Arriving bright and early on this lovely Monday morning, we found that our hard work and patience has paid off. Nearly every plant in the garden is thriving! It's quite refreshing to return to the garden after the weekend to behold the fruits of our labor. Some of the delicate pumpkin seedlings were a little wilted because of lack of watering this weekend, but everything else has grown visibly. First of all, the watermelon is spreading everywhere, creeping across the pathway and into neighboring beds. There might need to be some brainstorming on how to deal with its growth. The stalks on several of the corn are thick and sturdy, and marigolds were spotted sprouting next to the sunflowers in the trench. The cucumbers are looking fantastic and there are so many peas, we're going to have to start building them trellises. A beautiful cosmos flower has bloomed, and the aloe is looking better now that its roots have have dried out and had time to acclimate to new sandy soil. We had to say goodbye to the rosemary though, it has become part of our compost. Also, the base of one of the gourds on the fence is infested with ants that are eating its leaves. We'll have to keep an eye on it, and Amy suggested we sprinkle it with baking powder.
The morning shift split tasks and got a lot done. We watered thoroughly, weeded in the beds, and put some horse manure and water on the compost piles. Alex planted nasturtiums in the funky shaped bed as well as in the herb bed. Amy discovered calendula seeds in the shed and planted some in the butterfly garden. Donnelle sorted worm poop while Jess pruned the gourd and weeded. We collected some trash, swept the shed, and discovered some frogs and lizards hanging out in the pineapple. Unfortunately no class came out, although we had watering cans filled and ready for them! It's difficult to schedule garden time around the students' busy schedules. Waiting can only make their arrival that much better! The afternoon shift watered more, as the heat of the sun has not diminished whatsoever since the start of October. They also spread out more mulch and had a class of 1st graders come out. The class was out for the first time so an introduction to the garden and ice breaking activity were the highlights of their visit. An added bonus was a rain dance, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. All in all, it was a fabulous start to another week. I believe we should heed Emerson's advice and be patient, as all good things take time, and our plants need time and love to grow.
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