger.” May 19, 2012
Watch for another update and more pictures over the Memorial Day weekend and weekly (hopefully) throughout the summer and fall.