Signs of Spring

The sun broke through the clouds, the temperature began to rise, and it began to feel a little more like Florida outside. Unfortunately, the pleasant weather came a little too late for many of the plants in the Edible peace Patch. Many of our plants simply could not handle the harsh freezes that slammed the garden last week. Many of the plants, including the peppers, tomatoes and okra had to be removed from the ground. As a result, the tomatoes had to be picked a little prematurely, but hopefully they will be able to ripen off of the vine. There are now many open beds in the Edible Peace Patch. While the garden seems a bit bare and lonely right now, It is exciting to know that in a few short weeks the garden will once again be bursting with life and healthy snacks in the rapidly approaching spring season.
Because many of the plants had to be removed, the compost is now filled with an abundance of organic material from the plants that will be broken down into nutrient rich soil to be used in the garden at a later date. By turning the compost, you can see the tremendously rich soil that has been cooking since last semester. Soon this soil will be added to the beds to increase the nutrients and rebuild the health of the soil. It Is always a rewarding process to watch the gardens plant matter break down into healthy soil that will one day help to grow healthy plants.

In the upcoming days, the garden might expect some changes. A class of volunteers from Eckerd College will be arriving to lend a hand for a couple of days. Some of these students will be returning volunteers of the edible peace patch, while others in the group will be undertaking their fist gardening experience. The garden is always in need of a little more help and it is truly incredible how much can be accomplished when a group of hardworking volunteers put in just a few hours of sincere effort. The garden was built by the hands of volunteers, and only grows stronger as more and more people devote their time and energy to it.

This week a group of children came out to the garden with their teacher to learn about healthy foods that they should incorporate into their diet. The children were excited to see that broccoli and turnips would be ready to eat soon. While there was a limited amount of vegetable to show them, the children were quick to remember the types of plants that had grown last semester and even remembered which beds they were planted in. I was amazed (as was their teacher)by the amount of information that they had retained since last semester. The students were eager to share their knowledge of pollination, composting, and the life cycle of the pineapple plants. The students cannot wait until this spring when they will once again be allowed to explore the garden on a more regular basis. Hopefully, this semester they will acquire even more science related gardening knowledge that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives.