Garden Tour

Last Saturday, Cultivating Community had a workshop and then Monica led a garden tour, and we were a stop on the tour. So we got the garden all spiffed up, with new straw. I also got the zucchini put in at row 8. We all pitched in to make the place look its best.

Catherine bought Amber some new clothes and a hat with flowers in it.

I didn't take any pictures during the tour, but we had a great time. There was quite a good turnout, with at least 25 people. Rick, Catherine, Buddy, and I were there, showing people around and answering questions. We even handed out tomato plants at the end for whoever wanted them. I could have talked for much longer than I did, but it was nice to be able to share what we're doing. People seemed encouraged and impressed. I told them that co-op gardens DO work, and they are a nice way to socialize while getting a little gardening done. I also pointed out that almost everything was recycled or repurposed. Before the tour, we had put the rest of the tomatoes in row 4b and the zuchs in 8 so that the garden didn't look quite so bare.

They were huge starts with nice strong root systems.

I planted them pretty tightly.

*************************************

Weather Note

Well the wind could stop any time now... There has been a hot dry wind for days. Two weeks ago, I was worried that it wasn't warm enough to transplant the tomatoes, because night temps were still getting down to the low 40s or even high 30s. But this week it's 85 degrees! This is exactly why I hesitate to put many cool-weather crops in during the spring. But we should get nice early summer crops

**************************************

The squash was all up a week ago.

And the greens are coming along nicely.

The grapes are looking good. Rick brought over a bunch of nice oak leaf mulch for them from 9th street.

Meanwhile over at 9th, it looks like we have a renter, so we've been scurrying around getting the last bits fixed. We were able to dig up and reset the end pole for the chainlink fence. We then put a new top rail and new fabric up. It's like brand new.

Then it was fence party time. Batch and Rick cleared out all the old fencing and bamboo.

We made a jig to trim off the ends of the reused fence boards. The long 2x4s that served to frame the deck were what we used for stringers. The only thing we bought were brackets and screws... and a lot of beer for labor costs!

Here Batch and Rick screw on the boards. 

How many guys does it take?.... I'm just glad we had these three helping.

It looks great! Also notice how tall and vigorous the favas are! We did a second picking last weekend.

In the carport at 9th is this nest with baby pigeons. It's really hard to see, but it's just above where the boards overlap in the front. I think there are two babies, but there might be three.

******************************************

What We're Drinking

We have foam pilsner on tap at the moment. We're eating fava bean hummus with homemade pita bread.

***************************************

Cindy is back in town, and she stopped by the farm, as did Dean.

The cherries are starting to get ripe!

On our last walk, we checked out this Norm Dillinger car.

The horse hood ornament was especially nice.

We had seven of us at this month's lunch (Laura, Catherine, Cindy, Lori, Delina, Nancy and me), and when we went shopping afterward, I simply HAD to buy this dress. It fits perfectly (size 14!) and looks great. And best of all, my silk tatted clutch goes perfectly. Now I just need the perfect shoes. The gal at Katies is also going to reorder the fascinator I should have bought, which should also go.