Harvesting Has Begun!

The community garden in Ladner is bursting with all sorts of great vegetables.We think this is going to be our best growing year to date. I came home with a huge handful of Russian Kale tonight for Sunday dinner.

Did you know we have community meals at the garden? Yes, we try to have a community meal at the end of every month from June to September. Tomorrow, June 23 at 6pm is our first get together of the season and we hope to see lots of people come by. If you would like to join us, just bring a dish to share, your cutlery, dishes and a glass. We will supply some cold drinks. Its a great way to meet other gardeners.

So much has been happening at the garden that I haven't had time to write. The pergola floor is almost done. Laying recycled cement pieces is no small job. Each has to be levelled carefully. Our next task will be placing a different floor between our two pergolas. Right now its a secret as to what is planned but hopefully it will be done by the end of summer. I cant wait to see the end result.

We are also building a fence around the garden. You will notice our new signs. I wish we didn't need them but someone always spoils things. Last year we had theft of vegetables from several allotments. The gardeners pay for the soil and seed and tend to their gardens so what they grow is theirs and theirs alone. Many would gladly give away their extra veggies if asked first.

Did you know we even have garden classes? Earlier this month we had Don Bruchet give us a talk on organic fertilizers and composting. It was a wonderful way to spend a spring evening. Is there a topic you would like to hear about? Let us know.

We are also planting a hedgerow of beautiful shrubs to make the park look even better. Sounds like a lot of work for this year but many hands make light work.

The classes in the children's garden are now finished until September. In May, the children held a tea cup planter sale  and they made a lot of money for us to donate to the food bank. Way to go Southpointe Academy! All the vegetables that the children grew will be donated to the food bank. This week we have radishes and lettuce and a small amount of spinach. As I removed an Arugula plant from one of the beds, I was saddened by the amount of seed that will be discarded. On just a few plants there are thousands of seeds, enough to feed so many. Its so easy to collect seed but a few pods is enough for  me. Where are those seed collector fairies when you need them?

This summer will be a compost giveaway year. We are finally assigning compost bins to allotment owners. This will mean that each person will manage their own compost. Compost is the black gold for gardeners.
Well, that's about it for today. Please come visit the gardens and take a tour. We would love to have you.